Job Specification

Purpose :

- To provide executive and administrative support to the branch director.
- To coordinate issues management, workflow and communications for the branch.

Key Responsibilities :

Executive and Administrative Support
- Provides executive support to the director's office by managing tracking systems, monitoring the status of business responsibilities and making decisions in the director's absence on the coordination of branch operations.
- Reviews material and prioritizes information for the director, maintaining a bring-forward system; compiles appropriate materials for the director in preparation for meetings; responds to requests from director, other branch and ministry staff including Minister's, Deputy's and Assistant Deputy Minister's offices.
- Develops and manages systems and processes for internal branch administration, business and financial planning, budget administration, issues management, correspondence tracking and meetings and committees.
- Liaises with ministry resource and support staff to organize and support director's office communication with staff by coordinating regular staff meetings and preparing meeting agendas.
- Coordinates and provides input into the development of strategic, operational and human resources planning, by analyzing and consolidating information and preparing reports for the director's approval.
- Provides support and oversees the coordination of branch and/or division wide meetings including scheduling meetings and preparing and distributing meeting materials, summarizing, analyzing and following up on issues.
2. Correspondence and Issues Management
- Coordinates the preparation of correspondence for branch policy matters, house notes, cabinet submissions, issues management correspondence; drafts or delegates, follows up, reviews and edits responses and expedites correspondence materials through the approval processes.
- Briefs director on all significant matters arising in the branch/ministry ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of briefing materials.
3. Human Resources/Staff Supervision
- Coordinates human resources administration for the branch including managing staff assignments, initiating and processing staffing requirements through recruitment activities, consultant contracts, temporary staff; maintaining position inventories, organization charts, staff and attendance records; liaises with human resources staff on branch staff changes.
- Provides technical direction and administrative guidance to administrative staff; provides input to performance appraisal of office support staff.
4. Financial Management
- Coordinates and provides input into the development of branch financial forecasts and budgets. .
- Administers branch budget for the director's office by ensuring financial controls are in place for approving and processing invoices, monitoring contract management and travel expense processing, purchasing supplies and equipment.
5. Special Projects
- Leading and/or participating in a variety of special projects and assignments for the Director, both internal to the Division and external to the Ministry; provides support to developing project plans and preparing recommendations and reports.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Ministry and branch organization, programs, priorities, stakeholder groups and administrative processes to identify and coordinate responses to contentious issues, apply protocols for Minister/Deputy Minister/ADM's offices to effectively coordinate the flow and content of briefing materials, handling of information, responses to issues for the branch and coordinate work flow for branch policy papers.
- Stakeholder groups and their needs, to identify critical issues and provide briefings to the director.
- Government financial and administrative policies and guidelines in order to provide input and monitor the branch budget, contract management, invoice and travel expense processing; records management.
- Human resources policies and guidelines to initiate staffing requirements, ensure employee documentation processes are in place and provide information and recommendations to senior managers.
- Planning and organization and project management skills to coordinate and carry out special assignments and prioritize work to meet deadlines.
- Written and oral communications to prepare briefing notes, correspondence to respond to inquiries.
- Computer applications to prepare spreadsheets, presentations, correspondence, reports tracking systems for issues notes, cabinet submissions.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Conflict resolution and communication skills to handle information requests and negotiate extensions to due dates; resolve conflict/issues among administrative staff.
- Interpersonal skills to influence desired outcomes (i.e. negotiating timelines or extensions to meet competing priorities and deadlines), other branches, divisional office and other external stakeholders (i.e. coordinating committee meetings).
- Tact and discretion to deal with issues of a contentious, confidential or sensitive nature and to provide information, delegate the preparation of correspondence and materials.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analyzing and problem solving skills to:
- Review and interpret internal administrative policies and procedures on business and financial planning, budget administration, issues management, correspondence tracking and preparation, meetings and committees.
- Identify and research contentious issues and determine optimum resolution of such issues.
- Respond to various policy and branch issues to assign work to appropriate staff and/or determine when to bring issues/problems to director's attention.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
- Providing information and recommending administrative processes and procedures to director and managers to ensure effective branch management.
- Coordinating, analyzing and responding to contentious and/or critical issues and/or determining which issues require Director's attention or can be referred to Branch staff.
- Assigning urgent requests from the Minister's/ADM offices and coordinating required activities with other branches to ensure requests are met.
- Coordinating and monitoring branch financial forecasts and budgets, contract management and travel expense processing; ensuring financial controls are in place for processing and approvals of invoices.
Has latitude to monitor branch administration activities and make decisions in the Director's absence regarding the coordination of branch operations; and to coordinate the development of internal protocols to support Branch decision-making and priority-setting processes. Decisions are guided by legislation, government and branch policies, procedures and practices. Decisions on delegating, coordinating and prioritizing affect the branch's ability to respond to issues and provide timely and accurate information. Functional specialists and senior management officials are available for expertise, advice and guidance.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Branch and Division managers and staff to discuss and advise on approval of correspondence, coordinate operational and briefing issues and to assign, advise or follow up on the status of work.
- Minister/Deputy/ADM staff regarding preparation of correspondence, briefing materials and issues management; scheduling Director's time.
- Communications staff to review and sign off on Premier's & Minister's announcements, press releases, backgrounders and Q's & A's.
- Senior management and colleagues in other branches, divisions, ministries, and central agencies to discuss/coordinate projects, advise on the status of issues and briefing materials and provide advice on branch processes.
- Regular contact with Federal and other provincial governments and other stakeholders to discuss issues of mutual interest and exchange information.

Guidance / Supervision :

Provides technical guidance and advice on administrative matters to branch support staff in scheduling meetings, correspondence and/or issues management; advise staff on divisional processes and protocols.
Provides branch staff with guidance and advice on divisional processes and protocols.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

Highly demanding work environment with many competing priorities and deadlines. Unexpected or conflicting work demands and tight deadlines.

Mental / Sensory :

Frequent work interruptions due to requests from support staff, Director or other ministry staff.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.