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Principal, Private Markets (Real Estate)

Department: Investments

Type: Full-Time – Permanent

Location: Toronto (Hybrid)

Posting Date: June 5, 2026

At OPTrust, paying pensions today, preserving pensions for tomorrow is our mission and business.

When you choose OPTrust, you join a team of smart, talented people who fuel our success and have a passion for pensions. Everyone at OPTrust – in Toronto, London and Sydney – makes a meaningful impact. Our culture is driven by team members with different backgrounds and perspectives creating an inclusive and fulfilling place to work for everyone. We work in a fast-paced environment, but we find time to have fun and give back to the community.

What OPTrust offers you

  • Unique culture rooted in our core values – collaboration and teamwork, integrity, respect, flexibility, excellence and continuous improvement.
  • A purpose-driven environment where we all work towards the common goal of paying pensions today and preserving pensions for tomorrow.
  • Comprehensive benefits focused on your health and wellness, including dental, vision and extended health benefits, as well as membership in our world-class defined benefit pension plan.
  • A flexible, hybrid work model.
  • A dedicated inclusion, diversity and equity strategy with meaningful opportunities to participate, including our employee-led resource groups.
  • Extensive professional development opportunities and learning initiatives including access to LinkedIn Learning, guest speakers, tuition reimbursement, professional association memberships, leadership development programs, a mentorship program, monthly professional development time and more.
  • A competitive vacation package with additional work-life balance day.

 

About OPTrust Private Markets Team

With net assets of over $27 billion, OPTrust invests and manages one of Canada’s largest pension funds and administers the OPSEU Pension Plan (including OPTrust Select), a defined benefit plan with 118,000 members.

OPTrust’s Private Markets Team is a dedicated business unit within the Investment Division of OPTrust, bringing together the real estate, private equity, infrastructure and sustainable investing teams into one integrated private markets platform. The team manages a diversified global portfolio of private market investments across sectors, strategies and geographies. As part of this team, the real estate function plays a key role in originating, evaluating, executing and managing real estate investments across the portfolio while collaborating closely with colleagues across the broader Private Markets platform.

Why join the Private Markets Team?

  • Differentiated private markets team with a strong investment track record.
  • Unique opportunity to invest across the entire risk-return spectrum and gain experience across a diverse set of transaction types/structures.
  • Opportunity to have an immediate impact with runway for professional growth.
  • Flexible investment mandate with substantial group autonomy and authority.
  • Team-oriented environment with significant tenure across senior ranks.
  • Opportunity to collaborate, liaise, and leverage best practices with other private markets investment professionals, including colleagues focused on private equity, infrastructure, sustainability and incubation investments.
Experience:

Mid-level

Salary Range:

Not Specified

Position description

About the role

OPTrust is seeking a Principal candidate to be based in the Toronto Office. This Principal will play a key role in the Private Markets Team focused on Real Estate. Reporting to a Director, the Principal will provide high-quality analysis, reporting, research, and investment opinions relating to new investment opportunities and existing real estate portfolio investments.

The Principal will participate in all aspects of investment underwriting, conducting detailed due diligence on opportunities, leading financial analysis, as well as drafting and presenting investment recommendations to the investment committee. The Principal will also actively participate in portfolio and asset management activities, including the preparation of reporting materials. This position will oversee the maintenance of key information and metrics on the real estate portfolio and produce and present research reports and investment analysis to be utilized by the team in the decision-making process. The Principal will also support strategic initiatives across the real estate portfolio and broader Private Markets platform.

Investment Due Diligence:

  • Evaluate real estate investment opportunities, working collaboratively with other real estate investment professionals.
  • Conduct detailed underwriting and due diligence on prospective investments, including preparing detailed financial models and returns analysis, assessing the investment and leasing market, and reviewing third-party due diligence materials.
  • Prepare investment committee recommendations and actively participate in the investment decision-making process, including investment committee meetings.
  • Liaise with key counterparties including partners, advisors, brokers and lenders.

Portfolio and Asset Management:

  • Support the ongoing asset management of OPTrust’s real estate investments, including reviewing leasing and capital plans, reviewing property budgets, and assisting with strategic initiatives alongside investment partners.
  • Perform or oversee asset valuations using Argus software and other financial models, and coordinate with Finance and external appraisal providers on valuation related matters.
  • Prepare ad-hoc reports, analysis and presentations and undertake additional projects as required.
  • Perform research on emerging trends and technologies in the real estate industry, assessing their impact on the real estate portfolio.
  • Maintain up to date knowledge of legislation and regulations pertaining to real estate investment.

Reporting, Coordination & Communication:

  • Lead the real estate portfolio’s quarterly reporting process alongside the analyst team, producing in-depth portfolio analysis and ensuring the overall quality of the report.
  • Report on the ongoing performance of the real estate investment portfolio and monitor exposures to various sectors and geographies.
  • Work closely with the team’s leadership to enhance and implement processes to meet the evolving reporting needs of the Private Markets team.
  • Liaise with the Finance team on matters related to financial accounting, valuations, reporting and investment performance, conducting reviews of quarterly performance and other financial metrics.
  • Attend real estate events and conferences and report back to the team as required.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
Required skills / Experience

What you bring

  • 2-5 years of relevant commercial real estate experience.
  • Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline such as business, finance, accounting, or real estate. Additional designations/certifications valued but not required (e.g., MBA, CFA, CPA, etc.). Progress towards a CFA designation strongly recommended.
  • Experience with multi-residential, industrial, office and retail properties is an asset, preferably in an institutional environment.
  • Strong financial modelling skills with demonstrated experience in investment and valuation analysis.
  • Advanced knowledge of all Microsoft Office applications, AI tools, as well as with real estate valuation software (Argus). Previous Argus experience is an asset.
  • Self-starter, proactive, excellent attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, with genuine motivation and drive.
  • Team-oriented and collaborative by nature with ability to build and maintain relationships, working closely and effectively with colleagues, advisors, partners, and other stakeholders.
  • Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills required.
  • Availability for travel as required.
  • Exemplify OPTrust values: collaboration and teamwork, integrity, respect, flexibility, excellence, and continuous improvement.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Please submit your application via Workday by June 19, 2026.

Serving a membership as diverse as ours and investing in a global market means cultivating an environment that embraces inclusion, diversity, and equity in everything we do. OPTrust is an organization engaged in building on our unique and diverse strengths. We know a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, gender identities and perspectives are critical to achieving our shared goals.

If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please send a message to [email protected], or discuss your needs with the Talent Acquisition Consultant during the telephone screening. We will do our best to work with you and provide appropriate accommodation.

As an organization we’re seeking ways to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 92. We are working with the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business to build bridges with Indigenous communities and partners, and we have created an employee-led Reconciliation Working Group that will work with Indigenous experts to identify a path to reconciliation for our organization.

We thank all interested applicants, however only those under consideration will be contacted.

Principal, Private Markets (Real Estate)
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