Senior Regional LES SSPI Program Officer

Summary of Duties:

The Locally Engaged Staff (LES) Social Security, Pensions, and Insurance (SSPI) Program Officer(s) is responsible for the sound management, oversight, and delivery of benefits for employees hired locally in Canada’s diplomatic missions abroad. This includes the design and delivery of LES benefits, management of cyclical design reviews, coordination and implementation of benefit changes, annual renewals, oversight of ongoing administration, financial management, benefits procurement. Supporting headquarters in Canada, the regional benefits matrix provides feedback on operational challenges, design, legislation, and market trends related to social security, pension, and insurance plans for their respective region of approximately 30 countries. On behalf of headquarters, the Regional resources are key partners in the management of benefits relationships with vendors, consultants, mission management, regional representatives as well as LES engagement contacts.

Key Activities of the role:

• Conducts research and accurate data analysis related to Canada’s fiduciary responsibilities and the provision of benefits to Locally Engaged Staff in their portfolio countries.
• Provides technical guidance and recommendations to internal and external clients related to services delivered, develops, and recommends improvements or courses of action.
• Prepares various documents, correspondence, reports, presentations, briefings, and other materials, and maintains and reviews data and statistics related to the area of responsibility.
• Reviews and contributes to the development and management of budgets. 
• Ensure alignment of local policies and programs with regional and global requirements. 
• Ensure timely escalation and updates on operational matters to minimise risks and provide support on resolving the issues.
• Development of the country market gap analysis reports, change recommendation report for SSPI Program prioritized reviews, (includes recommended updates/changes to the programs, and cost impact analysis of the changes) and annual drafts of amendments to Plan documents and legal agreements driving the terms and conditions of employment documents for each reviewed mission.
• Research and analysis on the evolving market conditions and socio-economic and legislative context impacting pension, social security, and insurance programs for a region. This includes identifying and working with private sector purveyors of data and procuring the information if and when available and useful.
• Conducts research, monitors and assesses local events and news, evaluates issues and analyses information from multiple sources that may affect services provided and produces complete and accurate reporting (graphs, data, charts, etc.) for interpretation and analysis by manager.
• Advise management and internal teams on regulatory compliance, ensuring adherence to global and country benefit regulations and provides guidance and coaching to the benefits and HR teams on handling complex issues or inquiries.  
• Communicate complex information to educate clients’ employees on their benefit options and exclusions  

Area of Selection:

This selection process is open to external applicants legally residing in the Philippines at the time of appointment and to mission employees occupying an indeterminate or term position, including emergency employees. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the Philippines. 

Please note that the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines does not sponsor work authorizations directly or indirectly.

The Government of Canada is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from diverse sections of the community. Candidates will be considered based on merit. Our organization offers an inclusive workplace where respect, teamwork, and collaboration are part of our culture. Canada’s missions abroad are committed to promoting and supporting an environment free from harassment and discrimination, as well as encouraging and supporting employees to learn and develop their skills and competencies.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates will initially be screened against the Essential Qualifications relating to education, language* and experience.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate when applying to the position how they meet each of these essential qualifications.

*Language will be assessed further during the process. 

Education:

Candidates will be required to provide proof of the completion of their education.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from a legally registered university, in a discipline related to the job requirements (e.g. Commerce, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Human Resources, Actuarial Sciences) 
• Candidates must meet the education requirement when applying for the position (i.e. before the closing date) and they will be required to provide proof of the completion of their educational degree to be able to proceed to the assessment stage.

Language:

• Advanced written and spoken proficiency* in English and local Language (Filipino).

Experience:

Minimum of five years’ experience on the following: 

• Conducting research and analysis related to human resources, compensation, insurance, pension and/or benefits.
• Identifying, gathering, and compiling and analyzing human resource data and information.
• Preparing and presenting reports to management and/or clients on subjects related to human resources, compensation, insurance, pension and/or benefits.
• Experience with providing services to multiple clients (organizations)

RATED REQUIREMENTS

The Rated Requirements are part of the essential qualifications and are relating to knowledge, abilities and competencies. Methods of assessment for rated requirements may include, but are not limited to, a written examination, an oral interview (online pre-recorded/live or in-person), role-play, practical tests, presentations and/or psychometric assessment.

Knowledge:

• MS Office applications (Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Sharepoint)
• Knowledge of social security, pension and/or life and health group insurance and global employee benefits.
• Thorough understanding of benefits principles, practices and procedures while recognizing the impacts of employee benefits laws, regulations and compliance.

Competencies:

• Working with others and Horizontal Leadership
• Client Orientation
• Judgement & Discretion
• Initiative & Action Orientation
• Focus on Quality & Details
• Networking and Alliance Building

Abilities: 

• Ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative research data analysis.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English and Filipino, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to supervise projects

Asset Qualifications:

Preference may be given to candidates who meet the Asset Qualifications. Where applicable, candidates must clearly demonstrate how they meet any asset qualifications.

• A degree or certificate in a field related to social security, pensions, and benefits.
• Experience working with international benefits providers or consultants.
• Experience with data management, processing and tracking systems for human resources and/or finance.
• Experience with providing services to multiple clients in different locations.
• Experience working in an international institution, agency, or diplomatic mission
• Functional knowledge of French Language

Operational Requirements:

• Full-time position with working hours of 37.5 hours/week, Monday to Friday. 
• Be able and willing to work overtime on sometimes short notice and work outside business hours when required
• Able to work with and within virtual teams
• Must be willing to travel when required.
• Work in an open space.

Conditions of Employment:

Conditions of employment must be met or complied with before being appointed to a particular position, and are to be maintained throughout the employment while being the incumbent of this position.

- Valid work authorization: Ability to obtain and hold a valid work authorization covering the entire employment period.

- Security screening: Obtain and maintain a Reliability Status (security level) which includes a criminal and credit background check from the Government of Canada covering the entire employment period.

- Other conditions of employment:

• Meet the employer’s medical requirements by undergoing a medical evaluation by a physician. 
• Selected candidates must be in possession of a valid passport in order to be able to travel if requested by the employer.

How to Apply

• You must submit your application using the "Apply online" function. Only applications submitted via VidCruiter will be considered, unless a valid reason is presented and accepted prior to the closing date.
• Do not include personal data such as; age, date of birth, gender, marital status, family status, religion or a picture in your application form, CV nor cover letter (as required). Please only include information relevant to the vacancy as requested in the job poster.
• You must clearly demonstrate in answering the screening questions how you meet the education and experience factors listed in the essential and asset qualifications. You must provide specific examples to demonstrate clearly how you meet the qualifications. Global Affairs Canada cannot make any assumptions about your studies nor experience. Simply saying you have the required qualifications or listing your current duties will not be sufficient. Instead, you must provide concrete and detailed examples that clearly explain where, when, and how you gained the experience. No additional information will be sought beyond what you submit in your online application.
• Candidates may be required to upload a CV and/or a cover letter in English or French. These documents may be used as a secondary source to validate the answers to the screening questions.
• Applications which do not include all of the requested documents or information and/or which are not received by the closing date will be rejected.
• Candidates who are unable to submit their application due to technical difficulties must report these to LES-E-Recruitment-DELHI@international.gc.ca prior to the closing date. Failure to do so will result in the application being rejected.

Important Notes

• Only applications submitted in one of the official languages of Canada will be accepted (English or French).
• The language requirement for this position is identified under the essential qualifications (language). In consequence, the assessment process for this vacancy will be conducted in English.
• Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidates to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.

• Candidates must provide an email address that accepts email from unknown users and regularly check their email, including spam folder.
• Reference checks may be sought for candidates who succeeded all of the assessments.
• Please note that the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines does not reimburse any travel costs to and from interviews/exams nor does it reimburse any relocation costs.
• Before an offer of employment can be made, successful candidates must provide a local residence address as proof of residence in the specified area of selection. This information is necessary to issue a letter of offer.
• As recently announced by the Government of Canada, the Policy for Mandatory Vaccination: Canada and the Mission Network is suspended as of June 20, 2022. The Government of Canada will continue to assess the need for additional public health measures, including the possible reintroduction of a vaccination mandate at a later date.
• 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 contact us at LES-E-Recruitment-DELHI@international.gc.ca to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.
• The results of this selection process may also be used to establish one or more pools of fully or partially qualified candidates for similar term, indeterminate, part-time or full-time openings at the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines which might arise following the completion of this selection process.
• For Canadian citizens/residents and Canadian dual nationals, please note that it is your responsibility to enquire with the Canadian Revenue Agency about any possible taxation implications linked to an employment with the Government of Canada.