Jobs at OBSI - Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (Now Hiring) — 4 open

Are you an experienced financial professional interested in public service and contributing to financial fairness and justice? 

We are currently looking for a Manager, Investigations with professional leadership experience in the banking and/or investments sector to lead a team specializing in the fair resolution of consumer complaints. 

Canada’s Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) is a national, independent and not-for-profit organization that helps resolve and reduce disputes between consumers and financial services firms including banks, trust and loan companies, credit unions, investment dealers, mutual fund dealers and companies, exempt market dealers, portfolio managers, and scholarship plan dealers, as well as other financial services providers. OBSI responds to inquiries from the public, conducts fair and accessible investigations of unresolved disputes, and shares its knowledge and expertise with stakeholders and the public.

Job Title: Manager, Investigations

Reporting to: Deputy Ombudsman

Direct reports: Investigators and Senior Investigators

Vacancy: New vacancy

Salary Range: $130,000 to $166,000 per annum

Workplace Type: Hybrid arrangement with 2 days per week in office. The OBSI office is located in downtown Toronto.

You will lead a team of Investigators in the objective investigation and fair resolution of complaints. You will lead your team in ensuring high-quality investigations are conducted in an efficient, fair and effective manner consistent with OBSI’s mission, vision and values. OBSI’s Investigation Managers and Deputy Ombudsmen work collaboratively to ensure the effectiveness and professional development of team members, consistency across all investigations teams, and the development of solutions for emerging and systemic issues.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Manager, Investigations plays a critical role by leading a team of Investigators and/or Senior Investigators and providing support to the Deputy Ombudsmen in leading the Investigation Team.

As members of the Investigation Management Team (IMT), Managers, Investigation have a range of responsibilities, including:

• Participating in collaborative decision-making relating to the leadership of OBSI’s investigative staff
• Monitoring OBSI’s environment to identify emerging issues and areas for improvement and collaborating with other IMT members to develop and implement solutions
• Ensuring that OBSI policies, procedures, training material and guidelines with respect to investigative work are appropriately maintained and updated
• Ensuring investigative staff receive appropriate training and fostering an environment of individual and team development
• Monitoring case volumes and investigator caseloads and working together with other managers to ensure cases are appropriately assigned
• Participating in peer reviews and discussing cases to ensure consistency of outcomes
• Working with other managers and the Deputy Ombudsmen to ensure the Investigation Team fulfills its annual objectives including specific projects and initiatives
• Providing the Communications Team with information and ideas to promote awareness of OBSI and help stakeholders understand OBSI approaches and case outcomes
• Actively fostering an environment of professionalism, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement throughout the organization
• Promoting OBSI’s mission, vision and values and maintaining and enhancing the organization’s reputation in all internal and external activities

Managers, Investigation are responsible for all aspects of leading their individual investigation teams including:

• Ensuring investigators complete high-quality investigations in a timely, efficient manner by providing appropriate guidance, coaching, and feedback
• Ensuring that all investigations are resolved in an efficient, fair and reasonable manner that is consistent with OBSI’s mission, vision and values
• Ensuring investigators participate in the peer review process and help and support each other
• Ensuring feedback from Deputy Ombudsmen, managers, other colleagues, reconsideration officers, and stakeholders is incorporated into casework
• Acting as the primary escalation point for consumers and firms on cases to gather additional information, clarify issues and respond to comments and concerns
• Ensuring all team members engage in appropriate external training and professional development and participate in all internal training in relation to new and updated policies and procedures
• Managing performance effectively by taking responsibility for team performance, setting clear goals and expectations, tracking progress, providing feedback and addressing performance problems promptly
• Establishing team focus by ensuring that all team members understand how their work relates to OBSI’s mission, aligns with OBSI’s strategic directions, and that their work embodies OBSI’s values
• Providing motivational support for all team members by recognizing achievements and contributions, finding creative ways to make work rewarding, and identifying and promptly tackling morale problems
• Empowering all team members by conveying confidence in their ability to be successful, delegating significant responsibility and authority, and allowing them freedom to decide how they will accomplish their goals and resolve issues
• Fostering teamwork by having team members learn and work together, and by promoting cooperation with other teams
• Assisting with investigative staff recruitment efforts as required

Key Qualifications, Abilities, and Skills

• At least 5 years experience in a Management level role with people leadership responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of banking and investment industry products, services, industry practices, policies, legislation and regulation
• Strong negotiation and dispute resolution experience
• Strong investigative experience
• Previous managerial experience supervising professionals and/or investigative staff
• Effective leadership, coaching, motivational and team development skills
• Sound judgment, decisiveness and clear commitment to fairness, ethics and public service
• Excellent professional verbal and written communication skills
• Superior interpersonal skills
• Strong numeracy skills, including the ability to read and understand financial reports and documents and the ability to evaluate financial analyses
• Superior analytical problem-solving skills

Education and Other Training

• LL.B., J.D. or equivalent legal qualification is an asset
• Strong proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite of programs, as well as a demonstrated commitment to maximizing productivity through information technology and continuously improving information technology skills

OBSI endeavors to make its recruitment process accessible to all applicants. Reasonable accommodations will be provided, upon request, to applicants with disabilities in order to facilitate equal opportunity throughout the recruitment and selection process. Please send an email to [email protected] to make a request for accommodation during any aspect of the recruitment and selection process.

While we may use digital tools to support the efficiency of our recruitment process, we do not use AI to identify or screen candidates.