Executive Director, Pension Modernization (Hybrid)

at  Ontario Pension Board

THE OPPORTUNITY

OPB has initiated a multi-year pension modernization program (the Program), enabled by technology, that will modernize pension administration processes and systems, advance client, and stakeholder experiences, and generate business efficiencies. OPB is currently seeking an Executive Director, Pension Modernization to lead the implementation of the Program.
Reporting to the Executive Vice President & Chief Client Services Officer, the Executive Director will provide direction and hands-on leadership to drive the successful implementation and delivery of the Program. With joint sponsorship from IT, and as part of a highly collaborative organization, the position will partner with individuals at all levels and functions across the organization, including senior executives, team and business leaders, employees, and other key business partners, including IT, vendors, and stakeholders to renew and transform pension administration business processes and systems at OPB.

As the business lead for the Program, the Executive Director, Pension Modernization provides direction and hands-on leadership to drive the successful implementation and delivery of the Program. Further, the Executive Director will:

• leverage their strong business acumen, leadership skills and pension expertise to drive business process efficiency, implementation of digital service delivery solutions, adoption of best practices/methodologies and emerging technologies and delivery of business outcomes;
• ensure the Program’s alignment to OPB’s organizational and business unit strategic plans and the Program’s vision and guiding principles and business case/objectives;
• represent the interests of the business from the product owner perspective and ensure the goals and objectives of the business leads are clear, prioritized, and met in a timely basis throughout the Program;
• develop trusted relationships to partner and collaborate closely with sponsors, Program and project managers, product owners, business partners, IT, HR, and vendors across the organization to promote a culture of accountability, innovation, inclusion, and high performance/results;
• develop and maintain business case(s) for the Program projects and initiatives under the Program and communicating clear and compelling call to action in support of Program outcomes;
• work with the Program Core Leadership Team to ensure projects are delivering on the Program’s vision and goals, as set out in the business case(s) and project charter(s);
• develop the Benefits Realization plan with measures that link to OPB corporate strategies, program and project deliverables and operational metrics;
• stay abreast of trends, research and best practices, and emerging technologies and industry standard methodologies, and developing relationships with external partners and peer plan contacts to leverage learning, share ideas and advance business outcomes;
• facilitate business contributions to the Program and providing direction on business related issues and decisions;
• leverage in-depth knowledge of pension processes to ensure there is clear understanding of business objectives and requirements for modernization to enhance and digitize service delivery and business efficiencies;
• ensure there is a strong understanding of business-critical priorities, interdependencies, and risks, and promote a shared vision in a complex environment of competing priorities and initiatives to inform the scope and sequence of development;
• partner with operations business senior leadership and management to facilitate collaboration and alignment of Program priorities and ongoing business operation’s needs, team engagement and resource management planning for the Program;
• with direction from the EVP & Chief Client Services Officer, the Chief Technology Officer and working with the Program Core Leadership team, inform the Program’s multi-year roadmap of projects and initiatives to ensure the Program progresses as planned;
• partner closely with the IT business lead for the Program to ensure strong understanding and alignment on technology solutions, as well as effective and efficient integration between the business and IT work streams throughout the Program;
• partner closely with the EPMO Program Director to ensure integration across the Program, including delivery of the Program Charter and Program Management Plan, risk register and preparation of materials/updates for the Steering Committee and Pension Committee;
• work with the Program Core Leadership Team to recommend to the Sponsors the annual business plan project submissions;
• work with HR and internal and external communication teams to develop and deliver communications and presentations to various key audiences including the Executive Leadership Team, Board of Directors, the Pensions Committee, staff, management, and other key stakeholders as may be required;
• champion change management related to the Program, collaborating with the HR team and other business partners on planning, communication, execution, and measurement of Program change management in support of successful implementation of Program and change initiatives. Identify challenges or issues with the Program and actively engages in a constructive dialogue with all necessary partners to work through solutions that contribute to timely decision making and delivery to achieve positive outcomes;
• partner closely with enterprise risk management, IT, business leads, and the Program Core Leadership team to identify and manage risks to the Program and associated mitigation plans.