Executive Assistant

RiseMe; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction in Ottawa, Ontario is seeking an Executive Assistant to support the Executive Support and Administrative Services Manager, handling calendars, travel, briefing materials and confidential correspondence.

The role emphasizes project coordination, minute taking, document management and high‑level communications with staff, boards and senior government officials. This flex hybrid position requires onsite presence as needed.

Qualifications

• Eight to 10 years of progressive administrative assistant experience with a minimum of four years as an executive assistant to a senior executive
• Completion of a three-year community college program in business administration or equivalent professional practice in the administrative field
• Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with staff, Board members, senior government officials and the public
• Knowledge of formal and informal protocols and methods of supporting senior management level positions
• Strong organizational and customer service skills
• Proactive, independent worker while also fostering collaborative teamwork to achieve collective goals
• Ability to work well under pressure with multiple changing demands and deadlines
• Sound judgment, courtesy, dependability and discretion required
• Expert knowledge of MS Office (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat (e.g., PDF) is essential
• Bilingual in English and French preferred

Responsibilities

• Manage EO member(s)’ calendar(s), including assessing priorities, scheduling meetings and events and coordinating travel arrangements and accommodations
• Monitor EO member(s)’ immediate and long-term commitments, identify conflicts and proactively flag emerging issues
• Prepare meeting agendas, compile briefing materials and take minutes for meetings as assigned
• Brief EO member(s)’ and the leadership team on upcoming meetings, key priorities, events and documents requiring review or approval
• Manage the flow of documents and correspondence for EO member(s)’ reviews and approvals, ensuring accuracy, completeness and timeliness
• Draft, review, format and proofread internal and external correspondence, presentations, policy briefings, talking points and proposals, including sensitive and confidential materials
• Follow up with staff on outstanding action items and ensure timely progression of deliverables
• Provide executive-level support to other team members, as required
• Manage and coordinate special projects and strategic initiatives on behalf of EO member(s)
• Provide coordination and execution support for events, internal and external collaborations and cross-divisional initiatives
• Support the strategic initiatives process by liaising with leaders to ensure timelines and deliverables are met
• Support periodic strategic planning activities, including coordinating focus groups, liaising with internal teams and preparing partnership and presentation materials
• Liaise directly with the Office of the Minister of Health, the Privy Council Office and the Prime Minister’s Office as required
• Assist in maintaining and strengthening relationships with organizational partners and collaborators

Skills

Calendar management

Documentation

Verbal and written communication

Proactive and independent work

MS Office

Discretion

Bilingual English/French (preferred)

Relationship management

Education

3-year college program in business administration or equivalent

Tools

MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Adobe Acrobat PDF

Job description

Position Profile: Executive Assistant

Reports to: Executive Support and Administrative Services Manager

Vacancy Reason: Existing Position

About the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) changes lives by bringing people and knowledge together to reduce the harms of alcohol and other drugs on society. We partner with public, private and non-governmental organizations (NGO) to improve the health and safety of people living in Canada. An NGO with a national focus, CCSA envisions a healthier Canadian society where evidence transforms approaches to substance use.

Acknowledgement

CCSA acknowledges that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people are the holders of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge. We respect the power of the Indigenous ways of knowing and of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and commit to learning about and incorporating this knowledge into our work with proper guidance.

About the Position

Reporting to the Executive Support and Administrative Services Manager, the Executive Assistant is responsible for managing the day-to-day administrative requirements for assigned member(s) of the Executive Office (EO) to help ensure smooth operations and alignment with organizational priorities. The Executive Assistant provides support through a combination of skills including project management, writing and editing, research and administrative and relationship support functions. The Executive Assistant assists in managing relationships with external partners, including representatives of provincial, local and federal government agencies as well as private sector organizations. This position is part of an administrative support team that assists other CCSA divisions as needed.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Executive Support

• Manage EO member(s)’ calendar(s), including assessing priorities, scheduling meetings and events and coordinating travel arrangements and accommodations
• Monitor EO member(s)’ immediate and long-term commitments, identify conflicts and proactively flag emerging issues
• Prepare meeting agendas, compile briefing materials and take minutes for meetings as assigned
• Brief EO member(s)’ and the leadership team on upcoming meetings, key priorities, events and documents requiring review or approval
• Manage the flow of documents and correspondence for EO member(s)’ reviews and approvals, ensuring accuracy, completeness and timeliness
• Draft, review, format and proofread internal and external correspondence, presentations, policy briefings, talking points and proposals, including sensitive and confidential materials
• Follow up with staff on outstanding action items and ensure timely progression of deliverables
• Provide executive-level support to other team members, as required

Strategic Coordination and Initiatives

• Manage and coordinate special projects and strategic initiatives on behalf of EO member(s)
• Provide coordination and execution support for events, internal and external collaborations and cross-divisional initiatives
• Support the strategic initiatives process by liaising with leaders to ensure timelines and deliverables are met
• Support periodic strategic planning activities, including coordinating focus groups, liaising with internal teams and preparing partnership and presentation materials
• Liaise directly with the Office of the Minister of Health, the Privy Council Office and the Prime Minister’s Office as required
• Assist in maintaining and strengthening relationships with organizational partners and collaborators

This position profile is designed to provide an overview of the main responsibilities for the role. Other responsibilities not identified in this position profile may be assigned based on the person’s experience and operational requirements.

Qualifications

• Eight to 10 years of progressive administrative assistant experience with a minimum of four years as an executive assistant to a senior executive
• Completion of a three-year community college program in business administration or equivalent professional practice in the administrative field
• Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with staff, Board members, senior government officials and the public
• Knowledge of formal and informal protocols and methods of supporting senior management level positions
• Strong organizational and customer service skills
• Proactive, independent worker while also fostering collaborative teamwork to achieve collective goals
• Ability to work well under pressure with multiple changing demands and deadlines
• Sound judgment, courtesy, dependability and discretion required
• Expert knowledge of MS Office (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat (e.g., PDF) is essential
• Bilingual in English and French preferred

Assets

• Experience working in or with governmental, non-governmental or international organizations
• Knowledge of contact management databases
• Ability to speak languages other than English and French

Working Conditions

• Occasional high-intensity concentration
• Occasional exposure to psychological challenging conditions, such as deadline pressure, interpersonal conflict or extended work hours for which no additional compensation is provided
• Regular mental attention required to alternate, flex or adapt one’s attention to handle simultaneous multiple urgent demands and/or perform detail-oriented work with regular interruptions
• Frequent communication with internal contacts; occasional communication with external contact
• Work performed in an office setup and from home (flex hybrid model as applicable) environment, with on‑site presence as required and extended hours during events
• Physical demands are minimal; no sustained physical exertion is required

Remote Work / Hybrid Work Model

CCSA work arrangements provide employees with flexibility, enable high-performing teams and support an excellent workplace culture. Most employees can telework from home for a substantial part of each month as part of CCSA’s flex hybrid work model. Employees are expected on site or at in‑person activities a minimum of eight days per month to help build connections between colleagues and partners. For this position, the Executive Assistant is required to work onsite two to three days per week. For all positions, you must live in Canada. For this position, you must be within reasonable commuting distance of the office.

CCSA Values

CCSA is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work. As an organization, we are committed to ensuring that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people and all equity‑deserving groups are fully represented, including women, people of colour, people with disabilities and people who are 2SLGBTQ+.

CCSA is dedicated to learning from and supporting people with lived or living experience of substance use and health. We encourage people with lived or living experience of substance use to apply to join the CCSA team.

CCSA promotes the rights of all people with disabilities as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and its related Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. CCSA will make appropriate accommodations on request. Please inform CCSA in advance of a request for accommodation during the recruitment process by emailing [e-mail].

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure

At CCSA, we are committed to maintaining a fair and equitable hiring process. We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess, or select applicants for any positions. While mandatory eligibility questions may be used to confirm minimum requirements, all applications are reviewed and all hiring decisions are made by our hiring team, ensuring that each candidate is thoughtfully and individually evaluated based on their overall qualifications and experience.