Director, Private Capital, Financial Services

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth opportunities

Benefits coverage

Defined benefit pension

Job summary

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers) is seeking a senior deal professional to join the Financial Services investment team in Toronto. You will source, diligence, and direct private equity investments, with a path toward independent deal leadership.

The role requires deep experience in financial services and a proactive, thesis‑driven approach. You will work with senior MDs and SMDs, manage diligence streams, and build or co‑lead multiple deals while mentoring junior

Qualifications

• 10+ years in private equity or senior M&A roles.
• Experience leading deal workstreams and multiple diligence streams.
• Strong academic background with financial discipline and investments.

Responsibilities

• Lead or co‑lead deals and diligence streams end‑to‑end.
• Build financial models and structure debt financing; draft recommendations.
• Occasionally board observer or member; support portfolio value creation.

Skills

Financial modeling

Deal structuring

Due diligence

Leadership

Communication

MBA/CFA preferred

Cross‑functional collaboration

Travel willingness

Education

MBA / CFA / CBV / CA preferred

Job description

About Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers)

The opportunity Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers') is a global investor with net assets of ~$279 billion as of December 31, 2025. Ontario Teachers’ is a fully funded defined benefit pension plan, and it invests in a broad array of asset classes to deliver retirement security for 346,000 working members and pensioners. Our Private Capital group deploys ~$60 billion across direct private equity investments and private equity funds globally.

The Director will be a senior member of our Financial Services investment team — partnering with our Senior Managing Directors and Managing Directors to source, diligence, execute, and direct private equity investments in the Financial Services sector. This is a development seat with a clear path toward independent deal leadership for a candidate who has already built a strong foundation in private equity investing.

Who you’ll work with: Reporting to the Managing Director, the role will be part of a deal team comprising analysts, associates, principals, directors, and managing directors, supported by third-party consultants, operating executives, and legal and accounting advisors dedicated to each transaction. The Financial Services team invests across sub-sectors including Insurance, Wealth & Asset Management, Lending, Professional Services, and Cards & Payments, with particular need to understand the regulatory, AI, and digitization themes reshaping the sector. The role will also potentially partner with colleagues in OTPP's global offices on international investment and / or cross asset class opportunities in Financial Services.

What you’ll do

• Serve as a key member of deal teams — conducting industry and company due diligence, building financial models, arranging debt financing, negotiating legal documents, and preparing written recommendations for the Underwriting Committee.
• Lead or co‑lead individual deals and workstreams with oversight from the SMD or MD; own specific diligence streams (financial, operational, commercial, legal, tax, insurance) end‑to‑end.
• Post‑close, remain actively involved with portfolio companies — often as board observer or board member — working with management on strategy, value creation, M&A, and refinancing.
• Contribute to deal flow generation through desk research, consultant relationships, operating executive networks, conferences, and relationships with management teams.
• Lead sub‑sector deep dives and thematic research as the team evolves its coverage strategy, including emerging AI, regulatory, and digitization themes.
• Manage and develop analysts, associates, and principals on deal teams; provide direct mentorship on diligence, modeling, judgment, and communication.
• Work in a highly collaborative manner, bringing a complex network of stakeholders along (Global and Sector SMDs, MDs, deal teams, Portfolio Solutions team, international office leaders, portfolio companies, etc.).
• Strike the appropriate balance of being a confident decision‑maker and an inclusive leader.
• Build a network of operating executives, CEOs, consultants, bankers, and peer sponsors; progress toward independent deal sourcing by the end of Director tenure.
• Develop value creation expertise in close partnership with the SMD and MDs; contribute to portfolio company initiatives as assigned.
• Exercise judgment within deal teams and surface recommendations to the MD or SMD; lead individual workstreams and, over time, full deals with oversight.
• Provide disciplined thinking, sound judgment, and courage of conviction, with a willingness to take balanced, thesis‑driven risk.
• Intervene directly and effectively when required and elevate issues early.
• Work cross‑functionally and collaboratively with other teams to ensure continued alignment with OTPP's mission, vision, and values — including supporting and sharing knowledge with other areas of Investments and responding to ad‑hoc requests.

What you’ll need

• ~10+ years of meaningful work experience, including several years of recent private equity investing. Active M&A in a senior role in corporate development would also be considered.
• Supplemented by previous experience in management consulting, investment banking, and/or corporations (preferably corporate development or similar roles).
• Experience playing a lead role on deal workstreams, including conducting due diligence, leading multiple diligence streams (financial, operational, legal, tax, insurance), arranging debt financing, and negotiating documentation.
• Direct investment exposure to Financial Services preferred.
• Familiarity with Financial Services sector dynamics — particularly Insurance, Wealth & Asset Management, Lending, Professional Services, and Cards & Payments — and the regulatory, AI, and digitization themes reshaping them.
• Some experience serving on “for profit” Boards of Directors or board committees a plus.
• Strong academic background, with a financial designation (MBA, CFA, CBV, or CA strongly preferred).
• Experience playing a leading role in the investment process, including conducting due diligence, arranging debt financing, and negotiating documentation.
• Strong negotiating skills.
• Ability to balance priorities, work independently, lead projects, and thrive in a high‑performance team environment.
• Very strong analytical and quantitative skills to perform and guide in‑depth, innovative, critical analysis.
• Deep understanding of fundamental investment analysis and private equity value creation.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build constructive relationships with internal and external parties, particularly management teams, boards, and senior advisors.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, including IC paper authorship and presentation.
• Willingness and ability to travel across North America and globally.

What we’re offering

• Numerous opportunities for professional growth and development
• Comprehensive employer paid benefits coverage
• Retirement income through a defined benefit pension plan
• The opportunity to invest back into the fund through our Deferred Incentive Program
• A flexible work environment combining in office collaboration and remote working
• Competitive time off
• Our Flexible Travel Program gives you the option to work abroad in another region/country for up to a month each year
• Employee discount programs including Edvantage and Perkopolis

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Ontario Teachers', diversity is one of our core strengths. We take pride in ensuring that the people we hire and the culture we create, reflect and embrace diversity of thought, background and experience. Through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy and our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), we celebrate diversity and foster inclusion through events for colleagues to connect for professional development, networking & mentoring. We are building an inclusive and equitable workplace where our talent is respected, accepted and empowered to be themselves. To learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, check out Life at Teachers'.

Our culture and values

At Ontario Teachers, we know that our Talent are our greatest strength – every innovation, every idea and every win has been powered by our people. We offer a work experience that inspires, encourages talent development, celebrates diversity and rewards superior performance. The best and brightest not only come here – they stay. Help us continue to deliver outstanding service and retirement security to our members and be the world’s leading pension plan.