EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Key Activities

Reporting to the Executive Office Manager and Corporate Secretary, the Executive Assistant is responsible for providing senior-level strategic coordination, executive support and operational management support to the President and CEO of the National Arts Centre and the Executive Office. The role’s primary focus is to enable the President and CEO to focus on the organization’s highest-impact priorities, by proactively supporting executive coordination, information flow, prioritization, partner management through follow-through on key initiatives and commitments, and with scheduling, logistics, preparation, and day-to-day executive operations.

Moving beyond traditional administrative support functions, the Executive Assistant operates in a high-trust, high-discretion environment, requiring sound judgment, professionalism, and the ability to manage sensitive information. The Executive Assistant coordinates information flow, supports executive readiness, and maintains consistent administrative standards. The role functions within clearly defined priorities and direction set by the Executive Office and Corporate Affairs leadership team.

This position requires a full-time, on-site presence at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa (five days per week). Given the operational needs of the Office of the President and CEO, consistent in-person presence is essential. Occasional work-from-home arrangements may be considered for personal reasons.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Executive Prioritization and Coordination
•Provide high-level executive administrative support to the President and CEO, including calendar management, meeting coordination, and logistical planning;
• Support executive readiness by coordinating briefing materials, agendas, and background materials;
• Guides the day-to-day schedules for the President CEO and is responsible for keeping them informed of upcoming commitments and responsibilities and ensures appropriate follow-up actions are taken;
• Organize domestic and international travel and logistics, including itineraries, bookings, accommodations, and expense reporting;
• Act as a point of contact for internal and external contacts relating to Executive Office, ensuring professional and timely communication;
• Maintain an in-office presence aligned with the President & CEO’s schedule;
• Handle sensitive information, communications, and scheduling matters with a high degree of confidentiality and discretion.

Partner Engagement through Calendar & Scheduling Management
• Serve as a key coordination point for senior internal and external stakeholders interacting with the CEO Office;
• Support engagement and coordination with executive leadership team, partners and stakeholders;
• Manage and maintain a complex and dynamic executive calendar, balancing competing priorities, internal and external meetings, events, hosting and attending performances;
• Coordinate meeting logistics, including room bookings, virtual platforms, participant coordination, and materials preparation;
• Apply established priorities and protocols when scheduling and adjusting commitments; proactively identify and escalate conflicts or concerns to the Executive Office Manager and Corporate Secretary, as required.

Information & Correspondence Support
• Coordinate incoming requests, correspondence, and information flowing to the President and CEO;
• Draft routine correspondence and administrative responses on behalf of the Executive Office, escalating sensitive matters as appropriate;
• Document meeting minutes, records of decision and action items;
• Track follow-ups, confirmations, and administrative actions arising from meetings.

Executive Office Operations
• Support the Executive Office and Corporate Affairs team in maintaining consistent administrative workflows, standards, and documentation;
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of administrative systems and processes;
• Support travel reclamations, credit card reporting, and anything finance related, as needed;
• May provide administrative and logistical support for Board-related activities in coordination with the Corporate Secretary;
• Support protocol-sensitive President and CEO engagements involving government, donors, artists, and other contacts, following established NAC practices;
• Support budget administration within the Executive Office.

Skill Requirements

• Post-secondary degree in office administration, public administration, business administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience;
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience at executive-level support in a complex, fast-paced organizational, political, governance, or public sector environment;
• Experience supporting senior executives, public office holders, and/or governance bodies;
• Experience managing calendars, travel, and executive documentation;
• Fluently bilingual in both official languages, English and French, written and spoken;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Demonstrated outstanding organizational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize workload, respond to shifting priorities in a fast-paced and evolving environment, while meeting deadlines;
• Service and customer-oriented mindset, a genuine collaborative and professional style and highly effective interpersonal skills.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational, prioritization, and time-management skills;
• High standards of discretion, professionalism, responsiveness, and judgment.
• Proven ability to manage sensitive information confidentially;
• Strong interpersonal skills and service orientation;
• Ability to collaborate effectively with people from different cultural/diverse backgrounds and proven commitment to anti-racism, equity, and inclusion.
• Highly resourceful and solution focused team player, with ability to work independently and with limited oversight and guidance.
• Strong organizational awareness and political acuity;
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Teams, Excel, Adobe, Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint);
• Familiarity with document management and workflow tracking tools is an asset;
• Flexible and available to work within an irregular schedule, including occasional early mornings, evenings, and event-related hours.