Executive Assistant to the President

If you are looking for a career opportunity, want to give meaning to your professional achievements and contribute to making the world a better place by playing a part in international development, and are passionate about organizing and leading administrative responsibilities for a President’s Executive Office, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is the place for you!

IDRC is home to people who share a passion for international development research. We look for employees who believe that knowledge and innovation can help solve the world’s most critical challenges. 
 
Come join our Executive Office team within the President’s Office and help us build a more sustainable and inclusive world!
 
Our employment opportunity of the moment: Executive Assistant to the President 
 
Location of work: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Hybrid Mode)* 
 
Employment status: Indeterminate  
 
Overview: 
Under the direction of the Chief of Staff and Director of Corporate Affairs, as the Executive Assistant to the President, you will play a key role in ensuring the efficient and effective management of the President’s Office. You will be responsible for managing all aspects of the President’s agenda and calendar. You will lead forward engagements, planning and the coordination of the President’s travel; and support presidential decision making and operational excellence in the President’s Office. 
 
Take a minute to see if your profile fits IDRC: 
 
You have:

• A post-secondary education at the college or university in a field relevant to the position. 
• Proficiency in English and French at an advanced level (reading, writing, and speaking). 
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant, hands-on experience in a similar role, with at least 5 years in support of a senior official in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.  
• An in-depth understanding of administrative and operational procedures with hands-on experience in planning, organizing, and coordinating daily activities and travel logistics while paying close attention to details. 
• Advanced skills in using digital tools, such as relationship management, budgeting and all Microsoft applications tools, in order to effectively leverage, propose, and implement improvements. 
• Knowledge of and/or interest in the Centre’s mission and work as it relates to International Development.  

You are:

• Aligned with the IDRC’s culture and value statements: At IDRC we are respectful, intentional, and accountable. 
• A skilled communicator with great interpersonal skills, tact, diplomacy, and discretion.  
• Qualified to establish, manage, and monitor relationships with diverse and experienced stakeholders. 
• Resourceful and dependable multi-tasker, able to work under pressure, meet deadlines, juggle competing priorities while meticulously paying attention to detail in order to deliver high-quality work.
• A team player and service-oriented with great initiative and superior judgement with ability to provide sound and thoughtful recommendations to aid leaders in decision making.

You are interested in:

• Advancing IDRC's mission and strategic goals, supporting the current and future activities of the President’s Office by maintaining operational excellence in a fast paced and demanding environment with constant deadlines. 
• Coordinating the daily activities of the President and prioritizing the incoming flow of work. 
• Organizing and maintaining the rolling weekly, monthly and quarterly view of the President’s engagements in the form of a forward and event planning calendar and briefing the President and Chief of Staff on a regular cadence. 
• Monitoring and compiling all manner of issues coming into the President’s Office and aggregating these into a daily briefing format to be provided at end of each day to facilitate decision making. 
• Liaising with internal and external stakeholders, screening correspondence and analyzing information required for a response.
• Joining an organization that values and models diversity, inclusion, and equity. 

 Then we are interested in your profile!
                    At IDRC, we support your professional development.
 
Additional Information: 

• For more details on the primary duties and responsibilities, view the Job Details.
• *Hybrid Mode: Due to the specific nature of this position, the individual will be required to work in the office 3 days per week.
• As a result of this process, the Centre may establish a pool of pre-qualified candidates for future permanent and term opportunities.
   

We appreciate your interest, however, only candidates selected to continue in the process will be contacted.

The International Development Research Centre is committed to creating and fostering a respectful, diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace culture that reflects the people’s lives we impact and the Canadian community we work within, where everyone can truly be themselves. We welcome Indigenous peoples and persons from all races, ethnicities, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, as well as persons with physical or mental disabilities to be part of our team. At IDRC, we place human rights and dignity at the center of our work. We have a zero-tolerance approach to inaction against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the delivery of our mandate and during our research-for-development activities.

We strive to ensure barrier-free selection processes. If you are contacted regarding a career opportunity, testing or interview, please advise the People and Corporate Culture Division representative of the accommodation measures that must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. 

All IDRC employment offers will be contingent on satisfactory references and self-declaration results. IDRC will request information from references provided by job applicants about any findings related to sexual exploitation, abuse and/or harassment in the context of employment. By submitting an application, job applicants confirm their understanding of the recruitment process above.

Who can apply? Canadian citizens and permanent residents.