Director, Strategic Enterprise Operations

ABOUT UPP

UPP is the first pension plan of its kind in Ontario’s university sector, proudly serving over 40,000 members across four universities and fourteen sector organizations. Our purpose is to bring greater retirement peace of mind to the university sector by investing with integrity and serving members with care. As a sector-wide plan designed for growth, our doors are open to all Ontario universities.

Together, we’re a team of progressive thinkers and agile doers operating within a fast-paced culture of collaboration and respect. We believe in bringing smart and capable people together to create, solve and grow with a clear shared vision and values of integrity, inclusivity, ingenuity, and impact.

Our culture is intentionally welcoming and purposefully rooted in equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation (EDIR). We believe diverse teams, perspectives, and lived experiences contribute to better decisions and a better workplace.

As a long-term investor, we recognize that environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) factors support risk management and value creation. As stated in our Responsible Investing Policy , we are committed to incorporating ESG considerations into our investment management activities and we collaborate with other industry participants in the promotion of a sustainable economy and society.

Join us in building a bright future for our members, our organization, and each other.

THE ROLE

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Director Strategic Enterprise Operations, will be pivotal in supporting with strategic business planning, scorecard progress reporting and evaluation, enterprise communications from the Office of the CEO, communications to the Board of Trustees and analysis in support of the Conversion Enablement Program. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional organizational, critical thinking/analytical capabilities, and communication skills, with a proven track record in strategic planning and executive support.

UPP is based in Toronto’s financial district and has a hybrid work model (~2 days / week in office).

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic Business Planning

• Support the Chief of Staff with the development and maintenance of UPP’s annual enterprise business cycle, the internal planning playbook and the ELT/Committee/Board workback (known as the Quilt)
• Collaborate with the Chief of Staff and the Planning Team on strategic business planning, ensuring effective scoping, an understanding of implications, and fostering a strong operating discipline including prioritization principles and decision-making frameworks
• Champion new ways of representing and delivering information among senior stakeholders, to create an environment where the Planning Team can communicate with stakeholders, colleagues, and leaders most effectively
• Represent the CEO office in a manner consistent with culture and values, often being the first person to meet others, internally and externally
• Collaborate with ELT members and other business leads to ensure alignment that supports the annual business strategy

Organizational & Divisional Scorecards

• Effectively coordinate the development of organizational and divisional scorecards, focusing on quantitative metrics, benchmark success metrics, standardized templates, and engagement models.
• Identify opportunities to develop and/or enhance a structured reporting process and system, ensuring a highly engaged approach that is well socialized with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).
• Support the Chief of Staff in ensuring that all strategic narratives in reporting consider milestones and the political climate

Board/ Committee Presentations Communications

• Support the Chief of Staff in the development of presentations to Committee and Board, and in support of the CEO progress updates

Outreach and Engagement

• Support the Chief of Staff in overseeing plan conversions, including but not limited to, facilitating steering committees and working groups, ensuring effective conversions and onboarding and managing workplans and timelines. Undertaking analysis to identify key decisions/ updates to the Steering Committee and in support of deep dive due diligence.
• Help oversee additional cross-functional projects, activities, and dynamic working relationships within UPP and with its external partners
• Collaborate with other departments and leadership teams to ensure alignment with organizational goals

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 5-10 years of relevant industry experience, with 5+ years of experience in a delivery leadership role;
• 3+ years of experience in Corporate Strategy and scorecard driven environments;
• Post-secondary education in Business Administration or relevant field;
• Excellent communication (both written and verbal), organization, and presentation skills;
• Experience managing business planning processes in high performance organizations;
• Excellent communication (both written and verbal), organization, and presentation skills;
• Advanced skills in all Microsoft Office applications (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook) to communicate complex information to a variety of stakeholders;
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Proven ability to develop short and long-form communications for a variety of audiences and stakeholders;
• Proven ability to quickly learn new things;
• Ability to shift priorities quickly and act proactively, while working with strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

ATTRIBUTES

• A critical thinker who understands corporate strategy and delivery impact.
• Able to build collaborative and trusting relationships with internal and external partners, and effectively communicate to an array of audiences.
• A multitasker who can comfortably flow between projects in a fast-paced environment.
• A promoter of innovation and creative thinking to stimulate development of new capabilities, products, and services.
• Strong organizational and planning skills; able to prioritize and deliver on deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a team.
• Comfortable receiving and managing feedback.
• Commitment to UPP’s vision and values.
• Alignment with UPP’s desire to be a leader in Responsible Investing, ESG, and climate change.

LIFE AT UPP

Do work that matters . We are duty-bound to serve our members’ interests, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. That’s why we’ve ingrained sustainability in our work from day one—to ensure our members have a resilient future to retire into, both today and for generations to come.

Stronger together . Collaboration is how UPP was born, and it’s how we work with each other and our partners day in, day out. No one at UPP is just a number (even if they are excellent at math) and every win is a shared win.

Grow every day . You’ll have the opportunity to work on unique, once-in-a-career projects that maximize your skill set and probably teach you some new ones—at any stage in your career.

Prioritize wellness . At UPP, wellness takes many forms. Ultimately, it’s about ensuring our people are cared for in the ways that matter to them. Check out some highlights of our inclusive employee-focused benefits program including:

• Work from abroad up to eight weeks/year
• Extended paramedical and mental health service coverage
• Health care and lifestyle spending accounts
• Fertility treatments, paid parental leave, and gender affirmation coverage
• Education Assistance program

UPP enthusiastically welcomes applications from all qualified applicants and especially invites people with lived experience as an Indigenous person, a person with a disability or as a member of another Human Rights Code protected group that faces barriers to employment to apply. Our goal is to create a barrier-free experience for every candidate throughout the recruitment process, so if you require accommodation at any point during the process, please let us know so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. It would be our honor to work with you to adapt our processes to ensure that you can meaningfully participate.