Academic Assistant

University of Ottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 62,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Ottawa is seeking a proactive administrative professional to support the Faculty of Social Sciences. You will greet students, inform them about programs and regulations, and perform a range of academic and administrative tasks to ensure smooth operations.

The role requires handling graduate program processes, coursework changes, theses coordination, and HR-related postings, while upholding university policies and delivering excellent service.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of administration normally acquired through post-secondary studies or equivalent experience.
• Minimum two years of demonstrated experience in a similar role.
• Experience in frontline client services.
• Knowledge of University structure and regulations.
• Experience interpreting and applying regulations and procedures.
• Experience analyzing files and procedures.
• Experience using word processing, databases, spreadsheets, email, internet, web content management and academic/financial systems.
• Ability to produce high quality work and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience in bilingual administrative writing.
• Experience working under pressure and organizing work.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Greet and inform students regarding graduate programs and procedures; handle inquiries.
• Analyze academic records, service requests, course changes; enrolls students as needed.
• Coordinate thesis submission, defense, and evaluation processes.
• Coordinate deferred examinations and exam processes.
• Support HR operations including recruitment, postings, offers and contracts.
• Assist teaching assistantship recruitment and contracts under collective agreements.
• Handle reimbursement requests, invoices and supply orders.
• Support unit outreach and maintain accessible website content.

Skills

Frontline client services

Bilingual writing

Regulations interpretation

Regulations explanation

Interpersonal communication

Organizational skills

Time management

Administrative procedures

Computer literacy

Attention to deadlines

Education

Post-secondary studies or equivalent experience

Tools

Word processing

Databases

Spreadsheets

Email

Web content management

Academic/financial systems

Job description

Job Details

• Job Type: Employee
• Hours per week: 35
• Salary Grade: SSUO Grade 07
• Salary Range: $62,027.00 - $78,349.00
• Campus: Main Campus
• Union Affiliation: SSUO
• Faculty/Service - Department: Operations_Department of Criminology
• Job Family: Academic Administration
• # of Open Positions: 1
• Posting Reason: Replacement of a regular position

About the Faculty of Social Sciences

The FSS comprises nine departments, schools and institutes, which offer undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs in both English and French. With its 10,000 students, 260 full-time professors, and wide array of programs and research centres, the Faculty of Social Sciences plays a key role at the heart of the University of Ottawa. Its graduate students are supervised by excellent researchers and undertake cutting‑edge research in the Faculty's masters and Ph.D. programs. Along with its complement of about 100 administrative employees, the faculty is proud to provide a collaborative working environment that inspires new ideas, encourages creative ingenuity, and promotes excellence.

Position Purpose

Greets and informs students regarding graduate programs, regulations and procedures. Performs a variety academic and administrative activities in compliance with the regulations and procedures of the academic unit, the Faculty and the University. Provides a courteous and prompt service that promotes a positive image of the University of Ottawa to internal and external clients, thereby contributing to the university experience. This position may be assigned to different units to help fill temporary vacancies.

In this role, your main responsibilities will include

• Reception services: Provides front line services to students, professors and external parties. Identifies students' needs in order to inform prospective students regarding programs of study and various university processes and services. Informs students and professors about academic and administrative procedures and regulations. Responsible for the unit's generic email box and Talisma account.
• Academic progression: Analyzes academic records, service requests, course selection changes and cancellations. Enrolls graduate students, if needed. Informs students about the comprehensive examination process, thesis project, dissertations, theses and other service requests. Verifies the entry of final course grades and approves them, coordinates teaching and course evaluations, special bookings and, if necessary, schedule modifications.
• Theses: Informs students regarding the procedures and regulations for submitting their thesis for evaluation. Coordinates the evaluation and defense process for graduate students. Coordinates the creation of sponsored accounts for external examiners, communications with the thesis committee and the receipt of thesis evaluation reports. Organizes the thesis defense.
• Coordination of deferred examinations: Receives and processes all requests for deferred exams. Coordinates the deferred exam process.
• HR operations: Participates in the recruitment and staffing process of regular and part‑time faculty members in accordance with the provisions of the APUO and APTPUO collective agreements. Prepares postings, offers and contracts for part‑time professors.
• Management of teaching assistantship and obligations: Participates in the recruitment and staffing process for assistantships by preparing postings, offers and contracts in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement SCFP.
• Financial resources: Prepares reimbursement requests, invoice payment requests, and places supply orders.
• Unit outreach: Provides support for the preparation of activities, such as conferences and seminars, by ensuring the necessary logistics. Updates the unit's website in compliance with accessibility standards.

What you will bring

• Knowledge of administration normally acquired through post-secondary studies or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of two (2) years of demonstrated experience in a similar role.
• Experience in frontline client services.
• Knowledge of University structure and regulations.
• Experience in the interpretation, explanation and application of regulations and procedures.
• Experience analyzing files and procedures.
• Experience using computerized systems: word processing, database, spreadsheet, email, Internet, web content management as well as academic and financial systems.
• Ability to produce high quality work and meet tight deadlines.
• Experience in bilingual administrative writing.
• Experience working under pressure and organizing work.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

Bilingualism

French and English (spoken and written); to be considered for this position, candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehensio