Tax Advisor

Independent contractor, part-time, remote opportunity

The Conference for Advanced Life Underwriting (CALU) is based in Ottawa and is Canada’s professional association for leaders in the life insurance and financial advisory industry. We provide our 650+ members with high-quality education and with opportunities to connect, stay informed and share ideas on how to enhance the financial well-being of Canadians.

Non-partisan advocacy is an important part of our mandate. Along with our partner organization, Advocis, we speak on behalf of thousands of advisors in every part of Canada to grow and preserve the financial well-being of Canadians and family businesses. Please visit our website for more information on CALU.

Opportunity

CALU has an opening for a Tax Advisor, working as an independent contractor, to serve as a subject matter expert on tax and advanced planning issues integral to our mandate. CALU’s members and their clients include high net worth individuals and small businesses that seek specialized expertise in the following areas:

o   Life insurance

o   Tax and estate planning

o   Business succession

o   Retirement planning

o   Employee benefits

o   Living benefits

o   Philanthropy and charitable gifting strategies

o   Wealth management

This is a contractual, part-time role (approximately 50 hours a month). The contractor’s primary contact will be the President & CEO. The individual will also be expected to work collaboratively with the Vice-President, Public Affairs and Member Engagement, other CALU staff, CALU Committees, and directly with members as needed.

Services to be provided:

Tax Analysis and Advocacy:

·       Identify and monitor tax legislative and/or administrative developments of interest to CALU members.

·       Provide thought leadership on identified issues through analysis, the development of positions, and engagement with CALU members, industry representatives, and the federal government.

·       Prepare letters and submissions to government on technical matters, and associated materials for members.

·       Establish relationships and liaise with federal government officials responsible for technical issues at Finance Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), and other organizations as needed.

·       Attend meetings with government and Parliamentary officials as a subject matter expert.

·       Attend the annual pre-budget lock up and write a post-budget report for members.

·       Speak at and/or represent CALU at select industry meetings including those organized by groups such as Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA), Canadian Tax Foundation (CTF), Advocis and life insurance companies.

Education and publications:

·       Develop and deliver Continuing Education (CE) eligible sessions on tax and advanced planning issues at CALU’s annual Conference & AGM and Advanced Education Symposium.

·       Write, or source and review, technical articles for CALU publications including INFOexchange, CALU Reports, CALU Special Reports, Practice Notes and Tax Bytes.

·       Collaborate in the development, update and delivery of advanced education program(s).

·       Lead, with Committee support as needed, organize and participate in CALU’s CRA-Finance Roundtable on a biennial basis and prepare supporting report. Also assist in alternative years with the development of questions for the CLHIA CRA-Finance Roundtable. 

CALU Committee support:

·       Support select CALU Committees as a subject matter expert on tax and advanced planning issues including by:

o   Attending meetings

o   Preparing or reviewing associated materials (e.g, agendas, briefing items, reports, presentations, summaries)

o   Delivering verbal updates

o   Providing advice

o   Answering questions

General

·       Respond to CALU member inquiries on tax and advanced planning issues that relate to CALU’s mandate.

·       Attend regular update meetings with CALU staff

·       Work with other CALU tax consultants as needed.

Other responsibilities: as assigned.

Requirements

Education and professional designations:

• Tax lawyer or tax accountant (CPA, LLB, LLM (Tax))
• Related designations including CFP, CLU, TEP

Experience and knowledge:

• Experience in the life insurance industry.
• In-depth knowledge of various tax laws that impact advanced planning.
• Demonstrated pro-active mindset to identify issues of and lead files in a collaborative way.
• Established relationships with current CALU members and ability to earn the trust of others.
• Established relationships with officials from Finance Canada and the CRA.
• Established visibility and credibility in industry circles.

Skills:

• Strong written and oral communication skills in English. French is an asset.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, tact, diplomacy, and ability to work collaboratively with CALU staff and members, and government and industry representatives.
• Focus on details and accuracy.

Personal attributes:

• Self‑motivated with the ability to work independently in a remote environment.
• Utmost integrity and professionalism.
• Business acumen.
• Non-partisan but understands political dynamics.
• Able to register as a federal lobbyist without any restrictions.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Flexibility and dependability.
• Ability to travel within Canada on occasion for meetings and events.

Location: Remote

To apply

If this opportunity intrigues you and relates to your professional experience and interests, then we would like to hear from you. Please tell us about yourself in a cover letter – we want to listen to your story – your educational background, professional accomplishments and why this role is a good fit for you.

Note: You must be legally allowed to work in Canada to be eligible for this position.

Please submit your cover letter, resume and any accommodations you may need. Do not apply by email. The posting will remain active until we successfully fill the position.

We thank all candidates for their interest but only those selected for an interview will be contacted directly.