ABOUT UPP

UPP is the first pension plan of its kind in Ontario's university sector, proudly serving over 39,000 members across four universities and 12 affiliate 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.

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 (EDIR). We believe diverse teams, perspectives, and lived experiences contribute to better decisions and a better workplace.

As a long-term investor, we recognize that environmental, social and governance ( ESG ) factors support risk management and value creation. As stated in our Responsible Investing Policy, we are committed to incorporating ESG considerations into our investment management activities and we collaborate with other industry participants in the promotion of a sustainable economy and society.

Join us in building a bright future for our members, our organization, and each other.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to the Managing Director, Strategy and Communications, the Manager, Pension Communications will be a key business partner to the Pension Services department, responsible for developing compelling, audience-focused content for UPP's plan members, employers, and related stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have strong written communication skills and knowledge of how to build trust and relationships with a variety of external audiences. This role requires the ability to distill complex messages into content appropriate for our diverse member base, including university professors and employees, faculty associations, staff unions, and sector associations.

An initial focus for this role will be supporting the rollout of UPP's first pension administration system and digitally enabled services model, ensuring members and employers feel supported, confident, and informed along the transition. Following the transition, the role will be responsible for the development and execution of UPP's direct member communication strategy.

This individual will ensure that the UPP brand is woven into all facets of communications with plan members, ensuring that communications are well-written and adhere to our brand guidelines. They require a strong grasp of written communication tactics and must be able to tailor content for the desired purpose and audience. The ideal candidate has extensive communications expertise with strong writing and editing skills, and preferably pension or financial sector experience.

UPP is based in Toronto's financial district and has a hybrid work model (~2 days / week in office).

SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES

In close partnership with the Pension Services division, the Manager, Pension Communications will recommend and create high-quality communications for UPP members, employers, and stakeholders to build and sustain UPP's credibility and reputation across diverse member and stakeholder groups.

Strategic communication development

• Develop and execute UPP's member communication strategy, ensuring timely, relevant, and accurate information through written and digital materials.
• Formulate and execute comprehensive communication plans, providing daily guidance and support to various groups within Pension Services.
• Take an audience-focused approach and use innovative strategies and tactics to support the business objectives of the Pension Services team and meet audience needs.
• Collaborate closely with other member- and stakeholder-facing UPP business units to maintain a consistent organizational voice across all platforms.
Content curation and quality assurance
• Draft and refine communications tailored for key audiences, including members, employers, and stakeholders.
• Create engaging pension-related content for all platforms, including presentations, social media posts, and newsletters.
• Partner with UPP's training and education lead to curate educational materials for UPP members, employers, and other stakeholders across various mediums.
• Uphold high standards of quality, consistency, and brand integrity in writing, editing, graphic design, and overall communication materials.
• Use plain language to distill complex pension-related information into content that is easy to read and understandable.
• Utilize data and metrics to assess communication effectiveness, recommending strategies to enhance reach and impact for key audiences.
• Compile and present analytics on communication programs, delivering recommendations for continuous improvement and tracking against annual objectives.
• Assist in reputation management activities.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum eight years of communications leadership experience, preferably in pension/financial services or university sector.
• 2+ years of experience in leading projects, setting goals and objectives, and monitoring/evaluating performance.
• Post-secondary education in communications, marketing, finance, or related field.
• Proven experience collaborating with other departments and leadership teams to ensure alignment with organizational goals, and reporting progress, achievements, and challenges to leadership.
• Expert written and verbal communication skills, with expertise in developing diverse communications materials under tight deadlines.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and communication analytics.
• Experience in pension or financial sector communications is an asset.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• French fluency considered an asset.
ATTRIBUTES
• A creative self-starter who understands messaging impact and how to attract attention and drive narratives.
• A multitasker who can comfortably flow between projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational and planning skills; able to prioritize and deliver on deadlines.
• Able to build collaborative and trusting relationships with internal and external partners, and effectively communicate to an array of audiences.
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a team.
• Comfortable receiving and managing feedback.
• Stays up to date on communications, university sector and responsible investing trends.
• Commitment to UPP's vision and values.
• 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.