Analyst, Public Affairs and Plan Growth

at  University Pension Plan

OUR COMPANY BACKGROUND & CULTURE

UPP is the first pension plan of its kind in Ontario’s university sector, proudly serving over 41,000 members across five 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 (EDI&R). 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.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Analyst, Public Affairs and Plan Growth will be responsible for a variety of duties, including but not limited to the following:

• Supporting UPP’s engagement with a broad cross-section of stakeholders in the government and university sectors, including government officials, regulators, university administrators, union and faculty association leadership, individual faculty and staff, union staff, and interested third parties.
• Conduct targeted research to support UPP’s engagement with government, regulatory bodies, and university sector stakeholders.
• Preparing briefing materials, presentation decks, and other background resources to enable strategic outreach.
• Contributing to outreach meeting preparation and logistics coordination.
• Supporting communication about UPP by distilling complex plan details or policy priorities into clear, impactful messages.
• Updating and maintaining the Engagement team’s CRM and media monitoring tools.
• Participating in internal strategy discussions related to government relations and sector engagement.
• Contributing to UPP’s reputation as a respectful employer, partner, and participant in the financial services sector.
• Distill complex information into easy-to-understand messages to include in presentations, speaking notes, or briefing documents.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 1+ year of experience in supporting stakeholder relations in public affairs, politics, public sector sales/business development, Ontario university sector, organized labour, or similar role
• Experience creating PowerPoint decks and conducting in-depth research
• Knowledge of the Ontario university sector is an asset
• Understanding of collective bargaining, labour organizing principles and approaches, and the Canadian labour ecosystem is an asset
• Knowledge of the Canadian retirement security ecosystem and pension industry, or the ability to quickly get up to speed in order to effectively communicate UPP’s value proposition to stakeholders
• Experience working with Salesforce is an asset
• University degree in a relevant field combined with professional experience
• Strong working proficiency in French is considered an asset for this role

THE ROLE

We are seeking an Analyst, Public Affairs and Plan Growth to support UPP’s government relations and stakeholder engagement program. The Analyst will support with external engagement of stakeholders from the government and Ontario university sector, including policymakers; industry, union, and faculty associations; non-unionized employees; university administrators; and sector-based associations.
Reporting to the Associate Director, Government Relations, the Analyst will conduct research; prepare briefing materials, presentation decks, and background materials; and support outreach meeting logistics and coordination to help position UPP for growth and expansion. The Analyst will also update and maintain the team’s media monitoring and CRM tools.
The Analyst will draw on experience from the public affairs, politics, public sector sales/business development, Ontario university sector, organized labour, or similar roles.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an emerging public affairs, research, or stakeholder relations professional to join a team of high performing professionals to make a great impact in a growing, fast-paced, start-up environment.
UPP is based in Toronto’s financial district and has a hybrid work model (~2 days / week in office). This role may require occasional travel within Ontario.

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE ROLE, THE ANALYST MUST BE ABLE TO:

• Support the building of relationships with government and university sector stakeholders, including unions, faculty associations, and administrators by conducting research and preparing briefing documents
• Think creatively and strategically about research and background materials required to enable UPP’s engagement with government and university sector stakeholders.
• Research and provide insights on how to navigate the complex network of stakeholders UPP operates in
• Develop an understanding of UPP’s features and benefits, as well as the pension landscape more broadly
• Actively and collaboratively engage with external stakeholders and UPP colleagues
• Professionally represent UPP at external events
• Adapt to different personalities and working styles
• Quickly create trust and rapport and work on enhancing relationships over time
• Understand needs, sensitivities, priorities, drivers, and pressures
• Dynamically adapt to changing circumstances
• Quickly deliver valuable results
  In summary, the Analyst must strive to build their brand as a hands-on, team-oriented relationship builder, who is always ready to roll up the sleeves to help others succeed.

The Analyst, Public Affairs and Plan Growth will be responsible for a variety of duties, including but not limited to the following:

• Supporting UPP’s engagement with a broad cross-section of stakeholders in the government and university sectors, including government officials, regulators, university administrators, union and faculty association leadership, individual faculty and staff, union staff, and interested third parties.
• Conduct targeted research to support UPP’s engagement with government, regulatory bodies, and university sector stakeholders.
• Preparing briefing materials, presentation decks, and other background resources to enable strategic outreach.
• Contributing to outreach meeting preparation and logistics coordination.
• Supporting communication about UPP by distilling complex plan details or policy priorities into clear, impactful messages.
• Updating and maintaining the Engagement team’s CRM and media monitoring tools.
• Participating in internal strategy discussions related to government relations and sector engagement.
• Contributing to UPP’s reputation as a respectful employer, partner, and participant in the financial services sector.
• Distill complex information into easy-to-understand messages to include in presentations, speaking notes, or briefing documents