Department Assistant - Part-Time (75% FTE), Fully On-Site

University of Toronto; Toronto; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading Canadian university seeks a Department Assistant for a part-time position (75% FTE) to provide front-line reception and support. The role involves ordering supplies, processing transactions, and organizing department activities. Candidates should have a college diploma and at least two years of customer service experience, preferably in an academic setting. Strong skills in Microsoft Office and excellent communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum two years of front-line customer service experience, preferably in a university environment.
• Experience with record keeping, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Provide responsive and professional front-line reception for inquiries.
• Order and maintain office supplies.
• Process invoice payments and expense reimbursements.

Skills

Front-line customer service

Microsoft Office proficiency

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Written communication

Oral communication

Judgement and initiative

Education

College Diploma (2 years)

Tools

FIS

Excel

Outlook

PowerPoint

Access

Job description

Department Assistant - Part-Time (75% FTE), Fully On-Site

Date Posted: 10/01/2025
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Department of History
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

The Department of History is one of the largest history departments in North America and is internationally renowned. Ranked sixth among public universities worldwide and fourth in North America, we are home to a critical mass of expertise. The department offers exciting opportunities to interpret the past and examine its significance through research, education and life-long learning.

Your opportunity:
Reporting to the Department Manager, the Department Assistant provides responsive and professional front-line reception for all inquiries, presenting a professional image of the Department by interacting knowledgeably and courteously with a variety of individuals. The Department Assistant is responsible for ordering and maintaining office supplies; recovering expenses for department services; processing invoice payments, journal entries and expense reimbursements in FIS; maintaining department directories and databases; handling mail and deliveries; ensuring conference and seminar rooms, lounges, student spaces and archive rooms are kept in good order; managing access control and telephone systems for the department; and providing support for department meetings, seminars and other events.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Responding to enquiries within the defined scope of the role and redirecting as appropriate
• Booking rooms and arranging appropriate accommodations
• Resolving issues within the scope of the role and escalating problems as required
• Distributing incoming and outgoing mail and deliveries
• Updating and maintaining records
• Processing financial transactions in FIS
• Depositing cheques and cash at the bank

Essential Qualifications:

• College Diploma (2 years) or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum two years of recent and related front-line customer service experience, preferably in a university environment.
• Experience with record keeping, tracking and maintaining spreadsheets and databases.
• Experience providing routine answers to a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated skills in Microsoft Office (e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, and Powerpoint).
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication (written and oral) skills.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Proven ability to exercise strong judgement, tact, initiative and diplomacy.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.

Assets (Nonessential):

• Experience with event logistics support, including room bookings, travel and accommodation, and catering arrangements.
• Experience with key management and fob access systems.
• Experience with FIS, or SAP-based financial systems
• Experience with collecting, tracking and making deposits.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Approachable
• Organized
• Resourceful
• Team player

Note:

• Regular hours: Mondays to Fridays from 9:00am - 3:30pm

Fully On-Site — This role is currently not eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, pursuant to University policies and guidelines.

Closing Date: 10/13/2025, 11:59PM ET

The University of Toronto is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and strives to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible.

Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.