Executive Advisor

NorQuest College; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 66,000 - 84,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Comprehensive benefits

Generous vacation entitlements

Flexible benefits package

Continuous learning culture

Job summary

NorQuest College seeks an Executive Advisor to provide strategic advisory, governance support, and executive operations across the Academic portfolio. You will prepare briefing materials, coordinate decisions, and manage confidential information while aligning with institutional priorities.

You'll engage with senior leaders, develop communications, and advance strategic initiatives, ensuring timely follow-through on commitments.

Qualifications

• University degree in Business or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum five years supporting senior leaders, governance, or complex initiatives.
• Experience preparing executive briefings, reports, and presentations.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking with risk assessment ability.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional initiatives and governance.
• Advanced proficiency with MS Office, SharePoint, and related tools.
• Excellent communication, project management, and relationship-building.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic advisory and coordination support to senior leaders.
• Identify risks, interdependencies, opportunities, and recommendations.
• Coordinate executive workflow, scheduling, procurement, and records management.
• Advance strategic initiatives across the Academic portfolio with stakeholders.
• Develop executive briefing materials, summaries, and recommendations.
• Coordinate governance activities and committee processes.
• Draft and coordinate executive communications and presentations.
• Maintain information systems, digital repositories, and governance records.
• Monitor commitments and deliverables with accountability.
• Support budget monitoring, expenses, and confidential administrative matters.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Governance coordination

Stakeholder engagement

Executive support

Budget monitoring

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Communication skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or related field

Tools

MS Office suite

SharePoint

Excel

Job description

COMPETITION NUMBER: 1905
CLOSING DATE: NOVEMBER 11, 2026 @ 11:59PM MDT

ACADEMIC OPERATIONS

The Executive Advisor provides strategic advisory, portfolio integration and communications, executive operations, and governance support to the Vice President Academic (VPA), Associate Vice President Academic (AVPA), and the Offices of the VPA and AVPA. This role supports executive decision-making through research, analysis, synthesis, and the preparation of briefing materials, strategic advice, and recommendations related to Academic portfolio priorities.

As a key integrator across the Academic portfolio, the Executive Advisor connects stakeholders, information, decisions, and workstreams to support alignment and advance executive-sponsored priorities. The role provides executive-level communications support, governance coordination, strategic planning assistance, committee administration, contract and grant oversight, and relationship management while managing highly confidential information and supporting institutional priorities across the College.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Provide strategic advisory and coordination support to the VP Academic and AVP Academic by identifying risks, opportunities, interdependencies, and recommendations that support executive priorities.
• Coordinate executive workflow, correspondence, scheduling, procurement processes, records management, travel, expenses, and operational requirements for the Offices of the VPA and AVPA.
• Advance strategic and operational initiatives across the Academic portfolio through stakeholder engagement, coordination, risk identification, and progress monitoring.
• Develop executive briefing materials, strategic summaries, reports, and recommendations that support informed executive decision-making.
• Coordinate governance activities, including Academic Councils, Deans' Council meetings, strategic planning sessions, executive events, consultations, and committee processes.
• Develop, draft, edit, and coordinate executive communications, presentations, speaking notes, reports, and other materials on behalf of the VPA and AVPA.
• Develop and maintain information management systems, digital repositories, SharePoint sites, process maps, workflow documentation, and governance records.
• Monitor commitments, decisions, and deliverables arising from executive, governance, and committee meetings to ensure timely follow-through and accountability.
• Support financial and procurement activities, including budget monitoring, expenses, reconciliations, purchasing processes, and confidential administrative matters.
• Build and maintain relationships across the Academic portfolio and broader institution to support collaboration, policy implementation, issue resolution, and strategic alignment.

WHAT YOU BRING

• University degree in Business or a related field; equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• Minimum five years of experience supporting senior leaders, executive decision-making, governance processes, stakeholder engagement, portfolio coordination, or complex institutional initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience preparing executive briefings, reports, presentations, communications, and strategic recommendations.
• Strong strategic thinking, systems thinking, analytical, research, and synthesis skills, with the ability to assess risks, interdependencies, and organizational impacts.
• Experience facilitating cross-functional collaboration, coordinating complex initiatives, supporting governance processes, and managing competing priorities.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and other business applications.
• Excellent communication, project management, relationship-building, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to exercise discretion, diplomacy, confidentiality, and sound judgment.

WHAT MAKES YOU A DIFFERENCE MAKER?

As a difference maker you:

• Exercise sound judgment in politically sensitive and complex environments while supporting executive operations and decision-making.
• Analyze, interpret, and synthesize information from multiple sources to develop executive-ready recommendations, options, and strategic advice.
• Identify emerging operational, reputational, governance, and strategic risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate governance processes, strategic planning activities, committees, councils, and executive engagements that support institutional priorities.
• Lead through influence by building alignment across stakeholders, portfolios, and workstreams to achieve shared objectives.
• Develop effective communication strategies, executive messaging, briefing materials, and stakeholder engagement approaches that support organizational priorities.
• Build strong relationships with executive leaders, academic leadership, faculty, staff, government representatives, external partners, and institutional stakeholders.
• Work independently with a high degree of professionalism, discretion, business acumen, and accountability while managing confidential information and competing priorities.

SALARY: $2,520 - $3,230 bi-weekly, reflective upon what you bring AKA your education and experience. This is an 18-month term position that offers immediate access to comprehensive pension and benefits programs, generous vacation entitlements, a flexible benefits package, and a strong culture of continuous learning. We are proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures.

We offer flexible work options. We strive for balance between a flexible work environment, connectedness to the campus community, and ensuring NorQuesters are set up to succeed in their roles and responsibilities.

Additional Information: Pre-Employment Checks will be completed to assess the candidate’s suitability for a role. These checks may include (but are not limited to): references, criminal record check, academic verification, etc.

For applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada, it is required they obtain an assessment of their credentials from a recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator, such as:

• International Qualifications Assessment Service https://www.alberta.ca/international-qualifications-assessment (https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alberta.ca%2Finternational-qualifications-assessment&data=05%7C02%7CMelissa.Olive%40norquest.ca%7C87d9ede27080470d587308dca5011085%7C2ba011f1f50a44f3a200db3ea74e29b7%7C0%7C0%7C638566671188004933%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iU5s2Rz0wn3v8EpawXsr236J13MKzrme%2B811BJgZOMg%3D&reserved=0)
• World Education Services https://www.wes.org/ca/ (https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wes.org%2Fca%2F&data=05%7C02%7CMelissa.Olive%40norquest.ca%7C87d9ede27080470d587308dca5011085%7C2ba011f1f50a44f3a200db3ea74e29b7%7C0%7C0%7C638566671188025054%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AFz7OiWHQ4u8lvfBrDauxTV33zMF2D4EXoIOZER%2FBFg%3D&reserved=0)

We encourage applicants to include the assessment certificate as part of their application.

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across NorQuest College, at the same or lower classification level.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: We're on a journey to become an inclusive, anti-racist, and decolonized organization. NorQuesters are trailblazers – we are curious, creative, and innovative - our lived experiences are honoured, creating accessibility and a sense of belonging for everyone.

NorQuest 2030 We Are Who We Include shares our strength and difference comes from who is included, and along with our students we are learning and growing to listen deeply and say what we feel.

NorQuest College is committed to being an employer of choice for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people by recognizing, respecting, and supporting Indigenous people's self-determination through the institution’s work in decolonization, reconciliation, and Indigenization.

Accessibility : At NorQuest, we are who we include. We strive to provide access and accommodation throughout the recruitment, application, and selection process. We want to create opportunities for you to confidently be your authentic self. If you would like an accommodation at any stage of the process, please reach out to [e-mail] .