Executive Assistant

University of British Columbia - Staff; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a dedicated Executive Assistant to support the Dean at a prestigious business school. This role involves managing a complex schedule, providing high-level administrative support, and ensuring smooth communication with various stakeholders. The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent organizational skills, discretion, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. Join a collaborative team where your contributions will enhance the academic experience and support the school's mission of excellence in research and learning.

Qualifications

• 4 years of related experience or equivalent education.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks.

Responsibilities

• Provides confidential administrative support to the Dean.
• Manages the Dean's complex calendar and travel arrangements.

Skills

Administrative Support

Communication Skills

Time Management

Interpersonal Skills

Organizational Skills

Confidentiality

Multitasking

Education

High School Graduation

Two-Year Post-Secondary Diploma

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Staff - Union

Job Category CUPE 2950 Job ProfileCUPE 2950 Salaried - Administrative Support 4 (Gr8) Job Title Executive Assistant Department Dean's Office Administrative Operations | Dean's Office | UBC Sauder School of Business Compensation Range $4,739.00 - $5,102.00 CAD Monthly Posting End Date May 13, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
UBC Sauder School of Business is one of the world’s leading business faculties. The school consistently ranks among the top 100 in the world and is recognized internationally for excellence in research and learning, an outstanding faculty and unmatched global partnerships. A collaborative and respectful culture within which all members of our community can thrive is a key principle in our strategic plan, and one that underpins our educational mission.

We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at the Vancouver Point Grey campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam. We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at UBC Robson Square is situated on the traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh.

The Executive Assistant provides wide-ranging confidential executive and administrative support at the highest level for the Dean and the Senior Advisor to the Dean at UBC Sauder and acts as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders on all matters pertaining to the Dean.

The Executive Assistant oversees the coordination of a demanding Dean's schedule including travel, establishing work schedules and priorities to ensure the smooth functioning of the Dean's Office and schedule for the Dean.

A thorough knowledge of the University structure and protocols and the school’s mandate for this area is required. The Executive Assistant utilizes a high level of judgement, discretion, professionalism and sensitivity in dealing with students, faculty, and staff. A thorough knowledge of the organization, programs, policies and procedures of the school and UBC is essential.

Organizational Status
- Reports to the Senior Advisor to the Dean who provides direction and delegates tasks as required.

- Is a key support role in the Dean’s Office working closely with faculty, employees, students, internal and external visitors.

- Works closely with the UBC Sauder’s Development and Alumni Engagement Office.

- Liaises with all senior leadership offices within UBC and contacts external organizations and government offices.

Work Performed
- Provides a wide range of confidential administrative support to the Dean and the Senior Advisor to the Dean.
- Plans, schedules and maintains all aspects of the Dean’s complex online calendar and appointments, including all briefing notes, documentation, agendas and extensive bookings.
- Reschedules meetings based on daily and shifting priorities using judgement and time management.

- Keeps the Dean apprised of daily responsibilities, meetings, deadlines and potential changes in schedule, prioritizing urgent requests. Ensures adequate time between meetings and documentation preparation requirements is met.
- Prioritizes requests, using senior relationship management protocols to negotiate times and locations with senior internal offices to book meetings, functions etc.

- Composes complex and confidential correspondence from drafts or verbal direction. Proofreads, edits and circulates communications, presentations and reports on behalf of the Dean and senior members of the Dean’s Office. Researches and compiles data such as university rankings to include in the Dean’s Office presentations.
- Responds to confidential and complex enquiries regarding policies and procedures of the area.

- Screens and prioritizes internal and external phone calls, emails and in-person enquiries. Responds independently to general enquiries, assesses, declines or redirects requests diplomatically and persuasively in complex and sensitive situations for the Dean's Office.

- Facilitates review, approval and signing by the Dean of formal university and school agreements, contracts and letters.

- Coordinates the Dean’s domestic and international travel arrangements including itineraries, accommodations, flights, visas, car rentals, agendas, meetings, etc.

- Maintains records of expenditures and ensures the Dean’s expenses are reimbursed, paid or reconciled in a timely fashion.

- Consults with the Senior Advisor to the Dean to draft and submit the Dean’s Office budget to the Finance and Procurement Office. Reviews the Dean’s Office budget, monitoring that it is on track with spending throughout the year.

- Oversees and maintains confidential Dean’s Office files. Monitors and maintains the Dean’s Office webpage and ensures the contact information is accurately listed in the school’s directories.

- Schedules and organizes meetings; prepares and circulates agendas, takes detailed and concise minutes; drafts, reviews, and distributes minutes; prepares reports and presentation materials for distribution.

- Arranges and oversees special events and visits. Prepares invitations, routine memos, letters, and itineraries. Books rooms, venues, catering and equipment as required.
- Works on special projects for the Dean’s Office as requested including but not limited to school reviews.
- Provides administrative support to the UBC Sauder Faculty Advisory Board, including drafting and circulating communications on behalf of a board chair, scheduling and coordinating board meetings and events, assembling and distributing board materials, taking and distributing board meeting minutes.
- Assesses and delegates the work flow for the Administrative Assistants in the Dean’s Office to ensure everything is completed in a timely manner and that division of tasks is suitable.

- Supervises the Administrative Assistant in the Dean’s Office. Assigns work, communicates and monitors Administrative Assistant support to the Senior Associate Deans, ensuring clarity of expectations and appropriateness of tasks. Seeks feedback from Senior Associate Deans to improve or adjust Administrative Assistant processes where needed.
- Provides Dean’s Office reception coverage when the Administrative Assistant is away, and arranges reception coverage with the Administrative Office when both the incumbent and the Administrative Assistant are away.

- Ensures the Dean’s Office meets the required safety requirements by acquiring safety training provided by the school. Monitors the Dean’s Office safety equipment and spaces and arranges service requests if safety equipment or facilities are out of order. Makes sure all members of the unit are aware of any communications that affect the team, floor and work.
- Arranges resource allocation checklists, key-card access, security codes, IT setup, account codes, calendar permissions and other administrative onboarding details required for new Dean’s Office employees.

- Performs other duties withing the qualifications of the role as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Exercises judgement, tact, discretion, initiative and decision-making at an outstanding degree in a wide variety of duties and responsibilities; errors in completing work and scheduling or planning events may result in unnecessary expenditures, inconvenience and/or embarrassment to the Dean, participants, faculty and students. Handling enquiries in an inappropriate manner can adversely affect relations between the faculty and its clients, and the public perception of the school and the University.

Supervision Received
Reports to the Senior Advisor to the Dean. Works independently under the supervision and direction from the Senior Advisor to the Dean as well as own judgment based on assessment of needs.

Supervision Given
Supervises the Administrate Assistant in the Dean’s Office, temporary employees and student workers. Provides formal training on Dean’s Office related activities to all admin support positions in relation to the Dean’s Office.

Minimum Qualifications

High School graduation, plus a two-year post-secondary diploma, plus four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

- Training in administrative procedures and practices and experience, preferably including a significant period of time, as an assistant to senior executives coupled with relevant administrative experience in positions of increased responsibility.

- Experience providing administrative support to a board would be an asset.

- A thorough knowledge of the organization, programs, governance structure, policies and procedures of the University would be an asset.

- Excellent oral and written communication skills. Proficiency in the use of English grammar, spelling and punctuation and proficiency with professional terminology. Ability to check correspondence for accuracy is critical.

- Ability to take and transcribe accurate meeting minutes.

- A high degree of initiative and integrity.

- Ability to exercise a high level of tact, diplomacy and discretion, and treat information on a confidential basis as appropriate.

- Strong interpersonal skills required; active listening skills with the ability to probe for information to clarify complex requests.

- Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with various stakeholders.

- Proven organizational skills with ability to prioritize assignments and work independently, proactively and in a team environment.

- Superior task planning and time management skills. Ability to plan and to complete work assignments independently without ongoing direction.

- Excellent multitasking skills and ability to work under pressure of deadlines.

- Ability to type 65 wpm with excellent word processing and accurate data entry skills.

- Ability to plan, organize and coordinate meetings; arrange catering, and book rooms.

- Advanced skill level with MS Word, Intermediate skill level with Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Internet browsers/search engines