Position Announcement: Administrative Assistant to Dr. Heather Castleden, Professor and Impact Chair, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria

Posting End Date: December 19, 2022 (or until position is filled)

Term Position: January 3, 2023 – December 20, 2023 (with strong possibility of extension).

Salary: Full-time (35-40 hours/week) UVic rate applies, with additional negotiation based on combination of education and experience.

Summary
The Administrative Assistant provides overall executive level administrative support to Dr. Heather Castleden, Impact Chair in Transformative Governance for Planetary Health at the University of Victoria.

The Administrative Assistant is expected to be knowledgeable about all aspects of Dr. Castleden’s activities as they pertain to the Administrative Assistant's duties. This collaborative position exercises initiative and judgment to assess and respond to issues, resolve administrative problems, and takes the lead on administrative, financial and logistical matters for Dr. Castleden. The role includes some aspects of research management, including maintaining multiple project budgets, and keeping track of project timelines.

The shared office is in the School of Public Administration, Human and Social Development Building, located on the UVic campus. Remote working for someone within commuting distance of Victoria is possible (e.g., 2-3 days/week). This position requires working under strict confidentiality requirements; internal procedures and policies to protect personal information must be followed.

Organizational Status
This position functionally reports to Dr. Castleden and is administratively housed with the Faculty of Human and Social Development. The successful applicant will become a valued member of the Health, Environment, and Communities Research Lab (HEC Lab: https://heclab.com/) at UVic, led by Dr. Castleden.

Dr. Castleden is a broadly trained community-engaged geographer and educator; she has spent two decades doing participatory research with Indigenous peoples across the country on their priorities that align with her scholarly and applied expertise in environment, health, social justice, and decolonization. Her research Interests include:

Community-based participatory research; Indigenous-settler relations, rights, and responsibilities; Social, environmental, and health equity and justice; Decolonizing the academy; Just transitions for planetary health.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES
1. Responsibility: Administrative support for Dr. Castleden – 50%
Duties:

• Provides exceptional administrative support, including the development, management and administrative support for internal and external meetings. This includes initiating agendas, scheduling meetings, composing and circulating minutes, tracking, monitoring and follow up on action items, next steps and deadlines while escalating delays and issues.
• Maintains and manages Dr. Castleden’s email and calendar.
• Effectively communicates decisions, directives and important information, following meetings and events, to the appropriate individuals, departments, and units.
• Prepares letters and other correspondence on behalf of Dr. Castleden and ensures the highest degree of accuracy while maintaining confidentiality, tact and discretion at all times.
• Adopts and maintains a proactive self-starting approach that relies on their strong organizational and communications skills to anticipate needs of Dr. Castleden.
• Maintains project tracking documents of approved, pending, and held projects that assist Dr. Castleden in the effective management of reporting offices.
• Solicits information on projects from relevant parties on a pro-active basis as necessary to maintain accuracy and effectiveness of project tracking documentation.
• Assists with student intern/Research Assistant hiring and onboarding processes, including the review of applications, job descriptions, candidate pre-screening, and providing recommendations to Dr. Castleden.
• Manages and reviews student intern/research assistant work.
• Tracks and maintains the budget for Dr. Castleden, provides regular budget updates, summaries, and statements as needed, monitors spending, reviews spending requests and makes recommendations to ensure strong control of finances, delivery of service and availability of funds.
• Provides support for special projects when needed.

2. Responsibility: General Administrative Support – 25%
Duties:

• Assists with awards competitions, including intake and tracking of applications, preparation of dossiers for committee members for review, and communications with all applicants.
• Takes minutes at grants and awards meetings with new and existing clients and during consultation.
• Prepares letters of support for grants and awards with a high attention to detail and accuracy.
• Assists with tracking grants and awards and maintains information at the ready for offices that require such information.
• Prepares honoraria payments for Elders and purchases other culturally appropriate gifts/acknowledgements.

3. Responsibility: Event Support – 25%
Duties:

• Plans and coordinates retreats, workshops, symposia and special events for Dr. Castleden, as required, liaising with joint coordinators where needed.
• Books and coordinates hotel and travel bookings for Dr. Castleden as well as research team associates.
• Liaises with UVic staff to book facilities, catering, and develop and circulate event promotional material for locally-based events.
• Prepares and arranges culturally appropriate gifts for speakers or other dignitaries.
• Provides basic graphic design assistance as needed.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience:

• Must have at least high school graduation, preferably with a certificate, diploma, or degree in office administration and a minimum of three (3) years of recent experience in a similar position, preferably in a postsecondary or institutional environment, or an equivalent combination of postsecondary education, training, and experience.

Related knowledge requirements should include:

• Familiarity with the broad social and political aspirations of Indigenous peoples as well as their inherent and Treaty rights.

Preference will be given to applicants who:

• Self-identify as Indigenous or from equity-deserving groups.
• Have experience with UVic information systems and knowledge of UVic’s policies, online systems, and procedures.
• Have mid-to-senior level experience in a university setting or community-based sector.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Detail-oriented, highly organized, flexible, and unflappable; responds proactively to issues as they arise.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced office environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing the principles of truth, reconciliation and respect, equity diversity and inclusion, and contributing to an inclusive working environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively under pressure and meet constant deadlines.
• Ability to establish standards of performance and resolve work problems.
• Exceptional oral and written communication, problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a particular focus on maintaining good relations with a broad range of staff, officials and individuals on and off campus.
• Ability to effectively use Macintosh and Windows operating systems, and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint at an intermediate level.
• Basic graphic designs skills.
• Proficiency with calendaring systems.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to exercise a high level of tact, diplomacy and discretion in developing and maintaining collaborations with people at all levels within the work environment.
• Experience with project management is an asset (opportunities for professional development will be available).

To Apply: Please email your resume, one-page cover letter, and the names and contacts of three professional references in one PDF document to Dr. Megan Harvey, Research Program Manager.

The University of Victoria is committed to providing an environment which protects and promotes the human rights and affirms the dignity of all persons, including those of diverse backgrounds and needs, and which provides equitable access to employment opportunities.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $25.00-$35.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Paid time off
• Work from home

Flexible Language Requirement:

• French not required

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• VICTORIA, BC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Education:

• Secondary School (preferred)

Experience:

• Administrative: 3 years (required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in VICTORIA, BC

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