Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Administrators (CAPA)
Position Title: Executive Assistant/Board Secretary
Location: Remote with one in-person conference annually
Time Commitment: Part-time (hours will vary, require flexibility)
Wage: $24/hour to $27/hour
JOB SUMMARY
The Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Administrators is a pan-Canadian, not-for-profit organization, that provides support to member institutions that have staff who work with postdoctoral fellows in either an educational or hospital setting.
We have a contract opportunity for a remote part-time Executive Assistant/Board Secretary to join our organization. In this role, you will be responsible for various administrative tasks including bookkeeping, emailing, website updates, meeting scheduling, and recordkeeping. The Executive Assistant/Board Secretary is directly responsible to the entire Board but will work predominantly with the President, Vice-President, and Treasurer.
The ideal candidate will have previous administrative experience, strong organizational skills, and proficiency in office and accounting software. As a key point of contact, the incumbent will primarily communicate with the board, ensuring smooth coordination and support. Working within a Canadian “Not for Profit” operation we will expect the candidate to be familiar with the procedures, rules, and regulations for this type of organization. This position will have flexible hours which will require the candidate to be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and adept at managing tasks independently.
WORK PERFORMED
Administration
- Responsible for the day-to-day operation of CAPA
- Coordinate and schedule Board meetings, monthly membership meetings, prepare and distribute agendas, meeting notices/minutes, and other related materials. Prepare and disseminate all documents for Board meetings. Assure posting, mailing, and other CAPA-related known legal requirements are met.
- Responsible for content and posting to, and general maintenance of the CAPA website.
- Coordinate the Board nomination process and prepare documents for the nominations call.
- Coordinate, and summarize information (confidential and non-confidential) on behalf of the Board of Directors. Compose and prepare business letters, memos, and announcements.
- Responsible for filing, maintaining, and safeguarding all CAPA files, including but not limited to, litigation, resolutions, agendas, and minutes. Create and maintain a Record Retention Policy.
- Maintains primary responsibility for monitoring and managing the CAPA email account and responding to emails in a timely and professional manner, prioritizing and organizing correspondence as needed.
- Maintain the current membership list by updating the membership register, bookkeeping files, website, and listserv in a timely manner.
- Prepare and distribute CAPA Quarterly Newsletter.
- Maintains Membership contact list along with Institutional voting members.
- Responsible for administering and summarizing the CAPA annual institutional survey
- May organize annual Board of Directors retreat.
- Perform special projects as assigned by the Board of Directors.
- Maintains the CAPA bylaws and updates as necessary
Event Planning and Co-ordination
- With direction from the Board, the incumbent is responsible for planning the CAPA Annual National Conference
- Coordinate the online Conference registration
- Coordination of print material and conference collateral including delegate packages
- Run point with potential Conference speakers & coordinate presentation materials
- Solicits sponsorships
- Liaises with the conference venue as main contact, for all conference needs including, but not limited to, AV requirements and catering.
- Verify invoices for payments and post-conference reconciliation of accounts.
- Development, administration, and summation of the formal conference evaluation
Finance
With direction from the Board, specifically the Treasurer, the incumbent is responsible for the following:
- Maintain accurate records of financial transactions via QuickBooks
- Assisting with the annual budget creation;
- Monthly reconciliation of recorded expenses and issuing and processing of invoices.
- Coordinate the annual Audit process and be the first point of contact with external services.
- Processing the annual Institutional membership invoices.
- Assist the Treasurer in activities related to the bank/financial institutions used by CAPA.
Other duties as assigned commensurate with the skills and duties of the position.
EDUCATION:
- Post-secondary Degree from a recognized Institution.
- An equivalent level of training and experience may be considered.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum of three (3) years previous experience in an administrative role preferably in a not-forprofit organization or within a post-secondary environment.
- Previous experience reporting to and working with a Board of Directors.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Proficiency in using office software and tools, such as Microsoft Office, and Zoom.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in both English and French would be an important asset.
- Ability to work independently and manage time effectively in a remote setting.
- Possess basic accounting knowledge including the use of QuickBooks.
ABILITY TO: Assume responsibility and make decisions; plan and organize. Ability to analyze data, specifically data from surveys, report writing, and business correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from the Board of Directors and CAPA Membership. Identifying, analyzing, and independently solving a variety of moderately difficult situations and problems. Requires excellent organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and meet deadlines. Self-motivated, proactive, independent, results-orientated, and organized. Exercises excellent judgment, tact, and diplomacy in interacting with people from within and outside the organization. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and Board members. Possesses leadership skills and has demonstrated critical-thinking abilities.
Please send your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and availability to:
Hourik Khanlian, CAPA Vice-President
graduate.hr@ubc.ca