Reporting to the Department Manager, the Administrative Assistant will be responsible for the administration of the day-to-day administrative requirements of the Department of Cancer Care and Epidemiology (CCE). The incumbent will be responsible for supporting portfolios held by full-time senior researchers in CCE. This will involve being a central point of contact for the division to ensure consistency among the various administrative processes and procedures. The success of this role will rely heavily on the incumbent’s organizational, priority setting and communication skills.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Provide a broad range of administrative support including, but not limited to, initiating and preparing correspondence, scheduling and maintaining meetings and appointments, distributing information in a timely manner, answering phones and emails, responding to inquiries, travel arrangements and accommodations.
• Administer and monitor research accounts. This includes, but is not limited to reconciling accounts, verifying, and processing payment of invoices, travel claims, and cheque requisitions, as well as tracking. Provide expense reports as required for the Department Manager to assist with budgeting.
• Develop, implement, and maintain filing systems to ensure information is accurate, current, and organized. Provide access to information through regular and ad-hoc reports.
• Responsible for production of annual report with input from senior research staff. This will involve gathering and compiling large volumes of information from a variety of sources and ensuring timely distribution to interested parties.
• Responsible for updating the content of the senior researchers’ curriculum vitae.
• Coordinate equipment purchases, ensuring the upkeep and functionality of office equipment including maintaining supplies.
• Ensure that requests from external sources including requests for journal reprints,
information, data, meetings, and collaborations are processed, and that the necessary follow-up is provided.
• Assist Department Manager with new hiring: placing ads, collecting applications, making
interview arrangements, correspondence and when necessary, participate in the interview process
• Gather and assist in compiling information for grant applications, manuscripts, and abstracts. Determine appropriate information and format for submissions. Assist with the submission of annual reports as required. Responsible for maintaining the curriculum vitae.
• Participating in the planning and implementation of changes to administrative procedures pertaining to better means of processing and storing information.
• Undertake other duties as required to ensure the smooth functioning of CCE.

SPECIAL SKILLS:
• Strict attention to detail and exceptional accuracy; is thorough when performing tasks and conscientious about attending to details, ensuring quality of products and services.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to help resolve administrative problems and to maximize efficiency. Research skills considered an asset.
• Flexible, takes initiative and uses resourcefulness to work independently and undertake diverse responsibilities.
• Excellent time management and highly effective organizational/administrative skills to deal with a consistently high volume of work and juggle conflicting priorities, ensuring deadlines are met. Results oriented with the ability to work under pressure, solve problems, set timelines and prioritize effectively required.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Strong customer focus: ability to meet the needs of a broad range of internal and external audiences both professionally and effectively with a proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others by working cooperatively to accomplish shared goals and objectives.
• Diplomacy and tact in dealing with diverse groups of people; maturity and good judgement, and the ability to deal with sensitive issues in a professional manner internal and external to the Group.
• Superior interpersonal and communication skills to gather information and deliver key messages accurately and with empathy.
• Excellent writing skills to draft and edit correspondence and reports. Proficient in the use of word processing, PowerPoint, spreadsheet and database software. Ability to adapt to the implementation of new technologies.

DECISION MAKING:
• Set priorities and determine which project requires the most attention.
• Ability to gather appropriate information and/or input to facilitate good decision-making.
• Make recommendations regarding office administration procedures; suggest and help implement changes.
• Decide when new information calls for further action such as distribution or verification.
• Determine account codes and budget allocations.
• Resolve problems within guidelines referring only unusual situations to other staff.
• Determine content and format of correspondence and reports.
• Determine the most effective and efficient way to organize information.