Manager, Plan Operations Risk & Controls

HOOPP; Toronto; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Risk Manager to enhance their Risk Management framework. The role involves identifying risks, developing controls, and collaborating across divisions to implement effective strategies. With a focus on operational risk within the pension industry, you will provide expertise and drive improvements to ensure a robust risk environment.

Benefits

100% company-paid health and dental benefits

Learning and development initiatives

Yoga classes and wellness seminars

Membership in a defined benefit pension plan

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in operational risk, internal controls, or compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement automated controls.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify operational risks through engagement and data analysis.
• Lead risk assessments and develop control improvements.
• Support cross-functional projects addressing risk challenges.

Skills

Risk Management

Control Design

Stakeholder Engagement

Data Analysis

Education

University degree in Commerce, Math, Finance, Engineering or Accounting

CPA, CA designation

Job description

Why you’ll love working here:

• high-performance, people-focused culture

• our commitment that equity, diversity, and inclusion are fundamental to our work environment and business success, which helps employees feel valued and empowered to be their authentic selves

• learning and development initiatives, including workshops, Speaker Series events and access to LinkedIn Learning, that support employees’ career growth

• membership in HOOPP’s world class defined benefit pensionplan, which can serve as an important part of your retirement security

• competitive, 100% company-paid extended health and dental benefits for permanent employees, including coverage supporting our team's diversity and mental health (e.g., gender affirmation, fertility and drug treatment, psychological support benefits of $2,500 per year, parental leave top-up, and a health spending account).

• optional post-retirement health and dental benefits subsidized at 50%

• yoga classes, meditation workshops, nutritional consultations, and wellness seminars

• the opportunity to make a difference and help take care of those who care for us, byproviding a financially secure retirement for Ontario healthcare workers

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Director, Plan Operations Risk Management, the Risk Manager will provide risk expertise and thought leadership to the development, enhancement, and execution of the division’s Risk Management framework. The Risk Manager is responsible for enhancing and advancing the division’s approach to risk identification, control design and proactive mitigation strategies. As part of the Plan Operations Risk Management team, the individual also supports the alignment of the division’s risk management strategy to complimentary risk functions at HOOPP and will act as a subject matter expert in enterprise risk and internal controls disciplines.

In this role, the Manager will require collaboration and partnership with stakeholders across the division the Risk Division, IT and Finance, to understand operational processes for the identification and analysis of key risks and vulnerabilities. The Manager will influence the management of risks by educating stakeholders and leveraging industry best practices to advise on control design, risk tolerance, and risk reporting strategy.

What you will do:

Risk Identification, Control Development & Evaluation

• Proactively identify operational risks across Plan Operations through engagement with business units, data analysis, and trend reviews.

• Conduct in-depth risk assessments of processes, systems, and emerging business changes to understand exposure and assess control adequacy.

• Develop and enhance internal controls in collaboration with business units to address key risk exposures.

• Evaluate the design and operational effectiveness of controls and recommend improvements or risk mitigation alternatives.

• Maintain and refine risk and control inventories, risk ratings, and related documentation in alignment with enterprise frameworks and divisional risk categories.

• Advise on control implementation and design in the context of new business initiatives, regulatory developments, and process changes.

• Contribute to the development of the division’s risk appetite framework, key risk indicators and management reporting tools

• Help define and refine the long term risk priorities that align with business objectives and emerging external risk factors.

Strategic Projects & Initiatives

• Contribute to cross-functional projects addressing current and emerging risk challenges across the division.

• Provide risk and controls expertise in strategic initiatives such as system transformations, product development, process and organizational change.

• Support the design and implementation of new tools, methodologies, and templates to strengthen risk analysis, reporting, and governance.

• Identify opportunities for capability building and automation within the operational risk management function.

Risk Reviews

• Lead deep-dive risk reviews on business processes, functions and operational challenges in response to emerging issues or business driven needs; develop comprehensive findings and action plans, and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure remediation.

• Assess risk drivers, control environments and residual risk levels with a focus on identifying root causes and solutions

• Provide subject matter input on risk implications for access changes, process updates or control environment changes

• Partner with the Execution & Controls Oversight team to ensure alignment and consistency in the execution of recommendations and monitoring

• Deliver reporting and insights to help drive process improvements and reinforce a culture of operational discipline and control accountability.

Stakeholder Relationships

• Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders across Plan Operations and other divisions and maintain an in-depth understanding of key business processes

• Provide leadership and oversight to support stakeholders in the identification of key vulnerabilities, dependencies, and risks

  • Provide support to stakeholders in the analysis of identified risks including determining risk drivers (causes), potential impacts and outcomes of materialized risks and defining risk tolerances and appetite

• Leverage risk and controls expertise, along with business knowledge to influence the management of identified risks, provide insight, education/advice on: design of controls, documentation standards, risk monitoring approach including the development of Key Risk Indicators and other monitoring metrics and risk response protocols

• Collaborate with stakeholders on divisional projects and/or system implementations or enhancements. Ensure the proper identification and analysis of risks. Influence the management of identified risks by advising on the design and documentation of controls.

Capability Building & Advisory Support

• Serve as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor to business leaders on risk related topics, decision-making, and control optimization

• Conduct coaching and knowledge sharing to team members and business partners to strengthen the division’s risk culture and understanding

• Collaborate closely with peers in the Plan Operations Risk Management team to ensure consistency, knowledge transfer and shared accountability

• Conduct research and share 'best practice' principles to maintain risk and control documentation, and ensure consistent standards are applied across the division as well as alignment to complimentary risk functions at HOOPP.

• Participate in the design, implementation, and management of core business processes to ensure the accuracy of risk data used in reporting

• Actively contribute to the growth and evolution of the risk function’s capabilities, maturity and impact

• Lead the building of frameworks, artifacts, tools and technical training to ensure effective execution of team’s mandate.

Who you are:

• Experience leading teams or functions responsible for controls execution and audit/regulatory support

• Strong knowledge of access management practices, control frameworks and regulatory expectations

• Strong knowledge of risks related system, process, technology, people, data, processing and execution, governance & compliance and second/third party.

• Demonstrated ability to design and implement automated controls and leverage data analytics to optimize quality assurance efforts and improve coverage and insights of the areas reviewed

• Strong understanding of the latest developments in technology, data analytics and cybersecurity

• Proven ability to work cross functionally and manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment

• Exceptional attention to detail, documentation and follow through

• Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to guide teams through complex requests and deliverables

• Demonstrated ability to influence and manage relationships with diverse internal stakeholders

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to think critically, innovate and drive change

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present issues of varying complexity to a wide variety of audiences effectively

• Attention to detail while maintaining a big picture view of issues

• Experience in interacting with auditors and regulators

• Knowledge of the pension industry and associated processes and controls (including pension payroll and contributions)

• A University degree required, with a focus in Commerce, Math, Finance, Engineering or Accounting preferred

• A CPA, CA designation is preferred

• At least 8-10 years of experience, as subject matter expert, in operational risk, internal controls, or compliance, preferably within pension administration or financial services

• Audit and/or consulting experience in a public accounting firm is an asset