Analyst, Public Affairs & Plan Growth

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.

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

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.

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

ATTRIBUTES

• Self-motivated with a hands-on attitude
• Precise attention to detail
• A lifelong learner with keen interest in learning, applying new business practices, and leading technologies
• A strong communicator both in written and verbal communication
• A charismatic presenter with the ability to distill complex information into easy-to-understand messages
• Strong commitment to innovation and continuous improvement
• Pro-active problem solver
• Ownership mindset
• Commitment to excellence

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
• Work from abroad 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

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.