Administrative Specialist

**Classification & Regular Hours**: Hours per Week: 35 Salary Grade: 14 **About Western**: Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference. **About Us**: The mission of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) is to support Faculties and programs in providing high quality, innovative graduate programs, attracting high quality graduate students and postdoctoral trainees, and expanding graduate education and graduate professional development at Western. The unit (SGPS) functions as the University’s definitive, comprehensive resource on all graduate and postdoctoral matters. SGPS is the Faculty of registration of all graduate students and is accountable to all graduate students, faculty, and programs, as well as to Western’s Senate and the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance through the Provost. SGPS is the authority on all aspects of postdoctoral appointment processes and supports and is accountable to postdoctoral scholars and their supervisors. **Responsibilities**: The Administrative Specialist will provide expert administrative and operational support to the Office of the Vice-Provost (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies). The role coordinates and manages Graduate Education Council, committees mandated in the SGPS constitution, and other committees and forums that guide the work of SGPS and the Vice-Provost. The role manages formal communication with the Office of the President, the Provost, the University Secretary, and other senior university administrators, on behalf of the Vice-Provost as required. The Administrative Specialist provides project management for major initiatives undertaken by the Vice-Provost, such as task forces and working groups, and prepares draft reports and documents on behalf of the Vice-Provost. The role manages scheduling logistics for various events and committee meetings, coordinates communications and manages the Vice-Provost’s complex calendar. The Administrative Specialist ensures that projects, meetings, working groups, and task forces led, or supported, by the Vice-Provost culminate in timely, successful outcomes that support the strategic and operational priorities of SGPS and the strategic priorities of the University. **Qualifications**: **Education**: - Undergraduate Degree - Completion of, or working towards, Project Management Professional designation - Graduate Degree preferred - Project Management Professional designation is preferred **Experience**: - 5 years of experience managing projects and supporting a senior leader in an academic environment - Experience within a higher education, government, public sector, or related environment, interpreting policies is preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: - Knowledge of graduate education and degree structures and of university governance and approval processes - Knowledge of general office procedures and with best practices for assessing, developing and implementing new business processes and procedures - In-depth knowledge of best practices for handling sensitive and confidential information and with best practices in records maintenance - Familiarity with project management methodologies - Knowledge of meeting structure and rules of order with the ability to take effective meeting notes and minutes - Communication skills to clearly express ideas in an objective manner, write clearly, and adapt communication style to suit the situation and audience - Ability to perceive and understand the emotions of others and interact with them appropriately based on those emotions - Detail-oriented with an ability to function and process information with high levels of accuracy - Ability to perform duties in a professional, collegial and courteous manner, while producing high quality work outcomes - Commitment to ongoing professional development with a desire to take on new challenges - Ability to remain highly motivated, resilient, innovative, and collaborative when faced with challenges - Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint), with database software (such as PeopleSoft) and in document sharing and archiving - Possess a reputation for resourcefulness with a strong sense of accountability and initiative - Influential interpersonal skills that build positive and strong relationships at all levels of the organization - Organizational skills to manage multiple assignments that are accurate and thorough, sometimes of a complex nature or involving competing priorities -