Analyst, Investment Operations (12-Month Contract)

Job description

OUR COMPANY BACKGROUND & CULTURE UPP is the first pension plan of its kind in Ontario’s university sector, proudly serving over 46,000 members across six universities and nineteen 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. UPP is recognized as one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers for 2026. 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 pension plan, UPP approaches investing through a long-term lens to generate and safeguard value. Our commitment to investing responsibly accounts for material risks that impact our investment portfolio to generate sufficient risk-adjusted returns to meet the pension needs of our members. Join us in building a bright future for our members, our organization, and each other. THE ROLE This is a fantastic 12-month contract opportunity for an experienced analyst to join a team of high performing professionals to make a great impact. Reporting directly to the Manager/Associate Director, Investment Operations, the Analyst, Investment Operations will be responsible for investment accounting and reporting, investment operations, and investment compliance within the public and/or private markets portfolio. This individual will ensure investment related data at the Custodian and other investment market data necessary for supporting the reporting and analytics are accurate, complete, and delivered on a timely manner throughout the organization. The Analyst will be required to assist in developing key processes and controls for the Investments Finance function and subsequently scale the activities as the organization grows. This role requires collaboration with other members within UPP’s Investment teams and the individual will be expected to establish close working relationships with key stakeholders. This role is based in downtown Toronto under a hybrid work policy, allowing employees the flexibility to work remotely and in-office (approximately two days per week in-office). This posting is for an existing vacancy. SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES The Analyst, Investment Operations will be responsible for a variety of duties including but not limited to the following: Reporting • Manage, consolidate, and review the critical data elements for the portfolio reporting process and support the portfolio analysis and asset reporting activities • Create and prepare monthly investment continuity schedule for investment portfolios • Conduct ad-hoc reporting and analysis to support key investment finance decisions • Develop and implement solutions to facilitate ongoing internal and external reporting effectively • Support in the preparation of monthly summaries of capital calls and distributions activities, as necessary Investment Operations • Prepare working papers to review reconciliations of investment transactions and Net Asset Value • Perform analysis through reconciliations and ongoing oversight of custody and accounting • Manage end-to-end trade matching and settlement processes for internal trades, investigating and resolving discrepancies to support accurate and timely settlement. • Build and prepare working papers to properly track investment activities in various investment portfolios • Develop and prepare templates to reconcile manager holdings and market value to custodian records and document/investigate discrepancies • Prepare variance analysis in investment accounts and review trial balances to ensure proper accounting treatments and address internal and external queries timely • Develop and prepare monthly and year-end working papers with appropriate analysis and supporting documentation for annual financial reporting and audit purposes • Effectively communicate with internal business partners, external fund managers, fund administrator and custodian to investigate/resolve issues and proactively identify discrepancies • Assist with internal and external audits, as required • Prepare information and proper documentation for statutory and other reporting, as required • Proactively identify inefficiencies/gaps in operational controls, processes and reconciliations and formulate recommendations, including implementing improvements Other Projects • Proactively identify issues and propose solutions to support better execution of assigned tasks • Assist with the establishment and improvement of new day-to-day and month-end processes • Improve and enhance existing processes to promote efficiency and accuracy on the team • Support any special projects and initiatives launched by the Investments Finance team • Contribute to other UPP wide functional and enterprise projects, as assigned Support special projects by maintaining the delivery schedules, leading status calls, and liaising with stakeholders for outstanding items QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE • University degree in Accounting, Business, Finance, or other related discipline • Working towards an accounting designation preferred (e.g., CPA); CFA considered an asset • 2-4 years relevant experience in investment accounting in the financial service industry • Experience with investment accounting and fund accounting standards and reporting practices • Strong understanding of investment operations and processes, including IT platforms and analytic tools that support investments • Practical experience with financial reporting for investment portfolios and experience with accounts/portfolio structures • In-depth knowledge of derivative instruments (i.e., swaps, futures, forwards, etc.) • Proficient with MS Office required; proficiency with programming languages (e.g., macros, SQL, Python etc.) considered an asset ATTRIBUTES • Resilient, able to inspire confidence and respect • Self-motivated, flexible, and adaptable to changing priorities and new challenges • Detail oriented professional with high ethical standards • Strong commitment to innovation and continuous improvement • Ability to work independently and collaborate in a team environment • Proactive to take a hands-on approach to learn about current processes to automate, and formulate recommendations to improve efficiency and shape future state • Excellent time management and organizational skills and prioritize to effectively manage tasks to completion within required timeframes • Excellent analytical, reasoning, and problem-solving skills • Strong organizational and planning skills • Persuasive and confident communicator, both oral and written EXPECTED COMPENSATION The expected compensation for this role is an annualized base salary in the range of $61,600 to $86,600. This range reflects the expected range for new hire base salaries and is subject to change and may be modified in the future. You may also be eligible for a variable incentive depending on organizational, divisional and personal performance. The final total compensation offered will vary depending on your skills, experience and other factors. 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 • Paid time off – vacations, personal days and wellness days • Work remotely 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 This posting will remain open for a minimum of seven (7) days and will remain open until a sufficient number of qualified applications are received or finalist candidates have been identified. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used to support certain stages of the recruitment process, including sourcing, screening, and assessment. All hiring decisions involve human review and intervention by UPP employees. 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. UPP respects your privacy. For information on how UPP handles the personal information you provide during the application process, please see our Job Applicant Privacy Statement.