Chief Investment Officer

Position Overview

The Civil Service Superannuation Board (CSSB) is one of Manitoba’s largest public sector pension organizations responsible for administering the defined benefit pension plan for the Province of Manitoba and participating public sector employers. Established in 1939, CSSB serves more than 57,000 pension plan members across 39 participating employers and is supported by over 60 staff. The organization administers retirement, disability, death, termination, and insurance-related pension services while overseeing the investment management of the Civil Service Superannuation Fund and several smaller pension plans. CSSB manages approximately $13 billion in assets including about $10 billion in Civil Service Superannuation Fund (the Fund) pension assets, where investment earnings and member and employer contributions fund long‑term pension obligations, and an additional $3 billion in pension and benefit plan assets for other government plans.

With a mostly internally managed strategy, CSSB has regularly outperformed the benchmark in recent years. The organization manages a diversified portfolio comprised of Fixed Income, Public Equities (US, CDN, and International), Infrastructure, Private Credit, Private Equity, and Real Estate. Due to an upcoming retirement, an opportunity now exists for a new Chief Investment Officer (CIO) to oversee the strategic direction and operational execution of the investment portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Leading a team of ~16, the CIO will be tasked with providing leadership, guidance, and vision to the team and leading the investment management function of the organization, which includes risk management, asset allocation, performance management, regulatory and administrative accountabilities, research and analysis, and fund/vendor management. Working closely with the Board, Investment Committee, The Superannuation and Insurance Liaison Committee, and the Employer Pension and Insurance Advisory Committee, the CIO will be a critical member of the Executive Team, helping steward the sustainability and growth of CSSB.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will bring significant leadership experience in an investment management role, either managing a complex investment management function or as a service provider dealing with a broad range of investment classes. They will bring a strong understanding and appreciation of both ‘bottom‑up’ portfolio management and overall ‘top‑down’ fund management, including asset allocation and risk management. Armed with superior relationship skills and an interest in best practices, the candidate will have a track record of providing strategic investment advice to a range of stakeholders and advancing investment operations. The ideal candidate will be an exceptional leader capable of inspiring and mentoring a passionate and dedicated team.

Location

Located in Winnipeg, this is a rare opportunity to have a provincial impact and take on a critical people management and investment leadership role, stewarding the pension funds for the employees of the Manitoba public sector.