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.
UPP is recognized as one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2026. 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 (EDI&R). We believe diverse teams, perspectives, and lived experiences contribute to better decisions and a better workplace.
As a pension plan, UPP approaches investing through a long-term lens to generate and safeguard value. Our commitment to investing responsibly accounts for material risks that impact our investment portfolio to generate sufficient risk-adjusted returns to meet the pension needs of our members.
Join us in building a bright future for our members, our organization, and each other.
THE ROLE
This an excellent opportunity to join a highly motivated team, responsible for assessing the operational capabilities and infrastructure of UPP’s investment partners.
Reporting to the Director, Operational Due Diligence (ODD), the Analyst, Operational Due Diligence will work closely with both Public and Private Markets Investment teams, Responsible Investing (RI), Compliance and other business partners to perform initial and on-going non-investment operational risk assessments of external managers. The Analyst will contribute to the team by participating in operational due diligence reviews, preparing assessments for review by the Director/Manager ODD, and sharing findings and recommendations with internal stakeholders.
This dynamic role will provide opportunities to engage with senior leaders on operational risk and controls discussions, investment strategies, compliance program, quality of personnel and provide exposure and insight into a variety of asset classes, fund strategies and operating models. This is an exceptional opportunity to join a team of high performing professionals and make an impact.
This role is based in downtown Toronto in a hybrid work environment, allowing employees the flexibility to work remotely and in-office (minimum two days per week in-office).
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Schedule ongoing ODD review meetings of existing fund managers including hedge, public market and private fund managers.
- Liaise with fund managers with respect to ODD inquiries.
- Engage with operational due diligence consultants for new investment reviews and analyze manager assessment reports provided.
- Request, collect and review key offering documents, policies, DDQs, audited financial information and investment manager policies.
- Attend onsite and virtual operational due diligence review meetings with investment managers and document meetings in a clear and concise manner.
- Assist the ODD Director/Manager in identifying and assessing observed deficiencies / areas of concern
- Stay current on industry standards and help to facilitate knowledge transfer within the ODD group and the organization.
- Monitor online media articles for positive and adverse news and disseminating to internal stakeholders.
- Establish and maintain effective and collegial working relationships with internal stakeholders and external fund managers
- Be willing and able to undertake travel, for onsite ODD visits subject to current COVID-restrictions.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
- This is an entry level position, but experience working in the financial industry is welcome
- A working knowledge of financial instruments and alternative investment strategies such as hedge funds, private equity and credit, real estate, and infrastructure, as well as more traditional equity and fixed income strategies
- Familiarity with some of the following is considered an asset - fund operations, fund administration, prime brokerage, audit, legal, compliance and IT.
- An undergraduate or advanced degree in business, finance, accounting, economics or a related field
- Candidates working towards CPA, CFA or CAIA designation not required, but an asset
ATTRIBUTES
- Excellent communication and relationship building skills
- Strong attention to detail, highly organized and ability to prioritize workload
- Demonstrates initiative and is comfortable managing deadlines
- Ability to work independently or collaboratively within a team, as required
- Willingness to adapt to change and to remain resilient
- Excellent business / report writing and presentation skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams)
EXPECTED COMPENSATION
The expected compensation for this role is an annualized base salary in the range of $61,600 to $86,600. This range reflects the expected range for new hire base salaries and is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
You may also be eligible for a variable incentive depending on organizational, divisional and personal performance. The final total compensation offered will vary depending on your skills, experience and other factors.
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.
