THE COMPANY

The Ontario Pension Board (OPB) administers the Public Service Pension Plan (the PSPP), a major defined benefit pension plan sponsored by the Government of Ontario. With 100,000 members and $31 billion in assets, the PSPP is one of Canada’s largest pension plans. It is also one of the country’s oldest, successfully delivering the pension promise since the early 1920s.

OPB uses innovative solutions and strategies to protect members’ retirement security by ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Plan and deliver superior, cost-effective service to clients and stakeholders.

Through their Advise & Protect mission, OPB provides clients with the information and assistance they need to make well informed pension decisions and effectively plan for retirement with security and dignity – a responsibility they take seriously. OPB takes pride in being a leader in the pension industry and a trusted advisor to their clients and stakeholders.

For more information about the Ontario Pension Board, please visit: https://www.opb.ca

THE OPPORTUNITY

OPB has initiated a multi-year pension modernization program (the Program), enabled by technology, that will modernize pension administration processes and systems, advance client, and stakeholder experiences, and generate business efficiencies. OPB is currently seeking an Executive Director, Pension Modernization to lead the implementation of the Program.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President & Chief Client Services Officer, the Executive Director will provide direction and hands-on leadership to drive the successful implementation and delivery of the Program. With joint sponsorship from IT, and as part of a highly collaborative organization, the position will partner with individuals from all levels and functions across the organization, including senior executives, team and business leaders, employees, and other key business partners, including IT, vendors, and stakeholders to renew and transform pension administration business processes and systems and OPB.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As the business lead for the Program, the Executive Director, Pension Modernization provides direction and hands-on leadership to drive the successful implementation and delivery of the Program. Further, the Executive Director will:

• leverage their strong business acumen, leadership skills and pension expertise to drive business process efficiency, implementation of digital solutions, adoption of best practices/methodologies and emerging technologies and delivery of business outcomes;
• ensure the Program’s alignment to OPB’s organizational and business unit strategic plans and the Program’s vision and guiding principles and business case/objectives;
• represent the interests of the business from the product owner perspective and ensure the goals and objectives of the business leads are clear, prioritized, and met in a timely basis throughout the Program;
• develop trusted relationships to partner and collaborate closely with sponsors, Program and project managers, product owners, business partners, IT, HR, and vendors across the organization to promote a culture of accountability, innovation, inclusion, and high performance/results;
• develop and maintain business case(s) for the Program projects and initiatives under the Program and communicating clear and compelling call in support of Program outcomes;
• work with the Program Core Leadership Team to ensure projects are delivering on the Program’s vision and goals, as set out in the business case(s) and project charter(s);
• develop the Benefits Realization plan with measures that link to OPB corporate strategies, program and project deliverables and operational metrics;
• stay abreast of trends, research and best practices, and emerging technologies and industry standard methodologies, and developing relationships with external partners and plan contacts to leverage learning, share ideas and advance business outcomes;
• facilitate business contributions to the Program and providing direction on business related issues and decisions;
• leverage in-depth knowledge of pension processes to ensure there is clear understanding of business objectives and requirements for modernization to enhance and digitize service delivery and business efficiencies;
• ensure there is a strong understanding of business-critical priorities, interdependencies, and risks, and promote a shared vision in a complex environment of competing priorities and initiatives to inform the scope and sequence of development;
• partner with operations business senior leadership and management to facilitate collaboration and alignment of Program priorities and ongoing business operation’s needs, team engagement and resource management planning for the Program;
• with direction from the EVP & Chief Client Services Officer, the Chief Technology Officer and working with the Program Core Leadership team, inform the Program’s multi-year roadmap of projects and initiatives to ensure the Program progresses as planned;
• partner closely with the IT business lead for the Program to ensure strong understanding and alignment on technology solutions, as well as effective and efficient integration between the business and IT work streams throughout the Program;
• partner closely with the EPMO Program Director to ensure integration across the Program, including delivery of the Program Charter and Program Management, risk and preparation of materials/updated for the Steering Committee and Pension Committee;
• work with the Program Core Leadership Team to recommend to the Sponsors the annual business plan project submissions;
• work with HR and internal and external communication teams to develop and deliver communications and presentations to various key audiences including the Executive Leadership Team, Board of Directors, the Pensions Committee, staff, management, and other key stakeholders as may be required;
• champion change management related to the Program, collaborating with the HR team and other business partners on planning, communication, execution, and measurement of Program change management in support of successful implementation of Program and change initiatives. Identified challenges or issues with the Program and actively engages in a constructive dialogue with all necessary partners to work through solutions that contributed to timely discussion making and delivery to achieve positive outcomes;
• partner closely with enterprise risk management, IT, business leads, and the Program Core Leadership to identify and manage risks to the Program and associated mitigation plans.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Must Have

• 10+ years’ progressive leadership experience in pension administration and client service with demonstrated experience leading and delivering business transformation programs enabled by technology.
• Extensive experience with defined benefit pension plans, deep pension market knowledge, and understanding of the business processes and technology needs.
• Superior leadership abilities to energize and motivate diverse teams to achieve business outcomes.
• Expert communicator and facilitator between cross-functional teams, and an ability to effectively present to senior executives and the Board of Directors.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills to champion ideas, identify trade-offs, build consensus, and support decision makers in complex, difficult decisions.

Valued

• Proven experience with process improvement and transformational methodologies, preferably in an Agile or hybrid Agile environment.
• High degree of technology fluency and understanding of how technology can be leveraged to deliver on Program goals and how technology products are delivered.
• Financial acumen to work with the Program Manager to support program financing, multi-year budget preparation, and monitoring and reporting of results.
• Understanding of the public sector environment is an asset.
• University degree in business or related field.

OPB is committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness that reflects the diverse communities we serve, and welcomes and encourages applications from those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. OPB is committed to providing accommodation for people with disabilities in its recruitment process. Please advise LHH Knightsbridge if you require accommodation, and we will work with you to meet your needs. The successful candidate being considered for the position will be required to submit to a background screening.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Nick Protti, Partner, nicholas.protti@lhhknightsbridge.com, 604 788 7541

Lindsay Millard, Senior Consultant, lindsay.millard@lhhknightsbridge.com, 416 928 4558

ABOUT LHH KNIGHTSBRIDGE – www.lhhknightsbridge.com