Senior Program Assistant, Office of Experiential Education

University of British Columbia; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A major educational institution in Metro Vancouver is seeking a Senior Program Assistant to provide administrative support for the experiential education practicums in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The ideal candidate will have excellent time management, communication skills, and a commitment to equity and diversity. Responsibilities include database management, stakeholder communication, and coordination of events. This position offers a salary range of CAD $4,739 - $5,102 monthly and requires a high school diploma with related experience.

Qualifications

• Four years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to compose complex correspondence and reports.
• Proficiency in English grammar and vocabulary.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support and coordinate experiential education practicums.
• Act as the first point of contact for academic programs.
• Maintain all student and partner information databases.

Skills

Attention to detail

Effective communication

Critical thinking

Time management

Education

High School graduation and two years post-secondary education

Tools

Excel

Qualtrics

Microsoft Teams

Canvas

Job description

Job Category: Staff - Union

Job Profile: CUPE 2950

Job Title: Senior Program Assistant, Office of Experiential Education

Department: Experiential Education Support | Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Compensation Range: $4,739.00 - $5,102.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date: January 2, 2026

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

Job End Date: August 1, 2026

This role is expected to start at Grade 8 Step 1 ($4,739 monthly).

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

The Office of Experiential Education (OEE) at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is responsible for the academic and administrative leadership of the experiential components of the Entry-to-Practice (E2P) and Flexible (Flex) Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs, as well as the international pharmacy graduates’ placements (Structured Practical Training) for the Canadian Pharmacy Practice (CP3) Program.

The OEE is responsible for the development and facilitation of all practicum courses within the Faculty’s academic portfolio including:

• Student preparation/readiness for practice
• Student support on practicum
• Practice site recruitment and stakeholder engagement
• Partner/practice educator development, communication and support
• Interprofessional education
• Community service learning
• Community outreach
• Workplace-based assessment
• Best practices, program evaluation/quality assurance and alignment with program accreditation standards
• Scholarship and research activities in experiential education

The Senior Program Assistant is primarily responsible for providing administrative support and coordinating the experiential education practicums and associated activities for all programs within the academic portfolio.

Work must often meet tight deadlines and requires the incumbent to perform well under pressure. The incumbent must demonstrate exceptional interpersonal skills in dealing with the senior administration, faculty members, staff, students, other members of the university community, and external stakeholders.

Organizational Status

The OEE is an enabling unit in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and currently comprised of the Director, Manager, nine faculty members, and three Senior Program Assistants. The OEE facilitates over 1500 placements per year across all programs and interacts and works collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and over 800 experiential education partners.

The Senior Program Assistant reports directly to the Manager, OEE but also takes direction from the Director, OEE and OEE faculty members relating to the day-to-day operations of the office.

Work Performed

• Acts as the first point of contact for academic programs with experiential education components.
• Responds to complex information requests about the experiential education program from prospective students and stakeholders (via the learning management system, email, phone and/or in -person) with discretion and tact.
• Receives and coordinates placement information from partners and students.
• Responsible for OEE database management (e.g., E*Value, Canvas, HSPnet, Microsoft Teams, etc.).
• Produces complex Excel reports utilizing formulas and pivot tables. Prepares mail merge with Excel data.
• Maintains all student information, practicum or experiential education partner information in respective databases.
• Assists with site recruitment. Upon completion of the placement, ensures student assignments are complete and communicates successful completion to relevant stakeholders.
• Responsible for uploading course materials onto Canvas and other web-based platforms, maintaining and updating assessments, announcements and all other materials.
• Advise and respond to enquiries from students regarding experiential experiences, course materials, deadlines and requirements.
• Creates surveys in Qualtrics. Compiles reports utilizing basic statistics and other course and program data.
• Provides guidance and support with respect to the availability and booking of meetings and/or events.
• Assists with the set-up, planning and execution of OEE and faculty events, including liaising with venues and other services to ensure preparations are complete.
• Assists with designing, developing and delivering promotional course material and presentations.
• Provides input into OEE policies, develops and implements administrative procedures for the faculty’s experiential education programs.
• Tracks pre-practicum requirements and student communications.
• Ensures stakeholder placement sites are compliant with UBC Legal Student Placement Agreements (SPA) process and that the SPA meets all required accreditation standards, policies, regulations, and legal obligations.
• Assesses practice educator eligibility for clinical appointments.
• Performs other related duties as determined by the Manager and/or Director, OEE.

Consequences of Error

This position requires a high level of tact, discretionary judgment, maintenance of confidentiality and accuracy in work. The Senior Program Assistant must be able to work independently, take initiative and have excellent time management skills. Errors in judgment with internal or external stakeholders could have negative impact on the academic program(s), the Director, the Office of the Associate Dean - Academic, the Office of the Dean, and the University resulting in poor public relations, financial costs, and loss of credibility.

Inappropriate or errant communications of sensitive issues could have a serious impact on operations and result in legal implications.

Supervision Received

The Senior Program Assistant must be able to work independently and within a team environment, keeping the Manager and/or Director, Office of Experiential Education regularly informed of activities and any challenges that may arise. Reports directly to the Manager and is expected to consult with the Manager and/or Director regarding major changes and decisions.

Supervision Given

The Senior Program Assistant may provide work direction to students and temporary staff.

Minimum Qualifications

High School graduation and two years post-secondary education. Four years related experience or the 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

Administrative work experience within experiential or post-secondary education is an asset. Effective oral and written communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and high accuracy in work. Proficiency in the use of English grammar, spelling, punctuation; and proficiency with professional terminology, technical or scientific vocabulary. Ability to compose complex correspondence and reports, tailored to the needs of the intended audience. Experience and high level of competence with word processing, Excel spreadsheets, databases and other computer programs.