Legal Counsel

OUR COMPANY BACKGROUND & CULTURE

UPP is a ground-breaking jointly sponsored pension plan tailored by and for Ontario’s university sector. Today, we manage $11.8 billion in pension assets and proudly serve over 37,000 working and retired members across four universities and 12 affiliate organizations. Our commitment is to protect the security and sustainability of our members’ pensions while delivering service excellence to our members and employers. UPP is a sector-wide plan designed for growth - our doors are open to all Ontario universities.

Our people are the heart of our organization. Together, we are creating a purpose-driven and inclusive workplace focused on a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and respect — for one another and the world around us. We’re looking for passionate individuals seeking a rewarding career and opportunities to build and shape an exciting new organization with a clear mission, and who share our core values of integrity, inclusivity, ingenuity, and impact.

THE ROLE

This is a tremendous opportunity for an exceptional pension lawyer to come in-house, join a team of high performing professionals and make a significant impact. As Senior Legal Counsel, you will report to the General Counsel and serve as a member of the UPP’s Legal and Governance team.

You will have 7-10 years’ experience, providing strategic advice relating to plan governance and administration, legal and regulatory compliance for registered pension plans, taxation and funding. Familiarity with pension plan conversions and transfers would be advantageous.

This role will be partially based in downtown Toronto with Work-From-Home flexibility (~2 days in office).

SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Provide proactive legal advice and practical solutions to internal business partners: Pension Services, Compliance, Actuarial, Communications, Risk, Engagement and Strategy
• Conduct legal research and analysis in support of plan interpretation for Pension Services and Plan Policy
• Provide legal support to the implementation of UPP’s pension administration system and data conversion project
• Support the development of the member communication program by ensuring that the content is accurate and complete
• Effectively manage the resolution of any disputes from members and participating employers
• Collaborate with the Engagement and Strategy Team by providing analysis on the integration of new participating employers, as required
• Under the guidance of UPP’s Privacy Officer, support the mitigation of member data privacy risk
• Monitor emerging legal and regulatory requirements in pension governance matters, administrative law, employment law and privacy law
• Support the continuous improvement of legal operations in a growing legal department, including knowledge management
• Assist the General Counsel regarding governance matters, Board of Trustee and Committee meetings and related requirements
• Work with external legal counsel as required from time to time
• Promote integration, partnership collaboration across legal, governance, and other business functions
• Contribute to UPP’s reputation as a respectful employer, partner and participant in the financial sector
• Other duties as required

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Graduate from an internationally recognized law school (LLB/JD)
• A member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario
• 7-10 years of post-call experience with exposure to pension administration, governance, plan design and dispute resolution

ATTRIBUTES:

• High degree of self-motivation and professionalism
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a time sensitive manner
• Excellent relationship building and conflict resolution skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both written and oral)
• A collaborative approach to understand and respond to organizational needs and partner with various organizational and control functions
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity
• Strong commercial and strategic judgment

PERSONALITY TRAITS:

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

UPP is pleased to offer accommodations for applicants with disabilities. If you are interested in applying for a job opportunity, or are contacted by UPP regarding a job opportunity, please advise of any accommodations you may require.