Lead Executive Assistant

University of Ottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 77,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Ottawa seeks an experienced administrative professional to support senior management in the Chief of Staff Office. You will draft, translate and format official communications, coordinate meetings, and manage schedules to ensure efficient operations at the university’s main campus in Ottawa.

You will handle planning, correspondence, travel arrangements and reporting while upholding the institution’s standards of quality and confidentiality.

Qualifications

• Postsecondary education in administration or office technology.
• Minimum 7 years of demonstrated experience in a similar role.
• Experience in bilingual administrative writing with excellent grammar skills.
• Excellent knowledge of computer software.
• Strong organizational skills, autonomy and judgment.
• Strong communication skills.
• Bilingual – English and French (written and spoken).

Responsibilities

• Drafts and revises administrative documents using templates and coordinates translation of administrative correspondence.
• Coordinates planning and implementation of the senior management office’s operations.
• Manages senior management schedules and meeting logistics.
• Maintains effective communication with faculties/services and external clients.
• Establishes and maintains a confidential filing system and archiving process.

Skills

Bilingual admin writing

Strong organizational skills

Autonomy

Communication skills

Education

Postsecondary education in administration/office tech

Tools

Office software proficiency

Job description

Posting Reason: Replacement of a regular position

Job Type: Employee

Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments): N/A

Job Family: Administrative Support

# of Open Positions: 1

Faculty/Service - Department: Chief of Staff

Campus: Main Campus

Union Affiliation: N/A

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/10/07

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/10/22

Hours per week: 35

Salary Grade: Non-Union Grade NC6 - 35 hrs

Salary Range: $76,882.00 - $96,103.00

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Chief of Staff within the Vice-President Finance and Administration Office, the incumbent will provide administrative support to senior management to ensure smooth office operations. Coordinates the planning and implementation of the senior management office’s activities and projects in order to support the attainment of the office’s strategic objectives while maintaining the highest standard of quality. Performs all duties autonomously and proactively. May be required to organize meetings, coordinate correspondence and communications, manage schedules, arrange travel and prepare documents and reports.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Administrative Writing: Drafts and revises documents using templates and coordinates the translation of administrative correspondence on behalf of senior management. Creates and maintains templates for outbound official communication from offices of senior management, in compliance with uOttawa’s regulations and with a view to protecting the service’s image. Attends senior management meetings to take notes and prepare minutes to follow up on decisions. Prepares presentations, brochures, publications and other related documents from handwritten notes to support the chief executive. Prepares requests for approval by the Board of Governors, Senate, AC and other committees and subcommittees.
• Operations Coordination: Coordinates the planning and implementation of the senior management office’s operational activities. Ensure that the office operates optimally by developing and implementing procedures, processes and work tools that align with the office’s strategic objectives, orientations and priorities in order to provide senior management with a standardized and high-quality support service.
• Schedule and Meeting Management: Manages senior management schedules, schedules and confirms meetings to optimize use of time. Coordinates scheduling of meetings for committees and subcommittees chaired by senior managers. Maintains updated lists of members, and prepares and sends out meeting invitations and agendas. Prepares and distributes any necessary documents and files, and follows up on decisions.
• Communication: Develops, implements and maintains effective communication strategies with all faculties/services under the responsibility of the senior management office in order to ensure proper coordination of activities and events. Acts as a resource person for communications with external clients on behalf of the senior management office.
• File Management: Establishes and maintains an effective filing system to maintain the confidentiality of records and ensure the availability of complete, accurate records for future reference or audit purposes. Coordinates document archiving. Maintains a reminder system for files requiring follow-up.

What you will bring:

• Postsecondary education in administration, office technology or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Minimum 7 years of demonstrated experience in a similar role
• Experience in bilingual administrative writing with excellent grammar skills
• Excellent knowledge of computer software
• Strong organizational skills, autonomy and judgment
• Strong communication skills
• Bilingual – English and French (written and spoken)

Key Competencies at uOttawa

Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa:

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.

Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.

Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.

Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact [e-mail] to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Note: if this is a union position:

The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.