OUR COMPANY BACKGROUND \& CULTURE
UPP is the first pension plan of its kind in Ontario's university sector, proudly serving over 41,000 members across five universities and fourteen 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.
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 opportunity for to join a team of high performing professionals to make a great impact. Reporting to the Director, Finance Operations, the Senior Analyst, Finance Operations is to lead key financial processes including budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and ledger management. This role plays a pivotal part in partnering with cross-functional teams to deliver timely insights, drive operational efficiency, and support strategic decision-making. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical expertise, business acumen, and leadership in finance operations. Strong relationship management and a continuous process improvement mindset are essential.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Senior Analyst, Finance Operations will have responsibility for but not limited to the following:
- Lead the timely delivery of the UPP Annual Budget and monthly management reporting, including presenting to and responding to queries from the business and various finance partners.
- Develop and maintain financial models to support budgeting, forecasting, business cases, and strategy analysis.
- Support the preparation of management reports, board presentations, and financial packages, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and business relevance.
- Serve as a finance business partner to the Finance and Operational and Investment functions, offering insights and subject matter expertise across key components of the P\&L.
- Analyze and interpret key financial drivers and performance metrics, sharing benchmark, industry, and best practice insights with relevant stakeholders.
- Ensure timely and accurate month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes, including journal entries, general ledger reconciliations, and variance analysis.
- Maintain and monitor the integrity of the accounting ledger, resolving discrepancies and ensuring compliance with GAAP.
- Collaborate with partners across Corporate Finance to leverage organizational resources and deliver impactful results.
- Provide leadership in developing and implementing Finance Operations business priority projects, such as new financial models, system implementations and reporting methodologies.
- Contribute to a positive and high-performing Corporate Finance team culture, mentoring colleagues and supporting initiatives that drive engagement and operational excellence
ATTRIBUTES
- Strong financial acumen with deep expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
- Proficient in financial modeling and data analysis to support effective decision-making.
- Skilled at analyzing large datasets and distilling actionable insights.
- Strong analytical thinker with the ability to assess complex problems and recommend well-rounded solutions.
- Effective collaborator and communicator across cross-functional teams.
- Confident presenter of financial information, able to simplify complex data and tailor messaging for diverse audiences.
- Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to maintain accuracy under tight deadlines and shifting priorities.
- Adaptable and thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments; approaches change with a positive, solution-focused mindset.
- Demonstrates integrity, accountability, and a commitment to continuous learning.
- Self-starter who is proactive, motivated, and driven to create positive change.
QUALIFICATIONS \& EXPERIENCE
- Professional accounting designation (CPA) or MBA is considered strong assets
- Bachelor's degree in finance, commerce, business administration, or related
- 3-5 years of progressive experience in Finance operations, FP\&A, Corporate Finance or accounting.
- Proven experience with budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting processes
- Hands-on experience in financial modeling and data analysis
- Solid understanding of accounting principles (GAAP/IFRS) and month-end close processes
- Experience in a business partnering role, working cross-functionally with various teams
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (e.g., pivot tables, scenario modeling)
- Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or similar
- Familiarity with financial planning tools (e.g., NetSuite Planning and Budgeting, Workday Adaptive Planning)
- Comfortable with data visualization or reporting tools (e.g., DOMO, Power BI, Tableau) and AI technology (e.g. Copilot and Chat GPT).
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.
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.
