Clerical Assistant

**Clerical Assistant (Graduate Student Funding Coordinator), Admin Support Group**:
The College of Arts and Science consists of twenty-one departments spanning the natural and physical sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities and fine arts. Several institutes, centres, and interdisciplinary programs are also part of the college, which occupies fourteen buildings across campus. The college has approximately 300 faculty, 150 staff, and 9,000 students, with annual expenditures of nearly $100-M across more than 2,000 funds. The Administrative Support Group (ASG) provides clerical and administrative support in the areas of finance, graduate support, collegial processes, faculty recruitment, sessional postings, and other department
- and program-specific duties for the departments and programs in the College of Arts and Science.

**Primary Purpose**: This position provides effective delivery of a broad array of financial services to departments supported by the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science with a primary focus on graduate student funding packages. The sixteen graduate programs supported by this position are Art and Art History; Drama; Economics; English; Geography and Planning; History; Languages, Literature, and Cultural Studies; Linguistics; Mathematics and Statistics; Music; Philosophy; Political Studies; Religious Studies; Sociology; Women’s, Gender, and Sexualities Studies; and the MFA in Writing Program.

**Nature of Work**: This position reports to the Assistant Manager, Finance, Administrative Support Group, College of Arts and Science, with oversight from the ASG Manager. Independent task management is critical. This position maintains professional working relationships with a diverse group, including department heads, graduate chairs, faculty, students, and staff. The office environment is diverse, complex, and often highly active, with multiple, competing demands and strict deadlines. Sound judgement is required to make decisions and provide advice. Prompt, complete, and accurate work is critical. Workflow planning is required to anticipate deadlines, peak periods, and unexpected situations.

**Typical Duties or Accountabilities**:

- Manages new and existing graduate student funding, which includes various scholarships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships from a variety of sources
- Contributes to the decision-making process and makes recommendations based on policies and procedures for student funding
- Communicates official funding award information to students and collects and manages payment information in coordination with the Payroll Coordinator
- Works with students to ensure that all proper documentation is obtained and maintained, such as payroll and acceptance forms, study permits, and payment tracking
- Ensures that all imperative payment information is provided to the Payroll Coordinator in a timely manner
- Assists in coordinating and managing the hiring of tutorial leaders, markers, etc., as required, including ensuring that job posting and hiring preference standards are observed as per the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) collective agreement
- Liaises between the departments, ASG, College of Arts and Science, and College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies regarding graduate student awards, funding allocations, and reporting
- Creates and maintains templates for award funding packages, letters, and forms
- Revises, maintains, and communicates procedures regarding student payments
- Works closely with other financial staff to ensure high-quality work is completed in a timely manner
- Ensures that all University and Tri-Agency procedures related to the hiring of students are followed
- Other duties as required

**Education**:Completion of Grade 12 and a diploma in accounting or finance.

**Experience**: Three to five years of related financial experience, preferably at a post-secondary institution.

**Skills**: Ability to prioritize multiple projects with competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment; highly effective interpersonal skills coupled with the ability to develop and maintain working relationships with coworkers; ability to recognize and implement changes resulting in improved administrative processes; ability to take initiative, be self-directed, and to exercise diplomacy; ability to be creative in solving issues; ability to handle interactions with tact, discretion, confidentiality and cultural sensitivity; excellent verbal and written communication skills; working knowledge of general financial procedures in a large, complex organization; strong computer skills with particular proficiency in Microsoft Excel (knowledge of current University programs, such as SiRIUS/Banner Student or AboutUS/EJS, would be a strong asset); ability to work independently as well as in a team; ability to provide timely and courteous service under stressful conditions; excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.