Executive Assistant
Job Description
Position Title: Executive Assistant
Position Type: Regular/Full-Time
Location: Mississauga, ON
Job Band/Grade: 4
Hiring Range: $50,117.60 to $65,769.60/year
Hours of work: 36.25 hours/week
Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Registrar
This posting is applicable to: Internal/External Applicants
Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) is a Crown agency responsible for skilled trades certification in Ontario, which includes:
- Establishing apprenticeship programs, including training standards, curriculum standards and certification exams.
- Administering apprenticeship programs, including approving apprentices and sponsors, registering training agreements and assessing applications for apprenticeship program completion.
- Issuing certificates of apprenticeship to completed Ontario apprentices.
- Assessing experience and qualifications of individuals who have not completed an apprenticeship program in Ontario.
- Administering exams, including certifying exams, in all trades subject to certifying exams.
- Issuing Certificates of Qualification in all trades with certifying exams.
- Renewing Certificates of Qualification in compulsory trades.
- Maintaining a Public Register of people authorized to work in compulsory trades.
- Researching apprenticeships and the trades.
The Executive Assistant provides high level, strategic, and confidential administrative support to the COO/Deputy Registrar. This role ensures the smooth and efficient operation of the Office of the COO by managing complex calendars, coordinating cross organizational priorities, preparing executive level briefing materials, and serving as a key liaison with internal and external stakeholders.
The incumbent anticipates needs, exercises sound judgment, and handles issues with discretion, tact, and professionalism. They play a central role in operational planning, and communication flow across departments. This position is responsible for coordinating executive projects as assigned, managing sensitive information, and enabling the COO/Deputy Registrar to focus on strategic and operational leadership.
Responsibilities:
1. Executive Support & Strategic Coordination
- Provide comprehensive executive-level administrative support to the COO/Deputy Registrar, ensuring efficient management of daily operations and strategic priorities.
- Manage a complex and dynamic calendar, including scheduling, prioritizing, and adjusting meetings to align with organizational priorities.
- Triage incoming inquiries, issues, and requests; exercise judgment to determine priority and appropriate handling or delegation.
2. Stakeholder & Relationship Management
- Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders interacting with the Office of the COO.
- Facilitate effective communication flow between the COO and all departments, senior leaders, and external partners.
- Maintain strong, professional relationships with executive assistants across the organization to ensure alignment of schedules, priorities, and key initiatives.
- Support governance-related activities, including the preparation of materials for senior leadership, committees, and cross-functional working groups.
3. Meetings, Events, and Documentation
- Plan, coordinate, and support all logistics for executive meetings, and special events, including agendas, minutes, presentations, and follow-up tracking.
- Summarize discussions and prepare accurate and timely meeting records and action logs.
- Assemble and maintain briefing books, decision-support documents, and other materials required for COO meetings.
4. Operations, Planning & Executive Projects
- Support the COO in operational planning activities, including tracking strategic initiatives, monitoring deadlines, and coordinating cross-department updates.
- Assist with project coordination for COO-led initiatives, ensuring timelines, deliverables, and communications are managed effectively.
- Conduct research, compile data, and prepare reports, briefing notes, and presentations for executive review.
- Help manage risks and emerging issues by identifying key matters requiring escalation or immediate attention.
5. Financial & Administrative Oversight
- Process and reconcile expenses, invoices, and other financial transactions in accordance with established policies.
- Maintain office systems, including filing, tracking tools, databases, and electronic records, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with governance standards.
- Assist with procurement activities, vendor coordination, and department purchasing requirements.
6. Confidentiality, Judgment & Professionalism
- Handle sensitive information with the utmost discretion, professionalism, and adherence to privacy and confidentiality standards.
- Apply sound judgment to resolve administrative issues independently and make recommendations to improve efficiency and workflow.
- Represent the Office of the COO with professionalism, diplomacy, and tact when interacting with staff, senior leaders, and external partners.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or College diploma in business administration, office administration, public administration, communications, or a related field.
- Relevant years of experience providing executive‑level administrative support in a senior leadership environment (e.g., C‑suite, executive office, government, regulatory, or public sector organization).
- Demonstrated experience in managing complex calendars, coordinating executive meetings, and preparing high‑quality briefing materials, reports, and correspondence.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), virtual collaboration tools, and document/records management systems.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and decision‑making in handling confidential issues and sensitive matters.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience drafting correspondence, presentations, minutes, and executive briefing documents.
Knowledge of:
- Executive level administrative practices, including complex calendar management, strategic scheduling, workflow optimization, and coordination of cross functional priorities within a senior leadership environment.
- Governance processes, organizational operations, and executive decision-making frameworks to support the COO/Deputy Registrar in planning, risk mitigation, and issue management.
- Records and information management practices, including the development and maintenance of secure, confidential filing systems (manual and electronic), data tracking tools, and bring forward systems.
- Office productivity tools at an advanced level, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), collaboration platforms and presentation/graphics tools.
- Administrative policies, procedures, and privacy/confidentiality requirements relevant to the functioning of the Office of the COO/Deputy Registrar.
Skills Include:
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, competing deadlines, and shifting demands in a fast‑paced executive environment.
- Strong oral and written communication skills to facilitate clear, professional, and effective communication on behalf of the COO/Deputy Registrar; ability to prepare briefing materials and respond to inquiries with accuracy and diplomacy.
- Tact, discretion, and sound judgment in handling highly sensitive, confidential, and time‑sensitive information.
- Advanced decision‑making skills to assess priorities, triage issues, identify urgency, and recommend appropriate courses of action.
- Interpersonal and relationship‑building skills to work effectively with senior leaders, external partners, Board members, and staff across all levels of the organization.
- Analytical and problem‑solving skills to support research, project coordination, operational planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Strong initiative and the ability to work independently with minimal guidance, demonstrating proactive anticipation of needs and solutions‑oriented thinking.
- Advanced capability in preparing reports, presentations, documents, and other executive‑level materials with accuracy and professionalism.
What STO Offers:
- Work-life balance
- Comprehensive health and dental benefits
- RRSP matching (up to 6%)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through TELUS Health with employee perks
Our Recruitment Process Includes:
- Step 1: Resume Screening
- Step 2: Phone Screening
- Step 3: Panel Interview(s)/Assignment
- Step 4: Selection
- Step 5: Offer of Employment
We thank all applicants for their interest and will only contact those whose skills, knowledge, and experience most closely match the requirements of the position.
Skilled Trades Ontario embraces diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. Our goal is to attract, develop and retain highly talented employees from diverse backgrounds, allowing us to benefit from a wide variety of experiences and perspectives. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and Skilled Trades Ontario’s Accommodation Policy, accommodation will be provided at any point throughout the hiring process, provided the candidate makes their accommodation needs known to Skilled Trades Ontario. We welcome applications from all qualified persons.
Skilled Trades Ontario is an equal opportunity employer.