Administrative Assistant

Overview:
**Term: 13 Months**

The Administrative Assistant is responsible for the efficient daily operations of the Chair’s office. The Administrative Assistant provides support, oversight and guidance for faculty recruiting, tenure and promotion, faculty merit, sabbaticals and academic appointments. The incumbent will provide essential services to the department and facilitate smooth and efficient operation of all departmental activities, in a manner consistent with the department’s goals and objectives. The Administrative Assistant meets directly with staff and faculty to communicate the dissemination of advice, interpretation and understanding of policies and procedures and other essential information. The Administrative also provides critical special event and communications support for the department.

**Responsibilities**:
Executive assistance to the Chair
- Provides comprehensive direction and guidance to the Chair to meet the teaching, research, outreach and advancement activities/goals of the department
- Ensures the effective functioning of the Chair’s office through meeting management, document creation/management and travel arrangements; keeps Chair apprised of priorities and urgent matters requiring immediate attention
- Manages departmental systems for confidential/sensitive files, correspondence and databases of faculty members, non-administrative staff, Post-doctoral fellows, Research Associates and visitors, etc.
- Provides direction and prepares confidential information on behalf of the Chair
- Ensures continuity when transitioning academic administrators through effective record keeping, training and mentoring
- Manages Chair’s calendar, schedule and activities, coordinates often unexpected changes to detailed arrangements

Faculty Relations Administration
- Supports the Chair in recruiting, appointments, evaluations, promotion and retention of faculty members
- Provides direction and guidance to DACA chairs in the recruitment of new hires
- Leads onboarding and immigration procedures for new faculty, adjuncts, and cross appointments, ensures all support services are arranged
- Provides direction and guidance for Faculty Performance Review (FPR) proceedings and timelines in consultation with the Chair
- Manages the FPR submission process, including submission summaries and evaluation letters for faculty members on behalf of the Merit Review Committee
- Leads the Tenure and Promotion process by managing all faculty submissions, in consultation with the faculty member and Chair
- Manages sabbatical submissions; informs faculty of deadlines, reviews requests, and liaises with the Faculty of Science Office
- Manages academic appointments and serves as a resource for policy and procedures related to academic appointments, overload, administrative appointments, leaves, retirements
- Manages the schedules, deadlines, and documentation that is submitted to the Chair
Departmental Administration
- Manages appointments, renewals, immigration documents and onboarding for all post-doctoral fellows, sessional instructors, visiting researchers and IVGS applicants
- Develops tools and manages departmental incoming/outgoing mail, mailing lists, seating databases, alarm/key authorizations, printers and IT needs
- Provides direction and guidance on university policy changes and implementation
- Draws on departmental, faculty and institutional data to prepare statistical reports, as required
- Provides solutions to administrative issues related to the department's involvement with IQC and PI
- Provides assistance to other administrative staff, as needed

Departmental Committee Resource
- Resource person for departmental committees and sub-committees
- Develops administrative structures for committee membership, membership recruitment and meeting operations; Manages confidential voting procedures for all elected committees
- Provides direction and advice to the committee chair on procedures for all formal submissions and contracts; works in partnership with Chairs in the creation of final reports and submissions

Departmental Communications
- Manages development and maintenance of departmental website and social media accounts, in accordance to the Faculty of Science Strategic Plan
- Creates weekly departmental e-newsletter; solicits news and writes content
- Produces bi-annual public/alumni newsletter, The Entangler; provides direction and guidance to departmental communications committee for the development of its’ content
- Develops and maintains of faculty, research and student group websites within the WCMS
- Works with the Communications committee to develop and prepare content for research impact stories
- Develops tools and manages database of alumni for marketing and communications purposes
- Manages electronic displays in the Physics building, working in conjunction with Science Computing
- Serves as department point of contact for matters concerning the IST CMS team

Departmental Events