IT Audit Governance Co-op Student

IT Audit Governance Co-op Student

Department: IT, Risk, & Control - Information, Technology, Operations & Security

Type: Winter co-op – January 2027 – August 2027 - (8-month)

Location: Toronto (Hybrid)

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 Students

• Unique culture rooted in our core values – collaboration and teamwork; integrity; respect; flexibility; and 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. 

• A flexible, hybrid work mode. 

• Professional development opportunities, social and networking events and learning initiatives including access to LinkedIn Learning and speaker series. 

• Ongoing coaching and feedback to help you succeed, learn and much more! 

About the role 

We are seeking a highly motivated and proactive co-op student for an 8-month term within our Information Technology Operations and Security (ITOS) division. The ideal candidate will have a strong ability to quickly learn new concepts and tools and will thrive in a fast-paced environment. The student will contribute to key initiatives, including the development of customized business reports using Power BI, supporting the ongoing maintenance of a new Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) tool, assisting in IT audit activities, and contributing to IT risk management and internal controls. A self-disciplined and result-oriented approach to meeting deadlines and delivering high-quality work is essential for success in this role. Training will be provided on OPTrust procedures, systems and work processes. Students will also participate in OPTrust’s orientation and campus program.

What you’ll do

IT Governance, Risk and Control:

• Assist with the maintenance and support of our GRC tool, including tasks such as user access attestation, risk register documentation, configuration updates, and issue tracking.

• Support the annual review of baseline standards and collaborate with applicable teams to ensure that security and compliance protocols are up-to-date and aligned with industry best practices.

• Support IT risk assessments, track mitigation progress, and maintain the IT risk register.

• Schedule monthly IT risk management meetings and capture meeting minutes/action items.

Audit Activities:

• Assist in annual IT and internal audits, with the opportunity to respond to audit requests from accounting firms (e.g., PwC, BDO).

• Collaborate on the remediation of audit findings, actively contributing to the resolution processes, and communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders regarding audit evidence and documentation.

• Continue and/or enhance prior year audit evidence working papers in Excel and document business processes.

Internal Controls:

• Support Change Management and Access Attestation by collecting evidence, reviewing documentation, and assessing the operating effectiveness of IT controls.

• Participate in ITOS-driven initiatives or projects related to process automation, process enhancement, and risk mitigation.

• Learn about the asset management strategy and support by introducing more controls around the Configuration Management Database (CMDB), building automatic alerts and reminders in ManageEngine, and documenting new controls and processes.

Process Improvement & Project Support:

• Support business analysis, project management, and project coordination roles in process enhancement and automation projects.

Security Governance:

• Assist in evaluating the effectiveness of IT and security operations.

• Other duties as assigned.

What you bring

• Enrolled in a registered university or college IT, Information Security, Business, Audit, Risk Management, or related co-op program.

• Prior co-op / internship experience in Technology Risk Management and Audit or related field would be an asset.

• Knowledge or coursework in IT General Control (ITGC), Cyber Security, IT Risk Management, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), Change Management, and Access Control is an asset.

• Proficiency in MS Excel, including functions such as pivot tables and VLOOKUP, with data analysis capabilities.

• Effective analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.

• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills.

• Experience with GRC tools such as offerings from Resolver, ServiceNow, Workiva or AuditBoard considered an asset.

• This role can provide approved work experience towards the ISACA certifications (CISA, CRISC).

• Exemplify OPTrust’s values: collaboration and teamwork, integrity, respect, flexibility, excellence, and continuous improvement.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The range of expected compensation for this position is $720.00 to $1,285.00 per week.

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 careers@optrust.com, 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.