Legal Counsel, Pensions

THE ROLE 

This is a tremendous opportunity for an aspiring Pension Lawyer to come in-house, join a team of high performing professionals and make a significant impact. As Legal Counsel, Pensions, you will report to the Managing Director, Pension Law & Governance and serve as a member of the UPP’s Legal and Governance team.

You will have 1-3 years’ experience including demonstrated working knowledge of the Pension Benefits Act, the Registered Pension Plan regulations made under the Income Tax Act and legal risk. The ideal candidate has been exposed to pension administration matters at a law firm, pension fund or consulting firm. Familiarity with pension plan conversions and transfers would be advantageous.

UPP has adopted a Hybrid Work Model which allows staff the flexibility to work remotely with the opportunity to work in person at the office ~2 days a week. Our office is located in downtown Toronto.

SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES: 

To be successful in the role, the Legal Counsel, Pensions must:

• Provide strategic legal advice and support to UPP’s Pension Services and Engagement Teams
• Deliver sophisticated advice on complex issues relating to the governance and administration of UPP
• Conduct high-quality research and legal analysis, including interpreting legislation, regulations, plan provisions
• Support with interpreting and applying legal requirements in the development of plan policies and procedures
• Support the resolution of concerns from members and participating employers
• Assist in the preparation of diverse pension materials, including plan amendments, policies and guidelines, pension communication documents, and other UPP plan-related documentation
• Support in the development of clear, well-written reports and presentations for the Board of Trustees, Executive Leadership, and other stakeholders. These materials should effectively communicate insights and recommend practical, member-centric, and employer-centric solutions
• Collaborate with the Engagement and Strategy Team by providing analysis on the integration of new participating employers, as required
• Assist the Managing Director in managing claims and litigation processes, providing support in documentation and case management
• Work with external legal counsel as required from time to time
• Promote integration, partnership collaboration across legal, governance, actuarial, communications, compliance  and other business functions
• Other duties as required

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• 1-3 years of post-call experience with exposure to pension administration, governance, plan design and dispute resolution
• Understanding of labor and employment law, including collective agreements and bargaining processes
• Graduate from an internationally recognized law school (LLB/JD)
• A member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
• Knowledge of applicable provincial and federal laws, regulations, and common law.
• Thorough understanding of emerging and pending provincial and federal laws, regulations, common law, and industry developments and trends.
• Proven experience in drafting and reviewing a broad spectrum of legal documents and agreements.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• High degree of self-motivation and professionalism
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a time sensitive manner
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build collaborative relationships with internal teams as well as participating employers
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity

PERSONALITY TRAITS: 

• Self-driven
• Humility
• Strong work ethic
• Passion for learning
• Empathetic
• Collaborative
• Authentic
• Personable
• Confident

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.