Executive Assistant & Board Secretary

About Us

As a celebrated Canadian gallery, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is deeply connected to the cultures and communities of Atlantic Canada, a region shaped by its enduring relationship with the sea. It is committed to this mission as an agency of the Province of Nova Scotia and one of the premier arts institutions in Canada.


Since its beginnings in 1908 as the Nova Scotia Museum of Fine Arts, the gallery has been at the heart of the province’s cultural evolution. It officially became the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in 1975. Over the years, the AGNS has cultivated an impressive permanent collection of nearly 20,000 works, including Canadian and Indigenous art, contemporary installations, and a renowned folk-art collection featuring Maud Lewis’s iconic painted house and the largest public collection of her work.


As a gallery, we invite collective engagement, interaction, and dialogue; examination, reflection, and the disentanglement of historical and contemporary narratives. Through our work, the AGNS challenges individuals to take risks, re-imagine, and make changes for a more equitable and just world. 


Please note, due to legislative changes, as of January 1, 2023, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) employees are no longer Civil Servants and are instead direct employees of the AGNS.

About Our Opportunity

This Executive Assistant & Board Secretary serves as a strategic partner to the CEO and a key support to the Board of Directors. As Executive Assistant, the incumbent ensures smooth executive operations by managing the CEO’s calendar, coordinating communications, and overseeing logistics that support organizational priorities. As Board Secretary, the role supports effective governance by organizing board and committee meetings, maintaining accurate records, and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

As the Board Secretary you will,

• Organize the full cycle of board and committee meetings, including scheduling, logistics, agenda preparation, and distribution of materials.
• Record and maintain accurate minutes of board and committee meetings and prepare post-meeting action lists
• Maintain governance records including bylaws, resolutions, board communications, and committee charters.
• Provide expertise and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to board governance and organizational transparency.
• Serve as a point of contact for board members, facilitating communication and access to relevant materials and updates.

As Executive Assistant you will,

• Act as a trusted liaison for the CEO, evaluating incoming inquiries and determining the appropriate course of action, including delegating tasks in consultation with the CEO
• Strategically manage the CEO’s calendar, proactively resolving conflicts, preparing agendas, and adjusting priorities to align with organizational goals.
• Draft, review, and manage a broad range of complex and confidential correspondence, presentations, and reports, including triaging multiple inboxes and escalating urgent matters.
• Coordinate complex travel arrangements for the CEO and Senior Leadership Team
• Monitor reporting and compliance deadlines, ensuring timely submissions to government agencies, funders, and oversight bodies.

Qualifications and Experience

As the successful candidate, you have completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Communications, or a related field or a recognized business administration program and are a seasoned professional with several years of experience supporting senior executives or board-level leadership.

In addition to the above, the following will be key for success in this role:

• A high degree of professionalism, tact, diplomacy and consistently exercise discretion and confidentiality
• Excellent judgement, receptive to feedback and the ability to prioritize multiple tasks under tight deadlines. 
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement processes and systems that enhance operational efficiency and support evolving business needs.
• Possess strong teamwork and collaboration skills, excelling in communication with external/internal stakeholders and the public. 
• Ability to exercise sound judgement and maintain composure in stressful situations.
• A self-starter who proactively initiates work tasks to ensure they are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Strong attention to detail with a particular focus on proofreading, punctuation, and grammar skills
• Work well independently and in team environments, and apply the concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusive practice to all areas of your work.
• Proficiency with MS Office and Outlook is required.

Equivalency

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

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.  For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

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: our employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Department specific flexible working schedules