Senior Supervisor/Policy Officer, Private Pension Plans Division

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request special accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Information on accommodation for persons with disabilities

Duties

The individuals will be part of OSFI’s Private Pension Plans Division (PPPD) whose mandate is to protect pension plan members and other beneficiaries by: developing guidance on risk management and mitigation, assessing whether private pension plans are meeting their funding requirements and managing risks effectively, and intervening promptly when corrective actions need to be taken.

Both individuals will be expected to:
- Identify problems and emerging issues and consult with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that sound risk assessments and recommendations are made;
- Provide subject matter expertise on pension plans, pension legislation, special assignments or projects; and
- Make decisions and recommendations that have an effect on plan members and other beneficiaries, employers, and plan administrators.

More specifically, the Senior Supervisor will be expected to:
- Establish and maintain a risk profile for all plans in a portfolio assigned to the Senior Supervisor using internal assessment tools and processes; analysis of the financial position of the plan sponsor; and, industry-specific characteristics and concerns;
- Prepare risk-focused supervisory assessments;
- Identify areas requiring enhanced supervisory work, recommend interventions and take early intervention steps as necessary;
- Recommend placing plans on the Watchlist, changes to the risk ratings and interventions;
- Establish and maintain relationships with plan administrators and stakeholders; and
- Lead and/or participate in examinations (both on-site and desk reviews).

More specifically, the Senior Policy Officer will be expected to:
- Administer and interpret provisions of existing pension legislation, regulations and guidance;
- Participate in the development of pension policies and guidance;
- Provide input, prepare briefings and participate in policy discussions on emerging issues that could affect pension plans regulated by OSFI;
- Propose revisions to legislation, regulations, guidelines and OSFI policies that would enhance the regulatory and supervisory framework;
- Conduct research on pension-related topics; write policy papers, internal and external guidelines, and best practice papers for the pension industry; and
- Respond to external and internal enquiries.

Work environment

OSFI's Ottawa location is downtown with easy access to shopping, restaurants, gyms, financial institutions and more. The building is less than a five minute walk from the Transitway and from the nearest STO stop.

As a Separate Agency, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) appoints employees in accordance with the Public Service Employment Act. OSFI is named in Schedule V of the Financial Administration Act and it offers the same pension and benefits plans as the core Federal Public Service. In addition to this, OSFI employees obtain a minimum of 4 weeks of vacation leave per year, earn a competitive salary, and are eligible for an annual performance bonus.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff two indeterminate positions:
- Senior Supervisor
- Senior Policy Officer

This process will also be used to create a pool of qualified and/or partially qualified candidates to staff similar positions with various tenures (indeterminate, term, acting, etc.), various language profiles (Bilingual Imperative CBC/CBC, English Essential) and/or security requirements (reliability, secret) within the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.

Positions to be filled: 2

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

EDUCATION:
- Degree (a bachelor or a higher level degree) from a recognized post-secondary institution

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:
- Experience in writing correspondence, reports, or briefing notes that make recommendations to management
- Recent* and significant** experience in one, or a combination, of the following areas:
o Supervising, regulating or administering registered pension plans***.
o Conducting research and analysis to provide actuarial advice in either the pension or insurance industry.
o Examining, reviewing or auditing the processes, documentation or governance structures of enterprises sponsoring pension or insurance programs.
o Monitoring, analyzing and interpreting financial information.
o Developing regulatory or risk management policies and guidance.
o Providing advice and interpretation of legislation to stakeholders.

* Recent is defined as “within the last five (5) years”.
** Significant will be evaluated in terms of the amount, complexity and diversity of work handled which would normally be acquired over a period of at least three (3) years and would demonstrate increasing responsibility and competencies.
*** A registered pension plan is a plan that is registered under the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 or a similar law of a province or a plan subject to the Public Pensions Reporting Act, and does not include registered retirement savings plans.

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

ASSET EDUCATION:
- Degree (a bachelor or a higher level degree) from a recognized post-secondary institution with a specialization in a field relevant to the duties of the position (such as law, economics, actuarial science, mathematics, finance, public policy, commerce or business administration)
- Professional designation in a field relevant to the duties of the position (such as Accounting (CPA, CA, CMA, CGA), Law (BCL, LL.L, LL.B.), Employee Benefits (CEBS), Finance (CFA) or Actuarial (Associate or Fellow of the CIA))

Degree equivalency

ASSET EXPERIENCE:
- Experience working in the field of investments
- Experience formulating public policy (e.g. advice, research, laws, guidelines) in relation to financial institutions or pension plans

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Various language requirements
Various language profiles: English Essential, Bilingual Imperative CBC/CBC

Information on language requirements

Second Language Writing Skills Self-Assessment
In order to help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your writing skills in your second official language is available for you to take before completing your application.

For more information, please consult:
Unsupervised Internet Test of Second Language Writing Skills

KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge of significant issues facing Canadian pension plans
- Knowledge of OSFI’s Risk Assessment Framework for Federally Regulated Private Pension Plans

COMPETENCIES:
- Critical thinking
- Results orientation
- Collaboration
- Innovation

ABILITIES:
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing
- Ability to communicate effectively verbally

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

ASSET KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge of the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 (PBSA)
- Knowledge of the Pension Benefits Standards Regulations, 1985 (PBSR)

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS:
- In order to meet the organization’s employment equity objectives in support of a diversified workforce, ‘right fit’ selection for this position may be made from among qualified candidates who self-declare as being Persons with a disability or Aboriginal peoples.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability and willingness to travel
- Ability and willingness to work overtime

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Senior Supervision: Reliability Status security clearance
Senior Policy Officer: Secret security clearance

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the targeted groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

A written exam may be administered.

An interview will be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript (original documents only). Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/.

Candidates must meet all of the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position. A candidate may be appointed to a position even though he/she does not meet any or all of the asset qualifications. However, meeting these criteria is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed.

Depending on the requirements of the position(s) being staffed from this process, for current or future vacancies, any or all of the asset qualifications may be applied at the time of staffing. Candidates may be contacted and assessed against these criteria at any time during this process.

Achieving a representative workforce has been identified as an organizational need in the merit criteria, and may be applied in this appointment process. If this criterion is used, only those who have indicated that they are members of the designated group specified in the merit criteria will be considered.

A top down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

For this selection process, our intention is to communicate with applicants by e-mail (including sending invitations for written tests and interviews). Applicants who apply to this selection process must include in their application a valid e-mail address and make sure this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.

All job applications must be submitted through the www.canada.ca/government-jobs website. Do not fax, email or mail hard copy documents as these will not be accepted. To submit an application online, please click on the "apply now" button.

If you do not have Internet access in your home or through friends, relatives or neighbours, here are some suggested locations: campus career centers, libraries, community centers, Internet cafés and Services Canada. You may also call 1-800-O-Canada (1-800-622-6232), or TTY 1-800-926-9105, for information on the nearest public Internet access locations.

Applicants with disabilities: If you require special accommodation at any stage in the selection process, including technical aid to ensure an equitable assessment of your qualifications, please inform us by sending an e-mail to the following address: .

Persons with a disability preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.