Administrative Assistant

Overview:
The Water Institute Administrative Assistant (AA) reports to the Water Institute (WI) Managing Director. The AA supports the WI Executive Director, Managing Director, other WI staff, and the Collaborative Water Program Director/Instructors with office administration and operations, financial management, events management, Collaborative Water Program administration, and general internal and external communications. The AA plays a key role within the Water Institute structure and is often the first point of contact for external stakeholders, for internal partners, and for Institute visitors. The AA needs to work closely with, and maintain strong relationships, with many academic units, and with various central campus partners.

**Responsibilities**:
Administrative Support
- Manage the day-to-day WI office operations, including keys, equipment, and supplies
- Support the WI Executive Director and Managing Director in planning and executing various Institute administrative or operational activities
- Supports the WI ED with travel arrangements and with submitting expense claims
- Prepare shipping documents and packages
- Address inquiries from various internal parties, including faculty, students, and staff
- Address inquiries from various external parties, including government, industry, or community members
- Support WI Communications Officers in producing or reviewing various WI digital and print materials
- Participates in, and contributes to, WI team meetings and various WI committee meetings
- Prepares meeting minutes for WI committee meetings
- Serves as a resource within the Institute for the interpretation of, and ensuring conformance with, relevant University policies, procedures, and guidelines.
- Other duties as assigned

Financial Management
- Monitors and reports on WI operating, research, and trust fund accounts and ensures compliance with university policies, procedures and those of external granting agencies
- Supports the WI MD in reconciling actual versus budgeted expenses on a regular basis, including P-card transactions
- Advise casual employees, students, and others on proper expense and payroll procedures
- Prepares and processes various expense claims in accordance with University and granting agency policies, procedures and requirements
- Prepares and processes payroll forms for casual and part-time employees, and for visiting scholars, in accordance with University agency policies, procedures and requirements
- Liaises with claimants, Finance, Research, Human Resources and other academic or central units in reconciling payroll or expense claims related to operating, research or trust fund accounts
- Remains current on relevant University and granting agency financial policies, procedures and requirements, and attends training as appropriate

Events Management
- Schedules meetings, books rooms and equipment, and organizes catering for various WI committees, activities, and events
- Manages logistics (eg, travel, accommodation) and campus itineraries for WI visitors, including lecturers, fellows, students, and visiting delegations
- Organizes travel and logistics for out-of-country WI research missions
- Participates on World Water Day and other event organizing committees

Collaborative Water Program Support
- Working with participating academic departments and central units, compiles and maintains centralized Collaborative Water Program (CWP) enrollment data
- Tracks completion of various CWP milestones, and communicates completion to relevant academic units
- Allocates centralized course codes to CWP students
- Supports CWP course instructors with scheduling and room logistics, field trip arrangements, and with expense claims
- In conjunction with the CWP Director and WI MD, addresses various questions arising from CWP students

Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, or equivalent education and experience
Minimum 5 years’ experience with progressively greater responsibility in financial-related activities
- Previous experience managing complex budgets and processing expense claims
- Experience working independently and as part of a team, and in managing workload and setting priorities
- Knowledge of the university’s financial systems, policies and procedures preferred
- Experience with event co-ordination and project management preferred
- Experience in academic, not-for-profit or a research environment is an asset
- Knowledge of research granting and reporting is an asset
- Experience in the environment or water sector is an asset
- Strong organizational skills coupled with the ability to handle multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and excel in a fast-paced environment characterized by changing priorities
- Demonstrated high degree of aptitude for critical thinking coupled with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Demonstrated superior interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively, build consensus, maintain confidentiality,