Director, Enterprise Risk Management

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to the Managing Director, Enterprise & Operational Risk, the Director, Enterprise Risk will be responsible for supporting the design, build and implementation of the company’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program and implementing the company’s Business Continuity Management (BCM) program, including crisis management. In this role, you will provide the leadership, innovation, governance, and the management necessary to design and implement frameworks, tools, and processes to guide UPP in smart enterprise and operational risk management. 

The mandate for UPP’s Director, Enterprise Risk is to work with the Managing Director, Enterprise and Operational Risk to develop, implement and oversee an ERM framework, including implementation of risk enablers such as a risk culture, risk policies, frameworks & methodologies, risk assessments reporting and risk management technology. The Director will lead the development of ERM framework processes that identify, measure, assess, manage, and monitor current and emerging risks, including an awareness of systemic issues that pose strategic and reputational risk. This role will require close cross-functional collaboration across teams, including our investments division, and delegating and guiding other members of the Risk team on various workstreams.

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.

ERM Framework 

Working with the Managing Director, Enterprise and Operational Risk, the Director will: 

• Lead the Development of Risk Frameworks: Spearhead the creation and refinement of UPP’s risk appetite and tolerance statements, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and delivering robust, actionable reporting.
• Champion Best Practices: Drive the design and implementation of ERM frameworks, methodologies, policies, and procedures tailored to UPP’s strategic needs and industry best practices.
• Elevate Risk Governance: Lead the implementation of enterprise risk reporting systems and dashboards, incorporating key metrics to enable data-driven decision-making at all organizational levels.
• Foster Organizational Alignment: Build and sustain a culture of risk awareness by influencing and collaborating across departments, aligning diverse stakeholders to establish a cohesive enterprise-wide risk approach.
• Optimize Risk Processes: Identify opportunities to enhance efficiency within the risk management framework, streamlining operations while maintaining effectiveness.
• Drive Technological Integration: Lead the deployment of advanced ERM systems and tools, ensuring they provide an integrated, consistent, and comprehensive view of risk management.

Business Continuity Management Program

The Director will also play a pivotal leadership role in advancing (BCM) capabilities, with key responsibilities including:

• Strategic Oversight: Lead the governance and operational frameworks of the BCM program, ensuring alignment with the program roadmap and driving the progressive maturity of BCM capabilities over time.
• Crisis Response Leadership: Partner with the Communications team to manage and refine UPP’s Crisis Response and Communications Plan, ensuring seamless coordination during critical events.
• Lifecycle Management: Oversee the full business continuity lifecycle, including risk assessments, business impact analyses, and continuity planning, ensuring plans are rigorously developed, reviewed, and updated.
• Enterprise Resilience Development: Facilitate the creation of BCM disciplines that address comprehensive response, recovery, restoration, and resilience needs across the organization, informed by business impact assessments.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead the design and delivery of a robust testing regime to evaluate and enhance response and recovery strategies, ensuring UPP is prepared to effectively navigate and recover from a broad spectrum of potential disruptions.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 10+ years risk management experience, including depth in Enterprise Risk Management and Business Continuity Management
• Ability to foster an open dialogue by bringing a track record of establishing a partnership mindset and culture that embraces healthy challenges, influencing collaboratively and constructively with leaders across the organization at all levels to make the best possible decisions for UPP 
• Experience supporting/presenting to/working with Executive Leadership 
• Successful record of delivering risk-related change initiatives 
• Experience building comprehensive enterprise-wide risk frameworks with comprehensive processes for insight, controls, and adaptability
• Experience in pensions, capital markets, and/or asset management, including understanding of multi-asset management, is an asset
• Bachelor or Master’s degree (BSC, MSc, MBA or equivalent). Specialization in business, risk management, finance, mathematics, or engineering is ideal.

ATTRIBUTES

• Ability to drive results while cultivating a culture of collaboration and teamwork
• Self-motivated with a hands-on attitude
• Ability to build buy in and influence change across the organization at all levels
• A lifelong learner with keen interest in learning, applying new business practices, and leading technologies
• A strong communicator both in written and verbal communication
• Strong commitment to innovation and continuous improvement
• Pro-active problem solver
• Ownership mindset
• Commitment to excellence
• Alignment with UPP’s desire to be a leader in Responsible Investing, ESG, and climate change.

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.