Administrative Assistant

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories; Chalk River; On-site; CAD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Benefits from Day One

Tuition support

Pension plan

Job summary

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is seeking an Administrative Assistant to coordinate departmental workflows, manage documentation, and support procurement, recruitment, and communications. The role requires meticulous attention to detail, handling confidential information, and ensuring compliance with corporate standards.

You will train and mentor junior staff while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders across the Chalk River site.

Qualifications

• Secondary school completed (Grade 12).
• Post-secondary training in Business Administration is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate departmental office workflows for efficient operations.
• Schedule meetings; book rooms; arrange catering; liaise with housekeeping.
• Review incoming correspondence and ensure timely responses.
• Prepare and distribute minutes and action item lists.
• Coordinate business travel and related logistics.
• Prepare reports to monitor department performance and decisions.
• Maintain action logs and deliverables to meet deadlines.
• Operate and troubleshoot office equipment.
• Edit and format technical reports and documents.
• Coordinate document review workflows for timely approvals.
• Assist staff with formatting and issuing professional communications.
• Ensure documents comply with CNL standards and formatting.
• Review and update documents and presentations for accuracy.
• Maintain electronic filing systems for records management.
• Manage office supply inventories and distribution.
• Handle confidential personnel, financial, security, training data.
• Process invoices and submit to Accounts Payable.
• Prepare purchase requisitions for supplies and services.
• Support recruitment activities by coordinating approvals & interviews.
• Be the primary departmental contact for stakeholders.
• Provide administrative backup and training to staff.
• Support cross-functional process improvement initiatives.

Skills

MS Office proficiency

Adobe/Foxit Phantom

Written communication

Independent work

Team collaboration

Leadership in training

Education

Grade 12

Business Administration training (asset)

Tools

Oracle

ATOM

ImpAct

RD Plan

Job description

Do you enjoy supporting scientific projects through strong organization, attention to detail, and efficient workflows? Can you see yourself coordinating high-quality documentation, handling confidential, time-sensitive information, and improving departmental processes that support important research and customer projects? If so, our Administrative Assistant opportunity may be the role for you!

What you will be doing!

• Coordinating departmental office workflows to support efficient operations and project delivery.
• Scheduling and coordinating meetings, including booking rooms, sending invitations, arranging catering, and liaising with housekeeping services.
• Reviewing incoming correspondence and taking appropriate action to ensure timely responses and follow-up.
• Preparing and distributing correspondence, meeting minutes, and action item lists.
• Arranging and coordinating business travel and related logistics.
• Gathering data and preparing reports to support departmental performance monitoring and decision-making.
• Maintaining action logs and tracking deliverables to ensure deadlines and commitments are met.
• Operating and troubleshooting general office equipment, including printers, scanners, photocopiers, and fax machines.
• Organizing, editing, formatting, and expediting technical reports and other documents to meet quality standards and deadlines.
• Coordinating document review workflows to support timely approval and delivery of departmental documents.
• Assisting staff with preparing, formatting, and issuing professional correspondence and communications.
• Ensuring documents comply with CNL corporate standards, formatting requirements, and document control practices.
• Reviewing and updating documents and presentations to ensure accuracy, consistency, and professionalism.
• Maintaining electronic filing systems to support efficient document storage, retrieval, and records management.
• Managing office supply inventories and coordinating the distribution of materials as required.
• Handling sensitive and confidential information related to personnel, financial, security, training, and departmental matters.
• Processing invoices and submitting documentation to Accounts Payable for payment.
• Preparing purchase requisitions for office supplies, equipment, and service contracts.
• Supporting recruitment activities by coordinating approvals, scheduling interviews, and communicating with candidates.
• Serving as the primary departmental contact for internal and external stakeholders, providing accurate information and timely responses.
• Providing administrative backup support to colleagues and other administrative professionals as required.
• Training and supporting junior, new, and casual administrative staff to ensure continuity and consistency of work.
• Participating in departmental and cross-functional initiatives aimed at improving processes, policies, and procedures.
• Supporting managers in the consistent application of departmental policies, procedures, and administrative processes.
• Preparing and disseminating departmental communications to ensure staff receive timely information, guidance, and instructions.
• Other duties as assigned by your manager.

What we are looking for:

• Education
  • Successful completion of secondary school (Grade 12).
  • Post-secondary training in Business Administration is an asset.
• Experience
  • 2 to 4 years of related experience or college diploma in a related discipline (e.g., Office Administration).
  • Experience in, or willingness to be trained in, the use of CNL business systems (e.g., Oracle, ATOM, ImpAct, RD Plan)
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
  • Knowledge of administrative theories, concepts, and principles used to provide administrative support to the Department Manager, and knowledge of computers and software such as Microsoft Office and Adobe/Foxit Phantom to be able to develop customized charts, reports, presentations, and technical documents.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills to communicate effectively with all CNL staff, management levels, external organizations, and job candidates.
  • Ability to work independently in a rapidly changing environment with conflicting priorities, using prioritization and planning skills to meet established deadlines.
  • Team-oriented nature with a demonstrated ability to work well with others and promote a positive work environment.
  • Demonstrated leadership skills to train and develop junior administrative staff.
  • Demonstrated tact, diplomacy, trust, and discretion in handling of sensitive and confidential information.
  • Knowledge of administrative best practices, and current standards in order to help ensure that policies, procedures, and processes are followed, and the department is compliant.
  • Understanding of basic financial/accounting practices to provide administrative assistance related to budget issues.
  • Ability to use general office equipment such as printers, fax machines, photocopiers and scanners.
  • Understanding of CNL’s organizational structure, activities, policies, procedures, processes, and systems.
  • Familiarity with industry-specific compliance program language and requirements.
  • Familiarity with CANDU Owners Group documents and processes.
• Security Clearance Eligibility Required
  • Reliability Status with Site Access Security Clearance (SASC), which has a minimum requirement of 3-5 years of verifiable history in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and/or the United Kingdom. CNL implements security screening in accordance with the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's “Standard on Security Screening” and the “Policy on Government Security.”

Working Conditions:

• Working schedule: Five (5) days per week, seven and a half (7.5) hours per day for a thirty-seven and a half (37.5) hour work week.
• This position is part of the USW 4096-404 Unionand is governed by the terms and conditions outlined in their Collective Agreement. As a member of this bargaining unit, you’ll benefit from clear expectations around hours of work, wages, vacation, and other conditions that support a fair and consistent working environment.

Why CNL?

Does the idea of working with a dynamic team across Canada to advance nuclear science and technology for a clean and secure world excite you? At CNL, we’re reinventing ourselves to be industry leaders—pioneering solutions to the problems that matter most.

From building the next generation of clean nuclear and hydrogen energy technologies, to developing targeted cancer treatments, to continuing our global leadership in environmental remediation—we are driven by impact, innovation, and purpose.

What We Offer: A Total Rewards Package

We believe in taking care of our people. Here’s what you can expect as part of our team:

• Paid time off: vacation, sick, personal, and floater days
• Benefits effective Day One – no waiting period
• Tuition support to help you keep learning and growing
• A defined-benefit pension plan or a defined-contribution pension plan, depending on your employee group, to support your long‑term financial security

Do Our Priorities Resonate with You?

• Delivering clean energy for today and tomorrow
• Restoring and protecting the environment
• Contributing to the health of Canadians

If so, you’ll feel right at home at CNL!

Location: Onsite

Located in the heart of the Ottawa Valley, our Chalk River site offers a beautiful natural setting with forests, lakes, and wildlife, right at your doorstep. Surrounded by welcoming communities such as Deep River, Petawawa, and Pembroke, you’ll have access to unparalleled outdoor adventures and a fantastic work-life balance.

Please note: This is a fully on-site position based at our Chalk River Laboratory in Ontario.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

At CNL, we are committed to fostering an environment that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion. We celebrate and welcome employees, stakeholders, and partners of all backgrounds and identities. Click here to read all about it!

We are proud to uphold a workplace culture grounded in our Core Values:

• Respect
• Teamwork
• Accountability
• Safety
• Integrity
• Excellence

These values drive our employment practices and ensure meaningful career development opportunities and accommodations for all employees.

CNL is an equal opportunity employer. If you require accommodation during any phase of the hiring process, please let us know via [e-mail]. All requests will be handled with confidentiality.

CNL operates on sites located on the traditional lands, waterways and ceded and unceded territories of Indigenous peoples. CNL recognizes and affirms all First Nations, Métis communities and Inuit in this land we now know as Canada. We acknowledge, respect and seek to better understand Indigenous history, rights and title on the lands where we work and develop projects. We honour and respect the importance of the relationship between Indigenous peoples and their lands, waters and territories.