Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice-president

Permanent, full-time position – Guelph, ON

This opportunity within the Research Services Office (RSO_at the University of Guelph would be an exciting career move for an experienced and highly organized office administrator that enjoys playing a front-line role that will contribute to supporting and accelerating research by enhancing services provided to researchers, collaborators and partners. Reporting to the Associate Vice-President of Research Services (AVPRS), you will be responsible for the following three main areas of work, all of which require confidentiality: administrative support for the AVPRS; financial and budget administration for ORS; and human resource administration for ORS.

As an Administrative Assistant to the AVPRS, you will implement priorities by strategically managing, coordinating and setting the AVPRS’s schedule, coordinating committees (i.e., drafting agendas, minute-taking), reviewing and screening meeting requests, and events, making and balancing appointments, and resolving conflicts in the appointment schedule caused by re-prioritizing last-minute issues. Recognized for your strengths as a communicator, you will confidently manage confidential correspondence and communications, liaise with executive offices, and draft correspondence for the AVPRS’s signature.

Regarding financial management, your responsibilities will include:

• analyzing, managing and overseeing ORS unit budgets;
• reconciling and monitoring financial transactions;
• preparing the year-end budget forecast and other financial reports;
• verifying and finalizing expense claims;
• processing requisitions and purchase orders via the procurement system; and
• processing cheque requisitions, petty cash forms, and journal entries.

On the human resources front, you will be involved in coordinating hiring searches and ensuring that HR policy and procedures are followed during the search process, which includes interpreting policy, problem-solving and liaising with Human Resources on same, and working with unit leaders and IT staff for on-boarding and deboarding staff. It will also be your job to keep up to date with employee performance review timelines, monitor and process employment contract renewals, and bring any issues to the attention of the AVPRS, as well as process the biweekly payroll, reconcile payroll with finance on a regular reporting basis, track vacation and sick time, and maintain the office absence record.

QUALIFICATIONS

To be considered for the multi-faceted position of Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice-President, you must be a tactful, detail-oriented, analytically minded professional whose profile includes:

• A minimum of a two-year community college degree in business administration, or a related subject;

• Three (3) years of related experience, including experience with human resources, payroll, and electronic financial systems;
• Knowledge of other university information systems, policies, procedures and protocols would be considered an asset;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to take minutes and notes;
• Strong organizational, analytical, logistical, time management and problem-solving skills;
• Demonstrated competency in using spreadsheet, database and presentation software, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint;
• Ability to conduct internet searches and research;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Professionalism, tact and the ability to keep sensitive matters confidential.

The University of Guelph (www.uoguelph.ca) is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive comprehensive institutions, with a record of outstanding scholarship in the arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical and engineering sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences. This is your chance to join us in our endeavour to improve life.

To view a detailed posting for the role of Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice-President, please go to our website at www.uoguelph.ca/hr/careers. Applications, quoting Hiring #2023-0218, must be addressed to careers@uoguelph.ca.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.