Executive Assistant

At the University of Waterloo, we create and promote a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. As an employee, you get support & opportunities that empower you to advance your career. Explore how we can bring big ideas to life, together. The University is a welcoming workplace for those of all abilities, interests, and expertise. As part of our workforce, you can do what you do best, every day.

Learn more about our recruitment process.

Job Requisition ID:

Time Type:

Employee Group:

Job Category:

Employment Type:

Department:

Hiring Range:

Posting Information:

This position is being offered as an internal secondment or external contract

Internal posting deadline is Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 11:59 pm

Term: 18 months

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Executive Assistant works daily with the Executive Director and the Managing Director, managing the Directors’ schedules and itineraries and providing administrative and executive support for all activities. This enables the Executive Director’s Office to concentrate on strategic planning and operational leadership. The Executive Assistant must be proactive in screening and collecting background information for all signature requests and must monitor the flow and response path for all requests received by the Executive Director’s Office.

Key Accountabilities

Executive Director Support & Schedule Management:

· Manage the Executive Director’s complex daily schedule and itinerary, allowing the Executive Director to focus on strategic leadership.

· Monitor the Executive Director’s inbox, identifying urgent and emerging issues, draft or redirect responses as appropriate and maintain weekly record of actionable items.

· Responsible to proactively collecting background information and preparing for actionable items

· Responsible for screening all signature requests and to be proactive in collecting background information so the Directors can make decisions as appropriate, and in a timely manner.

· Expected to pass on directives to managers when requested to do so by the Executive Director. She/he is responsible for following up on these directives to ensure appropriate action has been taken, and to keep the Executive Director informed accordingly.

· Must monitor the flow and response path for all correspondence that comes to the Executive Director.

· Must ensure that all correspondence and requests are responded to in an appropriate and timely manner and that managers involved are kept aware of the response flow.

Office Administration

· First point of contact for the Executive Director’s Office - engages with visitors and requests for meetings and information. Assesses requests and provides direction or seeks additional information. Manages all situations with the utmost professionalism, confidentiality, and discretion.

· Ensure seamless daily operations for Executive Director, Managing Director and leadership team.

· Schedule all internal meetings, such as the IQC faculty meeting, Leadership meetings, Scientific Advisory meetings, strategic retreats, onboarding for faculty.

· Liaise frequently with the Offices of the President, Provost, Deans, AVPs, and Directors within the Office to share information, secure input, and align schedules.

· Maintain an orderly filing, correspondence, and retrieval system (paper and electronic); manage photocopying, printing, and general office logistics.

Faculty Hiring

· Provide administrative support to the faculty hiring committees; both regular faculty and Research Assistant Professor,

· This includes advertising, arranging interview visits and itineraries (liasing with the Visitor Coordinator), record (statistic) keeping, preparation of rejection letters and liaising with all (seven) departments to process job offers to candidates (i.e. forwarding UARC information and commitment letters, etc. to departments.

· This includes ensuring she/he has current knowledge of all policies and procedures, both within the university and for external agencies including CRA and Immigration Canada.

Special Projects and General Administration

· Liaises with the Financial Officer to ensure monitoring of financial resources for the Executive Director, and to provide information to ensure use of funds is maximized, by providing advice on deadlines and adherence to budget. This includes administration and monitoring of accounts following established policies and procedures appropriate to the various granting agencies.

· Initiate payroll processing for students and interns as directed by the Executive Director.

· Arranges extensive travel and processes travel claims for the Executive Director, Managing Director and the Executive Director’s research group. She/he is expected to research visa requirements and arrange these as appropriate.

· Monitors faculty stipends, notifies the Executive Director of impending end dates, and processes new stipends and extensions as appropriate.

· Preparation of letters of appointment for Non-Faculty Appointments (Postdoctoral Fellows and Research Associates.

· Liaises with the Communications Team to prepare Board Meeting and Executive Council reports/handouts.

· Provides administrative support for IQC Faculty Meetings, preparing the agenda and taking minutes.

· Coordinates the annual performance review process for IQC faculty.

· Maintains up to date information (graphs/spreadsheets) on information pertaining to faculty for presentation at Board and Executive Council meetings, i.e. age profiles, research areas, recruiting information, etc.

· Maintains the Executive Director’s CV and website to ensure both are up to date and accurate.

· Provides administrative support for external positions held by the Executive Director i.e CIFAR Program Director and Science Technology & Innovation Council (STIC).

· Maintains up to date listings of IQC faculty and IQC committee memberships and notifies the Executive Director of pending expirations. She/he updates the websites accordingly.

· Prepare reports on various grants, collecting financial and other information as appropriate.

· Provide assistant with special projects as assigned by IQC Administration (Executive Director, Managing, and Assistant Director, Administration).

Confidentiality Records and Compliance

· Safeguard sensitive information and uphold institutional integrity.

· Handle confidential correspondence, signatures, and reports, with the utmost discretion.

· Maintain secure records, protect reputationally sensitive information, and exercise a consistently high degree of accuracy and accountability.

Required Qualifications

Education

· Bachelor’s degree and/or some post-secondary education required, preferably in business administration

Experience

· 3-5 years experience as an executive assistant for C suite executives

· Extensive administrative experience in an academic environment. Industry experience is an asset.

· Experience using independent judgement and handling confidential information.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

· Proven ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and tact

· Excellent business acumen and ability to exercise sound judgment and prioritization.

· Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including strong proofreading abilities and the capacity to prepare clear, concise, and professional correspondence and briefing materials for senior audiences

· Strong client service orientation, with the ability to anticipate needs, navigate sensitive issues, and adapt to different personalities, motives, and interests

· Proactive in anticipating the need of the Executive Director, Managing Director and IQC team

· Ability to earn the trust and confidence of the IQC team

· Demonstrated knowledge of UW’s policies and procedures related to appointments, travel, and research grant administration.

· Excellent organizational and time-management skills to manage multiple competing priorities and complex tasks under pressure, while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.

· Project management experience and demonstrated analytical and organizational skills.

· Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team member in a busy and varied environment with deadlines and changing priorities

· Advanced proficiency in Excel and intermediate proficiency in PowerPoint, Advanced skills in web page editing and Intermediate knowledge of SharePoint

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.