The same philosophy of personal attention that distinguishes Yorkville Education Company as a leading provider of post-secondary education makes us an exceptional place to work. We are a progressive and modern institution, responding to the needs of current and future students and implementing the best technology solutions to empower our work. We prioritize diversity, open doors to those often overlooked, welcome new Canadians and provide pathways to successful careers.
Yorkville Education Company (which manages both Yorkville University and the Toronto Film School) began with a simple idea in 2004: offer flexible, rigorous and career-focused degrees on campus and online to people who are on a purposeful path. With campuses in Ontario, British Columbia and New Brunswick, we equip our graduates with the professional knowledge, skills and designations that employers value.
Focused on providing a transformative, accessible and flexible higher education environment, our teams, from the President to the newest staff member, share a passion for learning, teaching and growing as individuals and as teams. We nurture an inclusive, supportive and genuinely kind work environment at our three campus locations and remotely.
If you want to shine a light on academic excellence, be empowered to make an impact on the transformation of the Canadian post-secondary education landscape and work collaboratively beyond levels, join us.
Who we need
Reporting directly to the President and COO, we are looking for an Executive Assistant . You will ensure the seamless management of their combined portfolio, including strategic projects, high-priority meetings and decisions, operations and communications. To excel in this highly valued role, you will draw on your critical and analytical thinking, process development and execution, project management, organizational and relationship management skills. You will take ownership of the comprehensive administration and professional support of this continuously shifting, innovative and dynamic office. You have the confidence to work independently and with executive leadership, but you are also highly collaborative, flexible, collegial and genuinely motivated to be part of a progressive academic institution. You will foster a welcoming and responsive environment for vice presidents, deans, administrators, faculty, staff and students, acting as a resource to others. Considerable discretion is required as the position is privy to and works with sensitive and highly confidential information.
What's in it for you
Immediate impact, career growth and exposure. We are disrupting education and you will be an invaluable player. You will be part of a highly visible, warm, welcoming office and a progressive organization hungry for transformation. Working under the direction of passionate leaders, innovators and change-makers, you will immediately benefit from their extensive experience and commitment to knowledge sharing and positive energy. This is a rewarding career move for someone curious, energetic and driven to do more.
Whether you are a top performer early in your career or someone who has been in a senior support role for a couple of years, you are looking for new challenges and an opportunity to learn. You want to be part of a modern, forward-thinking and evolving academic setting where no two days are alike. This is an opportunity to invest your passion for education, project management and business, gaining incredible insights and opening doors to your own development. In addition, as part of the full-time staff here, you will be able to register and attend courses and programs we offer - for free.
What you will do:
- Ensure efficient, accurate and confidential support to the President and COO. You will play a supporting role in driving strategic initiatives across the organization. In a timely and judicious manner, you will identify, monitor and articulate critical action items and brief them on developments related to those issues. You will develop agendas and background material, conduct research, analyze materials, produce reports, assist with papers, create presentations, proofread and edit content, prepare meeting summaries and background information and archive essential documents.
- Effectively represent the offices of the President and the COO. You will manage the budget of their offices and follow up on issues and actions. You will manage email, the calendar and the schedule, proactively reschedule conflicts, set up in-person, virtual and phone meetings, respond to and prioritize all inquiries, requests for information and communications. You will ensure the appropriate tone and interest are projected, dealing with issues and concerns, solving problems as they arise. You will coordinate travel plans, itineraries and agendas, reconcile expenses and prepare travel reports for approval. You will arrange and manage end-to-end logistics for Board meetings and events.
- Nurture collaborative relationships. You will work with campus leadership to support complex, high-priority projects. You will partner with the Communications team, with internal and external stakeholders and interested parties to increase and maintain visibility of the University's projects and programming. You will work closely with the Senior and Extended Leadership team, informing them of upcoming commitments and responsibilities, anticipating needs and following up appropriately.
- Conduct special administrative and research studies on a wide range of subjects related to the overall management and operations of the University, as well as special projects and programs. You will:
- Review and support the strategic planning process to ensure University projects align with the strategic plan and desired outcomes.
- Manage planning meetings.
- Support budget management.
- Create project schedules and set deadlines for projects.
- Establish documentation to track deliverables and create reports on project progress.
- Schedule, organize and lead project meetings with other internal departments and client meetings related to the project.
What you bring:
- The education. You have a university degree, preferably in a business-related field. A graduate degree in a related field such as Education or an MBA would be considered an asset.
- The experience. You have 5 years of progressively responsible experience, working with senior administrative leadership requiring the management of highly complex projects, preferably in a university administration environment. You have:
- Direct knowledge of policies, governance, regulations, systems, issues management and the decision-making processes and approval structure in an academic/educational institution environment.
- An understanding of and familiarity with the programs, services and culture of a university would be highly beneficial.
- The self-motivation and exceptional organization. You take ownership of your work and seek new opportunities for learning and growing. You are curious, energetic and driven to perform effectively in a demanding, high-growth, fast-paced environment. You hold yourself accountable to high standards of confidentiality with an awareness of sensitive information. You can balance autonomy and independence with executive collaboration and cross-functional teamwork. You are passionate about representing the initiatives and work of the Dean and our organization as a whole.
- The project management skills. You have experience planning and coordinating projects from end to end. You are a creative problem solver, able to balance and change priorities, anticipate and respond to issues and manage all of the details. Your focus is accomplishing every milestone while ensuring processes are followed and issues are proactively dealt with.
- The technical skills . You have expertise in MS Office Suite and familiarity with project management, productivity and communication tools. Exposure to Adobe Creative Suite is an asset.
- The interpersonal skills. You have practical and flexible communication skills, confidence in representing the campus and experience building processes, writing documentation and creating reports. You can influence without authority, manage conflict and nurture trusting relationships at any level. You respect and appreciate diverse experiences and opinions. You are comfortable using a range of communication tools.
What does the best of all worlds mean at Yorkville Education?
- An atmosphere that successfully blends an entrepreneurial culture with education. We value innovation and continuously look towards expanding our programming, working with the latest research, tools and solutions. As a private school with government approval of our offerings, we have the opportunity to do more, stay current and be future-forward.
- The chance to accelerate your career and disrupt education by responding to the needs you see and purposefully challenging the status quo. Everything we do here is about delighting and engaging our employees - and ultimately our students- from mentorship to teaching, from creative outlets to analytical ones.
- A place where all individuals feel welcomed in the academic and workplace environments and can bring their authentic selves to the educational and work spheres. We celebrate the full range of human diversity and we acknowledge that equal access to opportunities and services may require the removal of barriers that equity-seeking communities experience in trying to obtain this access.
- The opportunity to grow with access to free courses, certifications and programs - right up to our Masters' offerings.
- An appreciation for the insights and skills you bring to work with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, including a wide breadth of wellness services and a work-life balance.
Join us
We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we are looking for, express your interest now.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are critical components of life at Yorkville Education Company and we are committed to making these values an integral part of our culture. We encourage applications from all qualified applicants, including women, persons with disabilities, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC), people from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual + (LGBTQ2SIA+) community and other equity-seeking groups.
Yorkville University is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act ('AODA'). If you require accommodation for disability, please notify Human Resources at [Phone number shown when applying] ext. 1236.
We acknowledge that the land Yorkville University operates on in New Brunswick is the traditional territory of the Wabanaki Confederacy, the Mi'kmaq and the Wolastoqiyik-Maliseet First Nation. We also acknowledge that the applicable treaties for this region are referred to as the Peace and Friendship Treaties. We reaffirm our responsibility to increase awareness and understanding of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples and colonial legacy and commit to strengthening our relationship with Indigenous peoples throughout Canada.
