Avp, Trust Performance & Compliance

Peace Hills Trust
is Canada’s largest and oldest First Nations-owned federally regulated financial institution and is also Canada’s only independent trust company. Driven by a vision to fulfill the unique financial needs of the Indigenous community, their sole shareholder, the Samson Cree Nation, incorporated Peace Hills Trust in 1980. Peace Hills Trust is a full-service, federally-chartered trust company that provides financial services to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, businesses, and individuals across Canada. With a network of eight regional offices, the company has $4.43 billion in total combined assets under administration. Peace Hills Trust’s corporate office is located in Edmonton, with its head office on the Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alberta. The company is widely respected for its relationship-based approach, community focus, and long-term commitment to the communities it serves. Working in partnership with Businesses, Individuals and Indigenous communities, Peace Hills Trust delivers Trust, Credit and Banking services to meet their unique needs.
$4.43 billion
assets under administration
$3.25 billion
trust assets under administration
1980
year incorporated
Reporting to the Vice President, Trust Services, the Assistant Vice President, Trust Performance & Compliance provides institutional investment advisory services, investment manager oversight, portfolio performance evaluation, and governance support for trust portfolios administered by Peace Hills Trust.
Located in Edmonton, the AVP serves as an investment resource to Indigenous Nations, Chiefs and Councils, trustees, and investment committees, supporting informed decisions aligned with long-term financial objectives, liquidity requirements, trust agreements, and fiduciary responsibilities. The role combines investment strategy, external manager due diligence, performance measurement, investment policy development, capital markets research, and trust administration.
REPORTS TO
Vice President, Trust Services
WORK ARRANGEMENT
Flexible, with significant travel required
SALARY RANGE
Compensation to be discussed with qualified candidates
The Ideal CandidateYou are an experienced investment professional who combines sound analytical judgment with the ability to build lasting relationships based on trust and respect. You bring confidence and clarity to complex investment, performance and governance matters, helping clients and trustees make informed decisions. You listen carefully, communicate clearly and approach work with Indigenous Nations with cultural awareness and a commitment to understanding each community’s priorities. Most of all, you recognize that behind every trust portfolio is a responsibility to support the financial well-being of communities today and for generations to come.
Primary Roles and Responsibilities
Provide investment advisory and analytical support to institutional trust clients, including First Nations communities and their trustees and investment committees.
Evaluate strategic asset allocation and portfolio construction relative to objectives, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, and capital preservation and growth.
Develop and recommend changes to investment strategies, including asset allocation, diversification, investment styles, and manager structures.
Assess Canadian and global equities, fixed income, real estate, infrastructure, and other alternative investments.
Evaluate growth, value, and blended strategies in relation to portfolio size, diversification, and management costs.
Analyze portfolio transitions, manager allocations, liquidity planning, and investment implementation.
Conduct quantitative and qualitative due diligence on external managers across traditional and alternative asset classes.
Evaluate investment philosophy, historical performance, portfolio construction, risk management, organizational stability, personnel, fees, and investment processes.
Participate in manager searches, screening, interviews, evaluation, and selection, including coordination with consultants such as Mercer.
Develop comparative manager assessments and scoring frameworks to support selection decisions.
Assess manager suitability against client investment policy statements, objectives, and existing mandates.
Prepare written evaluations and recommendations for trustees and investment committees.
Monitor managers for changes in strategy, performance, personnel, positioning, and mandate adherence.
Distinguish underperformance attributable to market conditions, style, security selection, or structural concerns.
Investment Performance Measurement & Portfolio Oversight
Prepare and review quarterly and annual performance reports for institutional trust portfolios.
Evaluate returns against market indices, policy benchmarks, and investment objectives across multiple time horizons.
Analyze absolute and relative returns, rolling performance, attribution, and portfolio-level performance drivers.
Assess effects of sector allocation, security selection, style, and market concentration on manager performance.
Evaluate public equity, fixed income, infrastructure, real estate, and other alternative investment performance.
Review portfolio exposures, concentration, liquidity, and diversification risks.
Recommend manager retention, enhanced monitoring, or potential replacement based on ongoing assessments.
Explain markets, manager results, and portfolio positioning in accessible commentary for trustees.
Investment Policy Development & Governance
Develop, review, and recommend Investment Policy Statement amendments addressing objectives, risk, permitted investments, liquidity, and governance.
Support investment governance frameworks, policies, and procedures consistent with fiduciary duties.
Monitor investment policy compliance and identify deviations from allocation guidelines and restrictions.
Review proposed mandate, benchmark, and asset-class changes.
Advise trustees and investment committees on oversight of externally managed assets.
Prepare policy memoranda, recommendations, and supporting materials for approval.
Coordinate policy reviews and implementation with managers, consultants, and internal stakeholders.
Institutional Client Advisory & Stakeholder Relations
Present performance, capital markets updates, portfolio recommendations, and policy matters to Chiefs, Councils, trustees, and investment committees.
Translate complex financial concepts into practical explanations for audiences with different levels of investment knowledge.
Act as an investment-related contact between trust clients, external managers, consultants, and PHT.
Prepare meeting packages, presentations, briefing notes, educational materials, and recommendations.
Participate in trustee and committee meetings and respond to questions on markets, performance, and strategy.
Outline financial implications, risks, benefits, and trade-offs of proposed actions.
Maintain productive relationships with institutional clients and service providers.
Research Canadian and global markets, interest rates, inflation, monetary policy, economic conditions, and emerging trends.
Evaluate macroeconomic implications for portfolio performance, asset allocation, and risk.
Analyze opportunities and risks across traditional and alternative asset classes.
Assess fixed-income interest-rate, credit, currency, and sovereign risks.
Review infrastructure and real estate strategies considering returns, liquidity, valuations, and diversification.
Prepare market commentaries, investment research memoranda, and strategic recommendations.
Trust Administration, Compliance & Fiduciary Oversight
Support administration and oversight of trust assets under trust agreements, policies, and fiduciary obligations.
Monitor investment activities, distributions, and reporting against approved governance frameworks.
Review financial information, trust expenditures, budgets, and distribution requirements.
Coordinate with trust administration, accounting, compliance, and external advisers.
Support financial reporting, audit preparation, trustee documentation, and compliance requirements.
Identify operational risks and strengthen reporting, distribution, and governance controls.
Improve administrative procedures and documentation standards.
Reporting, Process Improvement & Special Projects
Prepare investment reports, trustee communications, management summaries, and meeting documentation.
Review investment data and financial reporting for accuracy and completeness.
Improve investment reporting, performance evaluation, workflow efficiency, and controls.
Coordinate projects involving managers, policy amendments, portfolio changes, and reporting enhancements.
Support senior management with research, financial analysis, governance initiatives, and special projects.
Maintain documentation of recommendations, manager reviews, investment policies, and trustee decisions.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Commerce, or a related discipline.
Progress toward or completion of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program is a strong asset.
Education or training in trust and estate administration is an asset.
Experience in institutional consulting, investment management, manager research, portfolio oversight, or trust administration is preferred.
Experience serving Indigenous Nations, institutional trustees, or investment committees is an asset.
Institutional investment management, strategic asset allocation, portfolio construction, and capital markets.
Manager research, quantitative and qualitative due diligence, and performance evaluation.
Public equities, fixed income, real estate, infrastructure, and alternative investments.
Performance measurement, benchmark analysis, and portfolio risk assessment.
Investment governance, fiduciary responsibilities, trust administration, and investment policy development.
Financial analysis, research, reporting, presentations, and clear communication to diverse stakeholders.
Independent judgement, attention to detail, organization, and relationship management.
Key Measures of Success
Timely, accurate investment performance reporting and manager evaluations.
Well-supported investment recommendations and effective external manager oversight.
Investment policy compliance and clear communication of risks, results, and strategy.
Strong trustee, client, and external provider relationships.
Continuous improvements in governance, operational controls, and reporting.
Alignment of recommendations with client objectives and fiduciary requirements.
CompensationCommensurate with experience, education and qualifications;
the details of the compensation package will be discussed with qualified candidates.
Peace Hills Trust offers an extensive benefits package, including:
Health, Dental and Critical Illness Insurance,
Pay-Direct Drug Insurance, no deductible, portion payable is 100 per cent of covered drugs,
Group Retirement Savings Plan with employer-matched contributions,
Life Insurance, Accidental Death, Short- and Long-Term Disability.
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