Assistant to the Chair and Administrative Assistant

Union/Affiliation: C.U.P.E. Local 3338
Pay range: $2,017.59 to $2,283.96 bi-weekly SFU Department Descr: Chemistry
Position Grade: 7
# of openings: 1
Biweekly Hours: 70

Who We Are

Simon Fraser University is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Our purpose – the essence of SFU – is to create and connect knowledge, learning and community for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. We are committed to fostering excellence, innovation, belonging and community in all that we do.

The Department of Chemistry is driven by research and our students to work alongside the core goals of the university. The administrative team at the department of Chemistry provide essential support to our students, Research Assistants, Postdoctoral Fellows, Faculty and Staff. Our administrative team provides diverse support for our department on finance, operations, communications and logistics to ensure that our researchers can focus on their objectives.

About the Role

Under the direction of the Chair and reporting to the Manager, Academic and Administrative Services, provides a range of confidential administrative assistance to the Chair and departmental committees. Responds to requests for information on behalf of the Chair; composes, proofreads, edits, and distributes general and confidential correspondence for internal and external communication on behalf of the Chair, and maintains accurate departmental records; maintains the Chair's calendar; responds to routine and general problems; maintains confidential files; and assists the Chair with the preparation of reports. Provides secretarial support to various departmental standing and ad-hoc committees (e.g., Tenure and Promotion, Strategic Planning, outreach committees) by scheduling meetings and appointments; drafting and circulating agendas and materials; booking rooms and organizing meeting resources; and recording, transcribing, and distributing minutes of meetings. Assists in maintaining the departmental website, and social media sites.

Qualifications

High school graduation and one year of post-secondary education or formal program equivalent, including training in word processing, database, spreadsheet, and web applications; and secretarial practices. 3 years of experience. An equivalent combination of formal education, certificate/program of study and experience is acceptable.

• 60 wpm keyboarding skill with a high degree of accuracy.
• Excellent knowledge of standard office practices, methods, and equipment. Good knowledge of University programs, policies, and procedures.
• Excellent proofreading and editing skills.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication (oral and written) skills. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to use social media tools (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to communicate departmental information in a professional manner.
• Ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications (i.e., Word, Excel, FileMaker Pro, Access) at an intermediate level.
• Ability to record and transcribe meeting minutes with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to compose and prepare brief departmental newsletter-style articles with approved content using standard word processing and desktop publishing software (i.e., Word,Adobe InDesign).
• Ability to use web publishing systems (i.e., AEM) to post information and update/revise content on departmental web pages.
• Ability to use enterprise level information systems (i.e., PeopleSoft) to look up information; retrieve data; and generate reports.
• Ability to prioritize own work and tasks to maximize efficiency and meet deadlines.
• Ability to compose professional and confidential correspondence with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise mature judgement and initiative.
• Ability to exercise tact and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information. Ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to perform arithmetic calculations with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to work flexible hours during departmental events as required.
• Ability to lift and carry office supplies and materials up to 10 kg.

What We Offer

At SFU, our goal is to ensure our people are valued and supported by promoting a healthy work-life balance, professional growth and development, as well as a safe and respectful workplace. We offer continuing employees who belong in the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Local 3338):

• 3 weeks’ vacation (prorated for the first year)*
• Hybrid-work program for eligible positions
• Employer paid defined benefit pension plan
• On-campus tuition waiver for employees and their immediate family members*
• Funding for professional development expenses*
• And more!

*Prorated for part-time employees

Additional Information

For external candidates, the starting salary is the first step of the salary range.