Administrative Assistant

Job Overview

• Produce or process correspondence covering a broad array of routine and confidential subject matter including reports, statistical data, submissions for approval of budgets, human resource material such as disciplinary action, staff salary and performance assessments/appraisals as well as items for negotiations, bargaining strategies, management positions on joint union/society items etc., response to criticisms and complaints, general administration ensuring confidentiality of same.
• Clients would include external organizations (Government, Corporate Management as well as internal recipients including the Companies Executive, Board of Directors and various line managers).
• Requires composing correspondence (of a routine and non-routine nature) to cover a given subject and to support given key points or requirements as provided by Supervisor or others.
• Sign correspondence involving routine administrative matters such as instructions to Supervisor's staff, notice of meetings and agendas, covering memos for distribution etc.
• Search files or records to locate information pertinent to subject of correspondence, selecting appropriate material and including same with the correspondence.
• Prepare correspondence and all manner of material to be reproduced in typed form.
• Typing may be passed to others for processing, in which case the secretary retains responsibility for the acceptability of the completed product. Requires operating and having proficient operating knowledge of personal computers(PC) and various PC applications, photocopying machines, fax machines, printers and various keyboard equipment including word processing or telecommunications equipment.
• May perform minor routine maintenance on such equipment.

• May require training others in the operation of such equipment.

• MEETINGS - as requested by Supervisor, or other departmental staff, make all necessary arrangements for meetings including the preparation of agenda, acquiring of meeting room, arranging for audio-visual or other equipment, preparing and issuing meeting notices etc.

• May be required to attend meetings with Supervisor to either provide administrative support or to act as a recording secretary.
• Ascertain agenda items for scheduled meetings by canvassing staff who normally have input to such meetings and otherwise assist Supervisor or others in developing the agenda.
• Attempt to ensure that persons having specific input to planned meetings will be present and make alternative arrangements when problems develop. Where required, ensure that a quorum of committee members will be in attendance at meeting.
• Ensure that Supervisor is adequately briefed for the meeting and has all required materials and reference materials relating to items on the agenda and that Supervisor's staff have made any obligatory input.
• Prepare or arrange for the preparation of handouts, graphic displays, slides, overheads etc., as requested by the Supervisor, or other participants.

• Make all necessary travel and accommodation arrangements for Supervisor and staff, following appropriate travel policies, including obtaining appropriate approvals for out of province and out of country travel.

• MAIL PROCESSING: Receive, open, sort and register correspondence (including confidential correspondence such as human resource material, negotiations, bargaining strategies etc.,) addressed to Supervisor.

• Monitor electronic mail on behalf of Supervisor.
• Determine from content whether to retain for Supervisor or to redirect to other staff who could appropriately respond.
• Review, highlight and make pertinent notations in margins to draw Supervisor's attention to important or related issues requiring attention and assist Supervisor in handling of correspondence by arranging same into groups in order of priority requirements.
• Determine from correspondence whether Supervisor may require information from files or records, agreements, contracts etc., to facilitate response. Search source records etc., to locate required data. Assemble data into appropriate format for Supervisor's effective use.
• Process outgoing mail for Supervisor and/or other staff, logging as necessary.
• Maintain up to date various distribution or mailing lists
• TIME MANAGEMENT: Participate with Supervisor in the setting of priorities and the scheduling of Supervisor's work projects and activities, advising relative to the status of current work, target dates, scheduled actions/meetings etc., and other related demands on Supervisor's time.
• Discuss impact on available time of new or pending assignments and assist Supervisor to incorporate same into the work schedule.
• Maintain referral and follow up control logs to keep Supervisor informed of impending actions, progress etc.
• Coordinate all access to Supervisor.
• Set up priority for requests and, where possible and prudent, refer same to other knowledgeable staff for action or, within prescribed limitations, respond personally to request providing required information or service.
• Provide requesters with various requested information within the bounds of confidentiality restrictions.
• INFORMATION MAINTENANCE: Establish and maintain physical and electronic records for the Supervisor, complying with appropriate retention schedules.

• Arrange for obsoleting of records in accordance with the retention schedule and for off-site storage or destruction, consistent with our policies.

• CLERICAL/ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT: Receive and process information received from others in the form of periodic routine reports, administrative forms or other routine format covering a broad array of subject matter such as time reporting, work project control, personnel activities, budget feedback, performance reviews, vacation requests, safety deficiency reports, significant event reports, safety system audits, labour relations, grievance reports and items for bargaining etc.

• Edit, compile, pyramid or summarize data, as necessary, to convert same to the required end product.
• Prepare required forms, summaries etc., and/or take required routine actions to implement results, (computer input for example).
• Review forms, reports and other forms of information to be processed (time reports, expense reports, computer output reports etc.) for conformity to all governing requirements (policies, collective agreements, human resources policies and procedures etc.,) where pertinent, for accuracy of calculations, for account distribution and the like.
• Perform a liaison function between Supervisor and others to pass along Supervisor's instructions to staff/clients etc., including advice as to his/her expectations, to expedite work, to achieve deadlines and, as necessary, to maintain continuity of objectives and practices across organizational lines.

• Perform liaison services with various Corporate groups such as those involved in budget preparation and control, performance pay, records management including attendance at meetings and providing feedback to Supervisor and/or other staff regarding changes to requirements.

• MISCELLANEOUS: Prepare purchase orders, cheque requisitions and effect other IT actions on behalf of supervisor; provide coordination services relating to space relocation, telephone changes, computer changes etc., ensuring that all interested parties are kept properly informed.

• Provide back-up clerical/administrative support within the department during periods of short-term absences of personnel, arrange for the provision of relief when on vacation, or other absences and/or arrange for periodic assistance to deal with high workload situations.
• Maintain an effective follow-up/bring forward system, monitoring due dates and providing Supervisor with status reports, as necessary.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in an administrative support role.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and other relevant software.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization.