Administrative Assistant (Secretary 3)

About Us

The Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care offers opportunities to grow and advance in a dynamic sector that touches the lives of all Nova Scotians. Along with our direct Government partners we work closely with the Nova Scotia Health Authority and various other regulatory agencies both provincial and national.  There is a great deal of interaction between long-term care facilities, training facilities and other sector leaders. We are committed to continually improving the support system for seniors and those requiring continued and long-term care.

In addition, the department supports the social and economic well-being of older adults ensuring policy formulation and effective decision-making as well as policy coherence across government departments as it relates to aging.  The newly formed department is thinking differently about how to plan, fund, legislate and monitor to improve access and service delivery for Nova Scotia’s senior population. To do this, we need leaders at all levels of the organization who embrace a challenge and believe in their ability to make a difference.

About Our Opportunity

There are 2 positions available as Administrative Assistant reporting directly to the Senior Executive Director, Infrastructure and Senior Executive Director, Continuing Care. In both of these positions, you will be essential to the effective management, coordination and efficient operation of the office and a critical member of the team.  Your responsibility will be to help keep office operations running smoothly.

If you are a master multi-tasker with excellent communication skills and a professional work ethic, this could be your next career opportunity.

Primary Accountabilities

We count on your expertise to ensure efficient operations of administrative support functions through effective office management. A few of your key responsibilities will include:

• Preparing and composing confidential correspondence, reports and presentations on behalf of the senior leadership.
• Routing and prioritizing and on occasion responding to incoming mail, inquiries, and correspondence.
• Coordinating and managing schedules, calendars, as well as virtual and in-person meetings/events with internal and external stakeholders; and ensuring constant innovation and administrative process improvements.
• Preparing and managing administration budgets and other duties as required

In addition to the above, you will work to ensure efficient workflow is achieved by managing numerous operational processes, such as bring forward and workflow monitoring systems and correspondence processing.

Qualifications and Experience

As our next Administrative Assistant, you have successfully completed a one-year business course and have 5 years of senior office administration/secretarial experience or equivalent.

You are a self-motivated individual who works well independently, takes initiative, and participates fully in a team environment. You possess excellent grammar, proofreading, attention to detail, and organizational skills along with exceptional ability to manage competing priorities.  Strong communication skills (written and verbal) with an ability to address and manage client inquiries both in person and by phone is essential to your success.

You are experienced in ensuring confidentiality in all your work as well as establishing and building relationships with a variety of stakeholders. You have demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint), and are familiar with STAR/STOR. Experience in the public sector, familiarity with SAP, Ariba, and/or Flextrack systems would be considered assets.

Leadership competencies required at this level of work are:

Analytical Thinking, Adaptability and Flexibility, Attention to Detail, Client Orientation, Effective Interactive Communication, Initiative, and Intercultural and Diversity Proficiency.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Equivalency

An equivalent combination of training, education and experience will be considered. Equivalencies may include but are not limited to:

• Completion of a 2-year diploma and 3 years of related experience
• Completion of a related Bachelors degree and 1 year of experience
• At least 5 years of related experience

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension, General Illness (Short and Long Term), Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Click here to learn more about our various benefits offering and eligibility criteria. 

Working Conditions

From time to time, you will be expected to partake in site visits, however most of your time is spent in an office environment. Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day. You may be required to work overtime. Occasionally you may need to move or lift objects such as boxes, inventory, or files.

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
• Engaging workplace, where our employees feel valued, respected, connected and tuned in. We have forward-thinking policies and strategies.
• Countless Career Paths.
• Department-specific Flexible working arrangements.