Pension Consultant, Analytics

Job Summary

Dalhousie University’s People and Culture team strives to ensure Dalhousie’s people and culture goals and core values are aligned and fully embedded across the institution so that all members of the university community feel included, motivated, and supported to excel in their careers and in advancing the mission of the university. Reporting to the Senior Consultant, Analytics, the Pension Consultant, Analytics serves as a specialized lead for pension data governance, leading pension-related systems and process improvement initiatives as well as ensuring the continual integrity, reconciliation, analysis, and validation of pension data.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze large and complex pension administration datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and potential data integrity issues. Develop, recommend, design, test, and implement changes to business processes, systems, and internal controls.
• Develop and maintain data review standards, quality assurance practices, audit controls, and reconciliation methodologies. Recommend and implement improvements to data management practices and internal controls to reduce risk and improve reporting accuracy.
• Audit, validate, reconcile, and maintain the integrity of payroll and pension administration data used for pensionable earnings, deductions, employee status information, actuarial valuations, regulatory filings, financial reporting, funding assessments, and annual member communications.
• Investigate and resolve complex data discrepancies and system interface issues across payroll, pension administration, and university systems, providing analytical guidance, reporting requirements clarification, and modification instructions to internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare large, complex pension datasets data for pension administration projects, including designing detailed, customized reports. Prepare data required for submission to provincial and federal regulatory authorities.
• Manage pension-related data for members in receipt of long-term disability benefits as well as deferred member records. Ensure continued data compliance with plan provisions and legislative requirements. Research and resolve complex pension membership, service, and historical data issues.

Note

The successful applicant will be eligible for hybrid work (combination of in-person work on campus and remote work from within Nova Scotia) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and university guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in business (accounting, finance, or economics), computer science, information systems, or a related analytical discipline plus approximately five years’ progressive relevant experience (or equivalent combination of training and experience).
• Experience performing complex data reconciliation, validation, and root-cause analysis across integrated systems; and producing and validating operational and regulatory reports requiring a high degree of accuracy and independent judgment, and with demonstrated knowledge of advanced data analysis techniques and reporting tools.
• Experience working with large, high-volume, complex datasets; and independently investigating and resolving data discrepancies across multiple systems and external data sources.
• Experience performing complex quantitative analysis and formula-based calculations, and reconciling actuarial and financial datasets across integrated systems.
• Experience implementing and adapting to system process changes in complex data environments.
• Strong collaboration, interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills.

Assets

• Pension administration within a unionized or public-sector environment with multiple bargaining groups and regulatory requirements.
• Post-secondary training or certification in data analytics, business intelligence, database management, and/or pension/benefits administration.
• Certification in the field of pension administration, such as the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS).

Job Competencies

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s and competencies, in particular:

- Self-Awareness & Professionalism
- Integrity
- Adaptability
- Knowledge & Thinking Skills
- Communication

Additional Information

Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.

Application Consideration

Applications from current university employees and external candidates are assessed concurrently. Current university employees will be given special consideration.

We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or People and Culture.

Diversity Statement

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above.