Program Assistant

Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 2950

Job Profile

CUPE 2950 Salaried - Program Assistant 2 (Gr5)

Job Title

Program Assistant

Department

Program Support | Administrative Leadership 2 | Science Co-op Programs | Faculty of Science

Compensation Range

$4, $4,532.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

November 13, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Ongoing

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The UBC Science Co-op Program assists qualified Science students every year in securing work placements with Canadian and international employers as part of their education experience. The Science Co-op Program offers a supportive and positive work culture, and this position is part of a dedicated team that is passionate about student success.

The incumbent will be responsible for providing program administrative functions such as reception duties, handling student and employer inquiries, performing data entry of job postings & student work term employment details, scheduling co‐op interviews & site visits and other related tasks.

Organizational Status

Working closely with other Co‐op Program Assistants, reports directly to the Assistant Director, Administration; interacts with Co-op students, faculty and employers; liaises and coordinates activities with other university administrative units.

Work Performed

This position is perfect for someone who enjoys working in a team environment and interacting with students. The position offers a broad range of administrative tasks, and it is suited for someone who takes pride in completing data entry accurately and managing complex schedules.

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

Job Posting & Closing:

• Enters Co-op Jobs into a database, verifies if the posting meets Co-op requirements, ensuring job is posted for the accurate disciplines and observing relevant deadlines
• Assesses whether a posting requires special notation or handling such as citizenship, funding, visa or online application requirements
• Sends job posting confirmation to Co-op employer and determines if the posting need to be shared with other units on campus
• Assists with generating the daily job closing report and notifies employers when their application bundles are ready for viewing
• Password protect application bundles when transmitting resume files via email as per University's data security guidelines
• Reviews job applications to be sent to employers; withdraws incomplete student job applications and emails students with reasons

Interview Scheduling:

• Supports the Interview Liaison to schedule Co-op interviews between employers and students within a short turnaround time, resolves interview scheduling conflicts when arise and handles interview cancellations

Processing Job Offers:

• Forwards time-sensitive job offers to appropriate Coordinators
• Processes offer letters, security clearance documentation, student funding applications
• Enters student employment information in the Co-op database

Scheduling Site Visits:

• Scheduling Co-op site visits for Co-op Coordinators each term
• Ensures all appointments are confirmed and collects all necessary information and documents from the students prior to the visit
• Plans the logistics of the travel itinerary, resolving scheduling conflicts

Program Reception:

• Welcomes and greets incoming visitors, students, employers to the Co-op Office, directs visitors and students to the appropriate personnel to ensure quality customer service.
• Answers program admission inquiries from prospective students and encourage students to apply to the program

Other Administrative Duties:

• Provides coverage to other admin staff in their absence or overflow tasks to ensure smooth operation of the unit

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Poor judgment, errors or delay in project deliverables has a significant impact on the program and may lead to loss of student jobs, potential financial support and the reputation and professionalism of the Co‐op Office. The incumbent will be ultimately responsible and accountable for all of the functions concerning of the reception area. They will be required to identify problem areas, come up with possible solutions, implement change and evaluate processes. All Science Co‐op employees are required to follow UBC's information security policies and procedures. Failure to do so may result in a serious information security breach, which will cause harm to the University and third parties.

Supervision Received

Works independently with directions from the Co‐op Coordinators and receive supervision from the Assistant Director, Administration.

Supervision Given

Not applicable

Minimum Qualifications

High School graduation, plus one year of post-secondary education, plus three years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

At least two years of related office work experience or one year relevant UBC experience

Exceptional communication skills both verbal and written and have excellent customer service skills

Ability to exercise good judgment

Ability to resolve workplace problems, offer solutions and alternatives

Ability to be accountable and responsible for reception and ensure all projects and deadlines are met

Technical proficiency: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e‐mail, Knowledge of databases is an asset

Ability to handle complex administrative tasks

Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities

Ability to perform data entry efficiently and accurately

Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment