Director, Canada Pensions

Job Title: Director, Canada Pensions

Location: Toronto, ON

Estimated Duration: 6 Months

The Director, Canadian Pensions assists with the end-to-end management and oversight of our client’s Canadian DB and DC pension plans, and also provides support on financial and Board reporting of the global pension arrangements.

Typical Day in Role

• Act as Secretary to three Canadian Pension and Investment Committees: Set meeting agendas, prepare meeting materials and coordinate receipt and review of materials from the Committees’ various delegates and advisors. Track and follow-up on Committee request, action items and special projects.
• Work with third-party actuaries, Finance colleagues and auditors on year-end and quarterly financial reporting of the company’s global pension plans under IAS 19. Assist in reviewing and setting assumptions and methodology. Coordinate receipt, review and consolidation of financial reporting information from the plans actuaries. Answer questions from auditors.
• Assist with the execution of the global pension governance model, including preparation of the annual global pension governance report for the Board.
• Provide project management and strategic support on special projects including DB asset-liability studies and plan design reviews. Whenever changes are made, assist with member and senior management communications, implementation and change management.
• Help manage internal and external vendors of the Canadian and US pension plans, including third party actuaries, third party administrators and recordkeepers, investment managers, investment consultants and auditors. Ensure service level agreements and quality standards are met. Assist with RFP and procurement processes.
• Support in the preparation of the Canadian pension plans’ audited financial statements, including answering questions from auditors.
• Assist with regulatory compliance and remediation of complex administrative issues

Candidate Requirements/Must Have Skills:

• 5 – 10 years experience (minimum) as a DB/DC [Defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC)] pension consultant and/or in a similar plan sponsor /pension manager/ benefits manager/ administrator role.
• Broad knowledge and experience across multiple areas of Canadian pension plan management, including governance, financial reporting, communications, design, administration, regulatory compliance, audit and funding. Experience with asset/liability studies, investment manager oversight and/or risk management is an asset
• Proven strong numerical/analytical skills and financial acumen
• Excellent English written communication skills
• Strong presentation skills and interpersonal skills to liaise with peers and senior executives
• Proficient in developing and using Excel/Powerpoint charts, graphs, and spreadsheets

Nice-To-Have Skills:

• Experience with asset/liability studies, investment manager oversight and/or risk management is an asset

Education:

• Undergraduate degree required. Actuarial designation is an asset

Best vs. Average: Outlined personal attributes/experience/skillsets that make for the ideal candidate
Worked on a similar type of team, worked in a pension role in an HR department.