Senior Administrative Assistant Jobs

Staff - Union
Job Category
CUPE 2950
Job Profile
CUPE 2950 Salaried - Administrative Support 4 (Gr7)
Job Title
Senior Administrative Assistant
Department
Administrative Support | CIDER Admin Support and RA's | Vancouver School of Economics
Compensation Range
$4,009.00 - $4,214.00 CAD Monthly
Posting End Date
May 27, 2023
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.
Job End Date
May 31, 2025
This is a two-year term position at 80% FTE.
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
This position provides a wide-range of confidential and administrative support for the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head and Manager of Operations, including a wide variety of tasks for the CERC project. The administrative coordinator is expected to organize administrative system, complete tasks and special projects that support the work of the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head and Manager of Operations. The incumbent must know the CERC grant budget policies and procedures and a thorough knowledge of University policy and procedures, Tri-council policies, office routines as well as data collection, analysis and presentation. The administrative coordinator interacts frequently with faculty members, CERC/CIDER personnel and VSE faculty and staff. The incumbent must show a high degree of initiative, tact and discretion.
Organizational Status
Reports directly to the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head and Manager of Operations and provides a wide-range of administrative support to both individuals. Receives assignments from the CERC/CIDER Manager of Operations with respect to financial, human resources and administrative matters. Position also interacts with CERC/CIDER staff and students, faculty and administrative staff at the Vancouver School of Economics (VSE), Faculty of Arts Dean s office, Arts Development, Arts Communications and a wide range of International colleagues and collaborators.
Work Performed

• Coordinates and provide support to development and execution of identified goals, priorities and objectives, and assist in administration of projects sponsored by the CERC/CIDER.
• Takes initiative on a regular basis to co-ordinate and follow-up on correspondence, financial processing, human resource and other material prepared by the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head, including confidential material.
• Responds to confidential telephone, email and in-person inquiries and provides information of a complex nature.
• Schedules meetings and appointments, preparing agenda and background documentation, ensuring mail, phone calls, and materials are appropriately and expeditiously handled.
• Meets regularly with the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director and Operations Manager to alleviate and/or assist them with projects and correspondence as needed.
• Ensures that the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director is fully prepared with all the materials relevant to meetings.
• Communicates effectively within VSE and external consultant/business partners regarding administration of CERC/CIDER funds.
• Perform other related tasks as required.
• Responsible for the day-to-day organization and coordination of research and other activities of the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director and Operations Manager.
• Organizes and coordinates the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director’s travel and meeting arrangements including air travel, accommodation, visas, ground transportation, itineraries as per UBC travel policies, and facilitate travel expense claims for reimbursement.
• Works with Operations Manager and ORS office to setup and provide support to CERC/CIDER faculty members for ethics approval and renewals, and liaise with other administrative units across UBC.
• Responsible for ordering and purchasing office supplies and stationery for the CERC project and CIDER.
• Processes requests as they come to the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director and ensures they are resolved or routed appropriately and expeditiously.
• Determines best course of communication given context of inquiry, utilizing appropriate judgment in all actions.
• Provides high level document organizational skills, including editing, formatting and proofreading of documents, compiling reports using statistical data and conducts routine research as required, document storage and archival.
• Performs financial duties such as coordinating and monitoring budgetary expenditures, advising users of the fund use within prescribed limits and eligibility guidelines.
• Establishes timelines and priorities for project, events and special activities.
• Alerts and advises CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director and Operations Manager on conflicting priorities such as financial spending, administrative issues and recommending alternatives as per the request.
• Provides similar support to other VSE Faculty members part of the CERC/CIDER team as required.
• Researches, prepares and coordinates with Arts Support Centre in the processing of all aspects of CERC/CIDER faculty, post-doctoral, pre-doctoral, student and staff appointments.
• Works with CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director and Operations Manager in organizing and coordinating grant proposal, CERC/CIDER space allocation, and processing Electronic Personnel Action Form for payroll.
• Enters, edits and manipulates data in relevant information systems or database, requiring data manipulation processes of moderate complexity.
• Performs administrative duties such as collecting and organizing proposals, prepared summary of report for committee evaluation that require attention to detail and excellent writing skills. Preparing correspondence as required, meeting minutes.
• Facilitates arrangements for CERC/CIDER conferences, workshops, meetings, and other special events such as planning, preparing event budget and expense report, prioritizing and ensuring that preparations are highly organized and completed.
• Works closely with the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director and Operations Manager and other staff member as a team player.
• Supports the CERC/CIDER Chair/Head/Director and Operations Manager with the coordination and management of all CIDER Committee meetings.
• Shows a strong ability to multi-task several projects at once in a calm and professional manner.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The position is an important channel of communication between the CERC/CIDER Head/Chair, Manager of Operations, CERC/CIDER staff and students, Vancouver School of Economics and other UBC units, thus requiring a high level of professionalism, diplomacy and discretion. The incumbent must exercise judgment based on confidential, complex and time-sensitive information and use maturity when making decisions or suggestions. Errors in information and data gathering could result in incorrect information being disseminated. Poor organizational and decision-making skills and a lack of initiative, could have disastrous effects on items such as CERC research results, operations and financial support.
Supervision Received
Supervision received from the CERC/CIDER Head/Chair regarding personal duties and from the Manager of Operations on CERC/CIDER administrative and financial duties. Performs most duties in accordance with broadly established procedures and practices requiring a high degree of initiative to plan, exercise problem solving skills, determining course of action and to follow through independently. Consults with CERC/CIDER Head/Chair and Manager of Operations on complex issues.
Supervision Given
Is not required to supervise; may explain work procedures to new or inexperienced staff.
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.

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

Preferred Qualifications
Knowledge of UBC and Tri-council research policies and procedures preferred. Training in research and administrative support services, office procedures and practices or equivalent combination of education and experience. Ability to be thorough, methodical and a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to clearly communicate verbally and excellent writing skills. Ability to proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation on correspondence and technical papers. Ability to identify and correct missing and incomplete data. Ability to effectively perform accounts payable and accounts receivable related duties. Ability to deal with a diverse group of people in a courteous, calm and professional manner. Ability to effectively work independently and in a team environment. Ability to exercise a high level of tact and discretion. Ability to prepare effective grant applications. Ability to proficiently use Microsoft Office Suite and other software programs. (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point, Access, Dropbox, FMS, Skype) at an intermediate level. Must demonstrate proficiency in using content management tools for website maintenance. Ability to anticipate problems and issues, take initiative and plan ahead. Ability to analyze and interpret data, determine implications and provide to accurately maintain appointment calendars, schedule appropriate appointments, organize travel arrangements and organize conferences and other projects as required. Ability to efficiently and effectively gather, record, and organize information and tasks. Ability to take and transcribe accurate meeting minutes. Ability to respond appropriately to inquiries in person, on phone, and in writing, and make appropriate referrals and decisions. Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines. Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities. A high degree of initiative and judgment in planning activities is required. Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve. Ability to perform word processing at 60 words per minute and operate a normal range of office equipment.