Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide a range of district administrative and program support services. To provide front-line customer/client services to internal and external clients.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Providing front-line customer and client services to internal and external clients such as resource-based industries, municipalities, general public and
other government offices by responding to inquiries via telephone, mail, computer; providing explanations on ministry policies and procedures;
providing information on programs, assisting in the completion of forms, referring/redirecting technical/professional client inquiries to appropriate staff
and/or government agencies (e.g. Conservation Authorities, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Northern Development and
Mines, Service Ontario, MNR online Approvals).
2. Providing a range of administrative and district support services such as: arranging, participating and recording minutes of meetings; composing routine correspondence; receiving incoming and preparing outgoing mail; providing ground to ground or ground to air radio coverage; organizing and maintaining district filing systems; undertaking corporate searches associated with licences; and maintaining office supplies and equipment, including the telephone system, while deferring technical difficulties to the Supervisor. Keeping informed of local natural resources management program functions and priorities, compiling data and drafting reports (e.g. summary of permits issued, quarterly aged accounts receivable, annual baitfish returns).
3. Completing forms, licences and authorizations such as land use permits, including transfers, work permits, fuel wood licences, authorities to haul, baitfish licences, BMA licences, forest resource licences, trappers licences, ice hut registrations; key licence fish and game licence revenues from Service Ontario; screening applications for new outside licence issuers.
4. Assisting in the district financial process by receiving revenue, preparing receipts, making bank deposits, entering data (e.g. monies received, source, dates); identifying and implementing corrective measures for errors including issuance of notification of arrears to clients; processing requests for cash float; maintaining district files (e.g. purchasing card files, travel expenses).
5. Assisting with capital and moveable asset management by maintaining inventory (e.g. IT, vehicle, equipment, etc.), tracking transfers, documenting disposals, arranging for maintenance and repair of assets/facilities. Coordinating maintenance, acquisition and disposal of owned/leased vehicles.
Providing support services to district staff by assigning new and/or changing numbers, requesting new lines, and providing onsite maintenance of the system, and deferring technical difficulties to the Supervisor.
6. Providing administrative and support services to other programs (e.g. Emergency Management, Enforcement, Health and Safety).
7. Other duties: Management has the right to assign additional duties.
The incumbent shall, while in the workplace, conduct themselves in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and any workplace practices as directed by their immediate supervisor.

Staffing and Licencing :

Typing and keyboarding skills to ministry/local standards.

Knowledge :

Knowledge of relevant sections of various provincial and ministry acts (e.g. Crown Forest Sustainability Act, Public Lands Act, Fish & Wildlife Conservation Act), policies, procedures, directives, guidelines, regulations and/or statutes to provide information (e.g. land use permits, trapper permits) and issue licenses and permits by referring to appropriate policies, procedures, guidelines and MNR Online Approvals.
Knowledge of office administration, manual and automated filing, purchasing, revenue collection procedures, assets management and travel policies, procedures guidelines and practices and relevant sections of the Administration Manual to provide administrative support to the section (e.g. tracking correspondence/projects, arranging meetings/travel, receiving revenue, preparing receipts, making bank deposits, assets administration, maintaining supplies, etc.) in accordance with established administration and purchasing procedures.
Knowledge of computer operations and software programs (e.g. word-processing, data base, electronic mail, spreadsheet applications, government financial and revenue applications), keyboarding and fully programmable word processing, and the internet to format and prepare correspondence and reports, input and retrieve data, and tracking expenditures and revenue, maintain computerized records, databases and systems and to cross reference materials where staff may use their own electronic filing systems.
Knowledge of document retention schedules and file management procedures to maintain filing systems.
Knowledge of office equipment operating procedures (e.g. photocopier, facsimile, postage meter, Point of Sale machines) to ensure equipment functions properly (e.g. by replacing toner cartridges and paper supplies).
Knowledge of radio operation to communicate with staff on field assignments and aircraft. Job may require the ability to obtain a Restricted
Radio/Telephone Operator's Certificate.
Knowledge of OPS/ministry Quality Service Standards and relevant legislation (e.g. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act) to provide
effective customer services in responding to general requests for information and releasing information in accordance with policies.
Knowledge of worker responsibilities as outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Skills :

Analytical skills to determine urgency of matters/inquiries/processes and give priority based on knowledge of subject matter or by discussing with Supervisor/team staff; to identify and resolve discrepancies in invoices, expenses, coding errors, license reports and returns; to determine the most
effective way to produce correspondence, reports, charts and tables, by trying different layout formats or software packages.
Analytical and evaluative skills to determine nature of inquiries and response (e.g. which information to provide by referring to policies and procedures or by forwarding more complex inquiries to other technical/ professional staff/supervisors).
Oral communication skills to convey information (e.g. requirements for work permits, land use permits, Fish and Wildlife licensing); to deal with client groups and the general public, using tact and diplomacy in responding to inquiries and resolving complaints/issues; to provide and retrieve information
from staff on field assignments.
Written communication skills to compose general correspondence and to check spelling/grammar/format in correspondence.
Planning and organizational skills to schedule meetings, prepare for training sessions, seminars and workshops (e.g. team meetings, staff days), working independently or as a part of the team; to organize own workload to ensure priorities are completed within established time frames.
Time management, interpersonal and organizational skills to provide administrative support and assistance to a number of staff with their own priorities, needs and methods of working.
Arithmetic skills to account for cash, tracking district expenditures, (e.g. reviewing general ledger reports and transaction listings), purchasing supplies via purchasing card or requisition system, inputting financial data (e.g. invoices, harvest records, revenue), to reconcile accounts.
Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires working in accordance with established OPS/ministry administrative and resource management policies, procedures, directives, practices and relevant legislation (e.g. FIPPA).
Job requires adhering to and accessing relevant ministry policies, procedures, guidelines, directives, established practices and file information to provide answers to inquiries and resolve client concerns (e.g. land dispositions, timber licensing requirements, game and Fish and Wildlife regulations).
Job requires making decisions on own initiative such as resolving common client concerns to determine validity and ensure accordance with policies and directives, identifying and rectifying errors (e.g. work permit conditions).
Job requires performing tasks with minimal direct supervision and working independently to establish work priorities and resolving issues within established policies, procedures and directives.
Job refers to Supervisor on matters of an unusual/potentially contentious nature or which represent a contravention of policies, procedures or normal business practices (e.g. failure to apply appropriate permit or licence conditions).