Associate Director, Pension Planning and Performance Reporting (15-Month Contract)

OUR COMPANY BACKGROUND & CULTURE

UPP is the first pension plan of its kind in Ontario’s university sector, proudly serving over 46,000 members across six universities and nineteen 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.

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.

We’ve built and nurtured a culture that is intentionally welcoming and purposefully rooted in equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation (EDI&R). We believe diverse teams, perspectives, and lived experiences contribute to better decisions and a better workplace. As UPP celebrates its fifth anniversary, we’re proud to be recognized for our efforts:

• 2026 Greater Toronto’s Top 100 Employers 
• 2026 Canadian HR Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

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

THE ROLE

The Associate Director, Pension Planning & Performance Reporting (15-Month Contract) is accountable for leading the development and delivery of Pension Services reporting and analytics, ensuring leaders are equipped with accurate, timely, and actionable data and insights to support operational and strategic planning and decision-making.

This role translates data, analytics, and industry intelligence into insights that inform pension service delivery, experience design, and operational planning. The role supports organizational planning, prioritization, and performance management by providing scenario modeling, forecasting, and reporting that links outcomes to strategic objectives.

Reporting to the MD, Growth, this role provides the operational planning support and analytical foundation that enables leadership decisions across Growth and Enabling Services, Experience and Specialized Operations. This role also compiles Pension Services data for benchmarking studies and surveys in which UPP participates.

A core focus of the role is strengthening Pension Services’ ability to use data responsibly and effectively, ensuring reporting, forecasting, and analytics capabilities align with UPP’s data governance and AI frameworks while enhancing member and employer value.

This role is based in downtown Toronto under a hybrid work policy, allowing employees the flexibility to work remotely and in-office (min two days per week in-office).

This job posting is for an existing vacancy and is open to Independent Contractors

Note:

• Target Start Date: First week of January
• This role is open to independent contractors paid hourly, if preferred

SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Associate Director, Pension Planning & Performance Reporting will have responsibility for but not limited to the following:

• Lead the development and delivery of UPP’s Pension Services reporting and analytics.
• Translate data, analytics, and industry intelligence into insights and strategies and lead monthly discussions with the Pension Services leadership team and partners to identify areas of concern, risk and/or opportunity
• Provide the analytical foundation for pension service delivery, experience design, and operational planning, equipping leaders with the data required to make evidence-based decisions.
• Support the MD, Growth in the analysis, research and execution of the pension operational strategy, delivering insights and reporting (to the Pension Services Committee, Board and Joint Sponsors).
• Support organizational planning and prioritization by providing scenario modeling, forecasting, and performance reporting that links outcomes to strategic objectives. Lead monthly and quarterly scorecard reporting development and communication.
• Work with UPP Data teams to identify data, reporting, and BI infrastructure requirements and solutions.
• Collaborate with Pension Services teams and partners to ensure data and analytics inform growth initiatives and business-as-usual operations.
• Ensure Pension Services leverages data and analytics capabilities responsibly and in alignment with UPP’s data governance and AI frameworks.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement and curiosity by empowering teams to use data and analytics to enhance member and employer value.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree required; postgraduate degree is an asset.
• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive experience in data analytics, business intelligence, reporting, or pension administration within a regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience developing and communicating performance reporting, forecasting models, and scenario analysis.
• Strong understanding of Canadian pension administration and service delivery operations.
• Experience working with BI tools and data platforms.
• Proficiency in data analysis, reporting, and dashboard development.
• Experience supporting executive-level decision-making with structured analytics.
• Knowledge of data governance frameworks and regulatory requirements related to pension reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex findings clearly.
• Programming or querying experience (e.g., SQL, Python) is an asset.

ATTRIBUTES

• Analytical and structured thinker with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Curious and insight-driven, with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Clear communicator capable of translating complex data into practical insights.
• Collaborative and cross-functional in approach.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous environments.
• Responsible and disciplined in handling sensitive and regulated data.
• Focused on enabling informed decision-making and operational transparency.

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:

• Defined benefit pension plan
• Flexible hybrid work model
• Paid time off – vacations, personal days and wellness days
• Work remotely up to eight weeks/year
• Comprehensive group benefits including medical, dental, vision, etc.
• 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

This posting will remain open for a minimum of seven (7) days and will remain open until a sufficient number of qualified applications are received or finalist candidates have been identified.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used to support certain stages of the recruitment process, including sourcing, screening, and assessment. All hiring decisions involve human review and intervention by UPP employees.

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.

UPP respects your privacy. For information on how UPP handles the personal information you provide during the application process, please see our Job Applicant Privacy Statement.