Executive Assistant to the Associate Vice-President, Continuing Education

Position Overview

U of C Continuing Education is currently seeking a Full-time Temporary Relief Executive Assistant to the Associate Vice-President for approximately 15 months.

The Executive Assistant reports directly to the Associate Vice-President and ensures the AVP is provided with a senior level of administrative support that excels in meeting the needs of stakeholders, including central administration at the University of Calgary, other senior university administrators, instructors, staff, students, external constituencies, community leaders, and benefactors.This position requires knowledge and understanding of university-wide practices and the complexities of the university's organizational structure, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the priorities, portfolio, and commitments of the AVP, the Continuing Education Division, and the University. Due to constantly shifting priorities evening and weekend extra hours are occasionally required.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Administration of Associate Vice-Presidents Advisory Council meetings, including agenda development, distribution of agenda package, attendance at meetings, and filing and follow-up on action items of committee decisions and/or prepares resulting correspondence and documentation.
• Coordinates unit wide update sessions, (Town Halls) and senior management planning retreats to ensure the sessions are engaging, informative and well attended by appropriate team members.
• Works with registration services to coordinate the annual Continuing Education graduation ceremony, including, contacting donors, senior University leaders and key community members to play a role in the ceremony and to establish appropriate communication, introduction and seating protocols.
• Works with the Assistant Registrar, Non-Credit to prepare the agenda and distribute all materials for monthly meetings of the Council for Academic Planning and Policy (CAPP).
• Works with Associate Vice-President and management team to actively organize meetings of various committees and external groups that the manager may undertake.
• Maintains awareness of relevant events and University-wide meetings, ensures the Associate Vice-President is duly informed of scheduled meetings and appointments, and works in advance of these activities to determine and assemble required documentation and material.
• Provides administrative support to the Associate Vice-President's Senior team within Continuing Education, which includes the Directors and Associate-Directors.
• Tracks timelines, commitments and core deliverables of the Associate Vice-President and the Continuing Education Division.
• Employs well-developed judgment in protecting the time of the Associate Vice-President by appropriately prioritizing incoming correspondence and appointment requests and managing the Associate Vice-Presidents calendar scheduling all appointments/meetings as needed.
• Maintains accurate record of vacation days taken and submits Absence from Campus forms as needed.
• Independently drafts routine correspondence on behalf of the Associate Vice-President as required.
• Schedules travel arrangements for conferences and seminars for the Associate Vice-President and management team as needed.
• Ensures expense claims for Associate Vice-President and management team are processed in a timely manner and is thoroughly familiar with the claims process and allowable expenses.
• Orders incidentals for the Associate Vice-President as needed.
• Maintains financial records of Associate Vice-Presidents office including various internal and external funding sources and ensures expenses are charged to the correct funds / grants.
• Works with Finance Partner to manage records of funding sources and reports to management team on expenditures and project status regularly.
• Develops and maintains a detailed filing system for the Associate Vice-President's Office, which includes important historical data, such as key performance reports, partner contracts, and professional association engagement.
• Works closely with the University's FOIP Advisor and Records Coordinator to ensure compliance with record and retention protocols.
• Undertakes projects on own initiative, or at the request of the Associate Vice-President or Associate Vice-Presidents Senior Team.
Maintenance of all emergency contact lists and the Associate Vice-President's contacts.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• 8 to 10 years of progressive administrative support experience or a combination of minimum 4 to 6 years of progressive administrative support experience and the completion of related post-secondary education (equivalent combination of skills and experience will be considered).
• Proven advanced skills in digital technology tools such as Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint), document sharing platforms (eg. Sharepoint, MS Teams, Google Docs) and current social media platforms.
• Project management skills, capable of dealing with multiple stakeholders, responsibilities and projects.
• Excellent organizational, analytical and problem solving skills maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to use discretion with confidential material, a high level of tact and professionalism and a strong work ethic demonstrating diplomacy and good judgment.
• Proven written and oral communication skills. Including a clear speaking voice, strong listening skills, and an ability to ask questions to clarify requested information.
• Proven experience to complete all arrangements of business travel (domestic and international).
• Able to work well under pressure, making key decisions (both on behalf of the Director and in other matters) and demonstrating good judgment in a fast-paced environment with many conflicting priorities, meeting internal and external deadlines.
• A positive attitude and the ability to work independently and as part of a team in a rapidly changing environment.
• Must be able to remain calm in demanding situations, and appropriately deal with stress resulting from these situations.
• Must be open to learning and development, and be willing to accept new challenges and assignments.
• The ability to use independent judgment, to take initiative, to work independently and to organize and complete work with minimal supervision.
• Experience in a Post-secondary, unionized or public sector environment is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge and experience with of university policies, procedures, and core business systems, is an asset.
Knowledge of University reporting, organizational and governance structures, is an asset.

Application Deadline: April 8th, 2024

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is classified in the Operational and Administrative Support Career Band, Level 4 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website .

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion () and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ().

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities , and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.