Administrative Assistant

About Queen's University

Queen’s University is the Canadian research intensive university with a transformative student learning experience. Here the employment experience is as diverse as it is interesting. We have opportunities in multiple areas of globally recognized research, faculty administration, engineering & construction, athletics & recreation, power generation, corporate shared services, and many more.

We are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from individuals from equity seeking groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.

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Job Summary

Reporting to the Director, Employee Wellness Services, the Administrative Assistant performs a broad range of administrative, financial and clerical duties to support the day-to-day function and various projects administered by Employee Wellness Services (EWS). The Administrative Assistant also facilitates communications with internal and external stakeholders and coordinates a variety of university-wide, Human Resources (HR) led events and initiatives.

The Administrative Assistant functions with an exceptional level of accuracy, good judgement, and efficiency. The Administrative Assistant is expected to act with initiative, make decisions independently, work collaboratively and consult with the unit’s staff as required.

Job Description

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
•Provides administrative support to the EWS unit by managing calendars and organizing appointments/meetings as needed, maintaining filing systems and databases related to unit operations, preparing and distributing confidential correspondence, drafting documents and reports, and maintaining inventory and ordering office supplies.
•Provides case management of non-complex return to work files. This includes; maintaining the Accommodation Binder, archiving of files, working collaboratively with supervisors, employees, union representatives and HR colleagues to recommend strategies for facilitating a safe and timely return to work from a medical absence and/or development of an accommodation, determining when additional medical information is required and requesting additional information as needed, developing the return to work/accommodation plan, and referring cases to the Specialist or unit Associate Director as required.
•Serves as the primary contact for the EWS unit for questions, comments or concerns, regarding its services or its projects, and uses good judgement to collect pertinent information for the department to respond appropriately. Redirects highly unusual problems to more senior staff and ensures senior staff are advised and aware of important matters requiring their attention.
•Prepares senior staff for meetings, conferences, appointments and special events by researching and compiling documentation and files from a variety of sources in a timely manner to ensure senior staff is adequately prepared, organizing travel if necessary, booking rooms, organizing catering, and other activities to ensure a productive event.
•Arranges and coordinates all travel and accommodation in connection with availability of EWS staff.
•Maintains the confidentiality of all confidential and restricted information.
•Prepares and processes financial transactions related to cheque requisitions, purchases, including ordering supplies, deposits, reimbursements, travel advances/expenses, mileage, purchase orders, journal entries, and arrangements for events (e.g. venues, catering, etc.). Conducts reconciliations to assist in expenditure control.
•Reports modified work arrangements through PeopleSoft to ensure employee payment in a timely manner and reports Central Fund eligible employees to payroll for monthly processing.
•Supports the EWS unit with the development and delivery of workshops, presentations and associated material.
•Supports senior staff and various project initiatives by conducting research, gathering and documenting data for analysis, developing templates and administrative process documents, and preparing regular and adhoc reports/queries necessary.
•Participates on committees and sub-committees as assigned.
•Uses project management skills to lead or support university HR-led events such as Thrive.
•Keeps up-to-date on all relevant legislation, case law and educational changes in the field of Employee Wellness.
•Act as primary liaison with the Associate Vice-Principal (Human Resources) Business Office for all routine matters of housekeeping, maintenance and safety.
•Supports the onboarding of new staff to the unit, including the coordination of technology, telephone and other office equipment.
•Performs other duties as assigned to support the operational requirements of the unit.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
•Post-secondary degree and/or diploma.
•2 years’ experience providing administrative support to a department/business.
•Ability to maintain confidentiality while working with a diverse group of clients, many with unique and challenging health concerns.
•Experience coordinating high-profile events that provide a broad range of activities to suite the interests of a diverse community.
•Demonstrated success confidential departmental filing systems.
•Experience managing the bookkeeping and budget management support for a department, business or annual event.
•Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite of programs, especially MS Excel, Outlook and Word.
•Working knowledge of PeopleSoft is an asset.
•Sound knowledge of collective agreements and applicable legislation is an asset.
•Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SPECIAL SKILLS:
•Promotes the value of diversity and the importance of being an inclusive organization and ensures equitable and fair treatment of others and actively works to make the workplace inclusive for all individuals.
•Ability to work supportively and collaboratively in a team environment and take initiative/work independently as required.
•Ability to work in a confidential, high-pressure environment and to independently make decisions and set priorities to juggle many conflicting tasks while maintaining enthusiasm and a positive attitude.
•Ability to respond diplomatically and sensitively using good judgement in difficult situations, and to interact professionally with all levels, internal and external to the university.
•Advanced administrative skills. Ability to compose correspondence and prepare reports in clear concise business English and to draft more complex correspondence for signature. Proficiency with professional terminology, technical or scientific vocabulary as required for the job.
•Strong computer software skills, with the ability to learn new and complex systems as needed.
•Good organizational skill with the ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines, often with fluctuating demands.
•Resourcefulness and creativity with a strong attention to detail.
•Strong communication skills, both oral and written, and interpersonal skills to deal with all levels of employees within the University community from diverse backgrounds.
•Ability to research and recommend solutions to resolve problems.
•Ability to work with and maintain highly confidential or sensitive material.
•Excellent judgment, analytical, interpretive and problem-solving skills to help resolve administrative problems and maximize efficiency.

DECISION MAKING:
•Provides information and interpretation of university policies and procedures related to the EWS unit. Provides information about resources available to the employee such as various benefits, the Employee Assistance Program, WSIB, Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan, re-directing more complex inquires as required.
•Determine coding of financial transactions, payments and deposits, including determining when to follow up with other staff in Human Resources. Makes decisions on account reconciliation and identifying inaccuracies.
•Exercises judgement and sensitivity in decision making situations or in the provision of advice.
•Determines when to refer issues to senior management and which to handle to completion.
•Prioritizes work and time and decides which task is the most important among several to meet deadlines. Assess workload to discuss any necessary support required from senior staff.
•Handle and/or refer incoming correspondence and phone calls to the appropriate individual for follow-up, particularly those which are time or content sensitive.
•Determine content and formatting for correspondence and reports prepared on behalf of senior staff as well as for advertising for special events.
•Determines the most appropriate times for meetings, rearranges schedules in the context of competing demands and time availability.
•Makes decisions regarding dissemination of information and methods of communication.
•Exercises appropriate level of judgment when making recommendations on events and communicating with key stakeholders and monitors specified event budgets to ensure they are not overspent.
•Provides recommendations for website content.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen’s is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The University provides support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant's accessibility needs.