OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work and create
OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.
It is an exciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles — driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship.
Reporting to the Director, Teaching and Learning and taking direction from the centre leadership team, the Administrative Assistant provides frontline reception and administrative support for the Centre for Learning & Teaching (CLT). The Administrative Assistant works on campus and is responsible for maintaining a welcoming and accessible space in person and online, and serves as the first point of contact for all Centre inquiries. The incumbent works with the Centre leadership team to create and maintain systems to facilitate the efficient and effective day-to-day operations of the Centre and provides administrative support to the Director and leadership team. This position is required to work on campus from Monday to Friday.
Summary of Responsibilities:
- Provide efficient and courteous frontline reception and assistance (in person, by telephone and by email) to students, faculty, staff and the general public
- Welcome students, faculty and other visitors to the Centre, booking appointments and providing information about Centre programs, services and resources; triage urgent inquiries and provide timely and accurate referral information to other campus resources as required
- Maintain a welcoming, well-organized reception area and monitor and maintain all other common spaces, including replenishing handouts, resources and promotional materials, updating blackboards and displays, preparing and posting signage, and maintaining supplies, technology and equipment; ensure that all common spaces are clean, well-equipped and ready for use
- Liaise with and build sustained relationships with the Faculty offices and other units across the University to promote collaboration and strengthen inter-departmental communication and referrals
- Maintain the Centre’s events calendar and booking systems across portfolio areas, including the tutoring program booking system; monitor daily appointment bookings, troubleshooting and referring complex booking requests to the relevant Coordinator
- Monitor daily tutoring (and other related) appointments, liaising with the Coordinator , Student Programs to assess service levels and implement daily waitlists; schedule tutoring appointments requiring specialized booking procedures, including 1:1 academic integrity consultations, accommodated tutoring appointments and other referrals
- In consultation with the Centre leadership team, create, maintain and communicate office-wide systems to ensure the smooth, effective functioning of centre activities and programs (e.g., individual and shared technology, purchasing, filing, etc.)
- Perform clerical duties such as processing mail, photocopying and printing, booking rooms, coordinating work orders, ordering office supplies, maintaining centre memberships and coordinating monthly attendance
- Coordinate centre-wide meetings and events (e.g., training, special events, celebrations), collaborating with other staff as required; schedule and provide day-to-day set up and logistical support for student and faculty programming and events across portfolio areas
- Coordinate the Centre’s presence (e.g., tabling) at special events on and off campus, representing the Centre as required
- Perform routine updates and maintain current and accurate information about the Centre and programming across communication channels, including the Centre websites, social media and other digital platforms
- Assist the leadership team with Centre-wide budget tracking; coordinate the processing and tracking of invoices, expense reimbursements, purchasing card statements, and other related budget items, liaising with Finance as required
- Provide occasional guidance to Student Monitors to support program delivery and promotion
- Provide administrative support to the Director, including such duties as scheduling meetings, P-card reconciliation, drafting routine communications and preparing meeting materials
- Coordinate the onboarding of new staff and provide office orientation and general onboarding support
- Schedule and administer student placement tests, liaising with Admissions & Recruitment as required
- Participate in reflective practice and professional learning activities, individually and in teams, to integrate equity and sustainability principles across relevant programs, processes and practices
- In consultation with the Managers, work with relevant Coordinators to ensure coverage of frontline reception and other communication channels during absences
- Assist the Director and Managers in other related duties contributing to the successful operation of the Centre for Learning & Teaching
Qualifications:
- Post-secondary degree, with a minimum of two (2) years of administrative work experience in a frontline environment, preferably in a post-secondary educational setting (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
- Excellent customer service skills with strong service orientation; ability to respond effectively and empathetically to a variety of stakeholder needs in a fast-paced environment
- Understanding of diverse student needs and interest in working in student-centred, educational setting
- Demonstrated experience building productive working relationships across institutional and community contexts
- Demonstrated ability to exercise tact, good judgment, diplomacy and confidentiality
- Strong oral and written communication skills and experience writing and communicating with different audiences (e.g., faculty, staff, students); experience writing routine documents and correspondence
- Experience organizing events and providing project coordination and administrative support in a team-based environment
- Excellent organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and ability to respond effectively to multiple and changing priorities on a day-to-day basis
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment
- Excellent problem-solving skills; experience developing centre-wide administrative systems and processes
- Understanding of the barriers experienced by multilingual students in post-secondary education; multilingualism is considered an asset
- Demonstrated commitment to the principles and practices of equity, accessibility and inclusion, and experience promoting a respectful work and learning environment for students, faculty and staff
- Strong computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft 365 applications; knowledge of Canvas learning management system and Adobe Creative Cloud applications an asset
- Flexibility to adjust hours of work to support programs and events outside of regular office hours and location
Compensation: Hiring Range - $42,729.45 to $50,502.70 per annum, commensurate with experience, plus benefits; Salary Range - $42,729.45 to $58,762.95 per annum.
Hours of Work: Total of 35 hours per week. The incumbent in this role will be expected to report to work on campus.
Application Deadline:Interested applicants are invited to submit an updated *resume and cover letter (PDF) . The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
- Please upload your resume and cover letter as one PDF. Please name your upload: FirstName_LastName-Job Code
As an employer committed to employment equity, we encourage applications from members of equity-deserving communities including women, racialized and Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions.
We encourage members of designated equity-deserving groups to self-identify within the voluntary Applicant Questionnaire.
In order to alleviate the under-representation of racialized and Indigenous administrators, priority in hiring will be given to qualified racialized and Indigenous persons who self-identify as such in the application process. This initiative is a special program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
OCAD University is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier free experience to applicants with accessibility needs. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process. Please contact People & Culture for more information or refer to OCAD U’s Policy of Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities
All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.
