Additional Information:
For over 50 years, the Northern Lakes College vision has been to increase accessibility to educational opportunities. With 25 locations across northern Alberta, program sites throughout Alberta, and a unique Supported Distance Learning model, students can access quality educational opportunities without leaving their community. Students can study from the comforts of home, work, on the road, or from one of the many College locations. Northern Lakes College offers a variety of university transfer, diploma, and certificate programs, including Academic Upgrading, Business & Administrative Studies, Health & Human Service Careers, Pre-Employment & Apprenticeship Trades, Resource Technology, University Studies, and Continuing Education & Corporate Training certificates and courses. The college supports and promotes professional development and wellness opportunities and provides employees with an attractive benefits plan and competitive salaries. The College service region offers numerous recreational activities for the entire family to enjoy!
Northern Lakes College has the following ongoing position available:
Executive Assistant, Vice President, Finance and Administration
Salary: $65,628 to $86,100 per year
Location: Slave Lake
June 1, 2026 to Ongoing
Qualifications:
- College Diploma in business or office administration
- Accounting knowledge and budget experience
- Five (5) years’ related experience, preferably in a post-secondary educational setting
- Advanced knowledge of government structure.
- Knowledge of sensitive liaison/public relations protocol
- A clean criminal record check prior to commencement
- A valid Class 5 driver’s license
- A combination of education, training, and experience may be considered
Assets:
- Familiarity with the college systems, policies, operations, and services
- The ability to use the Unit 4 financial system
Nature and Scope of Work:
Reporting to the Vice President, Finance and Administration (VPFA), this position requires considerable skill in decision making, establishing priorities, organizing workloads, developing effective lines of communication, exercising independent judgment, handling administrative and clerical duties as required, and working with college staff and the general public in a friendly, helpful manner. The Executive Assistant, is responsible to promptly advise/discuss with the VPFA, sensitive issue within areas of responsibility. The Executive Assistant is also required to maintain professionalism and confidentiality of information at all times.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategic Support
- Assists the VPFA in the preparation of regular Board and Committee meetings including gathering, organizing, and distributing relevant information and documentation
- Supports the VPFA in monitoring strategic initiatives and special projects, ensuring timely updates and progress tracking.
- Serves as a backup to other senior leaders and departments, ensuring continuity of operations and decision-making support
Coordination
- Provides high-level administrative support across all areas under the VPFA’s portfolio, including Finance, Information Technology, and Facilities & Ancillary Services
- Supports the VPFA to ensure the smooth flow of information and activities in a multifaceted operation with ever-changing priorities
- Advises the VPFA of sensitive issues within areas of responsibility including Finance, Information Technology, and Facilities & Ancillary Services
- Oversee the email of the VPFA as required, handles sensitive information appropriately and uses good judgment in problem solving
- Schedules and takes minutes at Capital and Finance committee, Finance and IT meetings, Risk Management Advisory committee meetings and other internal and external meetings
- Coordination of the VPFA daily calendar and scheduling of appointments
- Coordination of travel arrangements such as accommodation, flights, etc. for the VPFA as requested
- Collection, consolidates the information, and schedules performance evaluations on behalf of the VPFA
Administration
- Provides expertise, knowledge and/or assistance to college-wide personnel as requested
- Maintains records to monitor special projects
- Maintains a close working relationship with other departments within the college and assists with administrative support when required for the executive area and departments
- Organizes luncheons and other special events
- Promotes and maintains a safe and healthy working environment
- Regularly handles and prepares all aspects of confidential and sensitive documents and ensures critical deadlines are met
- Prepares agendas, attends meetings, records meeting minutes, and distributes them accordingly
- Develop distribution lists and contacts on an ongoing basis
- Composes, reviews, and follows through on internal and external communication with a commitment to accuracy and attention to detail
- Research information when requested
- File management, mail coordination, photocopying, courier, and fax
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned by the VPFA
Financial Operations
- Assists in the overall budget development process, scheduling of meetings, and compiling information required for budgets
- Prepares monthly variance reports for the VPFA tracking budget goals, flagging discrepancies, and ensuring corrections are made
- Reconciles monthly visa statement
- Purchases consumables as required
- Provides assistance to other departments with Unit 4 questions as they relate to capital expenditures, purchase orders, and variance reports.
- Assists with the annual financial statement audit preparation, including gathering relevant documentation, uploading files, scheduling, and other administrative needs as required by the auditors
Liaison
- Receives inquiries from the public, colleagues and students
- Directly assists with these inquiries whenever possible or redirects the inquirer to the appropriate department or individual in a helpful, tactful, and professional manner
- Communicates information and instructions from the VPFA to other college staff and outside agencies/individuals as required
- Liaise with counterparts at other post-secondary institutions and Enterprise and Advanced Education for the purpose of collecting data for reports, etc.
Skills/Knowledge:
- Strong technical skills in Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Adobe
- Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
- Human relation skills such as ability to inspire trust and confidence in relationships with others, the ability to exercise diplomacy when dealing with customers, provide leadership, and organizational and decision-making
Contacts (Internal and External):
Internal
- Northern Lakes College (NLC) Budget Officers
- All NLC staff
- NLC Managers
- Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
External
- Government of Alberta (GOA)
- Office of the Auditor General (OAG)
- Post-secondary Senior Business Officers
- Chartered Professional Accounts (CPA) Alberta
- External accounting services
- Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Banking institutions
- Others where necessary
Successful candidates must provide College or University transcripts and a clean Criminal Record Check to Human Resources prior to commencement.
Note: Northern Lakes College thanks all applicants for their interest in employment; however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.
- Competitive salaries
- Vacation time ranging from three to eight weeks
- Excellent health and dental benefits
- Life and disability insurance
- Pension plans with employer contributions
- Comprehensive employee and family assistance program
- Professional development opportunities
