Admin Assistant, Graduate & Postdoc Education

Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 2950

Job Profile

CUPE 2950 Salaried - Administrative Support 4 (Gr7)

Job Title

Admin Assistant, Graduate & Postdoc Education

Department

Leadership | Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$4,460.00 - $4,686.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

September 5, 2023

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

Job End Date

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

This is a part-time position at 0.5 FTE (2.5 days per week).

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 Administrative Assistant, Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, Faculty of Medicine, provides confidential secretarial and coordination support to the Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Education (GPE) and the GPE team.

This position schedules meetings, appointments, organizes and maintains paper and electronic files, drafts correspondence, transcribes committee meeting minutes, arranges catering, makes travel arrangements for the Associate Dean, and supports the GPE team in administrative tasks. The incumbent will exhibit high attention to detail and provide an excellent level of understanding and initiative in required administrative areas while maintaining confidentiality. They will perform duties independently and in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Organizational Status

The Faculty of Medicine is home to almost 1,300 graduate students in 20 graduate programs (14 of which confer doctoral degrees), and approximately 500 postdoctoral fellows located in the Faculty’s Departments, Schools, Centres, Institutes, and affiliated hospital sites.

The Administrative Assistant, Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, Faculty of Medicine, reports directly to the Associate Dean, GPE. Receives work direction from the Associate Dean, GPE, as well as the GPE team when appropriate to support the administrative functions of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education in the Faculty of Medicine.

Work Performed

• Provides technical assistance to the Associate Dean, GPE for presentations (PowerPoint, etc.) as required.
• Provides administrative support with logistics of planning and delivering workshops, training and other events, such as the Peer Mentorship Program, initiated by the GPE Wellness team.
• Participates in the development of electronic information support systems, including mailing lists. Maintains these electronic information support systems to ensure that data is up-to-date and reflects the current stakeholders of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education.
• May be required to provide backup coverage for reception for short term absences/vacation coverage, as required.
• Provides calendar and administrative support for the Faculty of Medicine’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Education Committee and high-level confidential meetings within the GPE portfolio. This includes preparing a meeting agenda, transcribing and distributing minutes, maintaining and updating Terms of References and associated membership lists, contributing towards the completion of action items, and following up with others, and updating associated webpages as required. These meetings may take place in-person, or remotely via video or teleconference.
• Works with the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Affairs Coordinator to organize and implement Faculty of Medicine graduate student and postdoctoral fellow awards competitions. This will include processing and organizing application material, creating PDF application files for adjudication, and corresponding with members of the adjudication committee.
• Maintains and coordinates filing and bring forward systems.
• Performs other related duties as required.
• Assists in preparing the GPE annual report, including soliciting numbers and statistical data from the Faculty of Graduate + Postdoctoral Studies, and merges information received from the GPE team into a cleanly-formatted joint document for distribution to the Faculty’s Executive Committee.
• On behalf of the Associate Dean, GPE, liaises directly with faculty, staff, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows across departments and graduate programs to schedule meetings and appointments in coordination with their calendars to support Graduate and Postdoctoral Education program activities. Identifies and communicates high priority requests and takes initiative in preventing and resolving all calendar/time conflicts.
• Manages and coordinates GPE team tasks in Microsoft Teams, and assists the team in prioritizing tasks around deadlines.
• Supports the Associate Dean, GPE and the GPE team in the coordination of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education events, such as the annual Building the Future trainee conference. This involves planning, coordination of complex schedules, writing communication to attendees, preparation and printing of materials, room bookings, catering, contacting vendors, equipment set-up and troubleshooting, and following up on action items. May be required to adjust or work outside of normal office hours to support events.
• Works with the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Education Advancement Coordinator to schedule and manage the Responsible Conduct of Research Course, including processing payment of Postdoctoral Teaching Assistants in UBC Workday in a timely manner.
• Performs financial duties such as preparing and reviewing invoices, credit card payments, processing expenses, in line with their due dates in UBC Workday.
• Arranges travel for the Associate Dean, GPE, including booking flights, accommodations, creating an itinerary, and prepares reimbursement of travel expenses.
• Responsible for the maintenance of office supplies including ordering and purchasing, with pre-approval from the Associate Dean, GPE.
• Regularly performs updates and corrections to the GPE team webpage using Wordpress.
• Maintains and updates a procedures manual for this position, which includes the maintenance of UBC and Faculty of Medicine system accounts and passwords.
• Writes, initiates and compiles draft confidential correspondences/communications and reports on behalf of the Associate Dean, GPE. When required, researches, prioritizes, and recommends appropriate course of action and/or response on issues to the Associate Dean, GPE, including collection and reporting of statistics on GPE wellness initiatives, needs assessments and evaluations of wellbeing programs and services.
• Provides administrative support in promoting Wellbeing events and services to all Faculty of Medicine graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Responds to confidential and complex telephone, email, and in-person inquiries, and interacts with faculty members, staff, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and others in a professional manner on behalf of the Associate Dean, GPE, consistent with the Faculty’s Professional Standards document. These requests and interactions may require significant tact and diplomacy and/or contain sensitive information. Escalates unusual or highly complex requests to the appropriate individuals.
• Provides calendaring and administrative support to the Associate Dean, GPE, using tact, diplomacy, and discretion.

Supervision Received

Reports directly to the Associate Dean, GPE. Work assignments are managed through the Microsoft Teams platform. Meets with the Associate Dean, GPE, and members of the GPE team as required for the completion of more complex tasks.

Supervision Given

None.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position requires judgement, tact, discretion and initiative to an outstanding degree. Errors in judgement or ineffective communication will compromise the effectiveness and efficiency of the Associate Dean, GPE on matters relating to education and research, and could reflect negatively on the Faculty of Medicine and the University. Unusual issues should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean, GPE.

Minimum Qualifications

High School graduation, plus a two year post-secondary diploma, plus four 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

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work (gathering, recording and organizing information), multi-tasking, working under pressure and meeting deadlines. Ability to research and compile information drawn from various sources.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, but also function collegially within a close fast-paced and hybrid/shared-office team-working environment.
• Ability to type 60 wpm, transcribe dictation and operate a normal range of office equipment.
• Ability to anticipate problems and issues and to plan ahead. Ability to make thorough, informed decisions.
• Knowledge of University policies and procedures preferred.
• Strong knowledge of file and records classification systems and processes.
• Ability to exercise high level of tact and discretion, project a positive image and be diplomatic in stressful situations while, maintaining confidentiality in dealing with faculty, staff and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Experience with UBC Workday is an asset.
• Ability to use MS Office suite, including Microsoft Teams, at an advanced level.
• Comfortable learning new technologies.
• Experience with or willingness to learn Wordpress for webpage updating and management.
• Experience with videoconferencing and teleconferencing are an asset.
• High attention to detail required. Ability to exercise sound judgment on a daily basis, including determining nature and urgency of inquiries and issues and triaging appropriately.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including ability to politely screen calls and direct as appropriate; ability to compose correspondence, reports, presentations and other written materials using clear, concise business English.
• Ability to use internet applications and tools at an intermediate level; experience scheduling conflicts coordinating meetings and scheduling the day's activities appropriately, including, planning, scheduling and organizing a variety of projects and/or events, often concurrently.
• Ability to be flexible and comfortable working in an environment of ambiguity and change and in a shared-office situation.