Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 2950

Job Profile

CUPE 2950 Salaried - Administrative Support 3 (Gr6)

Job Title

Vancouver Summer Program / Administrative Assistant

Department

Administrative Staff | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering | Faculty of Applied Science

Compensation Range

$4,449.00 - $4,676.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

March 27, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Aug 31, 2025

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is one of the largest academic units at the University of British Columbia Vancouver campus, with over 1,100 undergraduate and 400 graduate students enrolled in its degree programs. The department is also engaged in a range of research activities, with over 50 research-track faculty members actively involved in their respective scholarly communities.

The Vancouver Summer Program / Administrative Assistant is responsible for supporting the Vancouver Summer Program in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, including providing support to current and prospective students and coordinating events. The role also includes reception duties for ECE’s administration services office, as well as back-up support for other student services duties as needed.

Organizational Status

The incumbent is situated in the ECE administration services office, which is an open office space shared by a team of 12-15 administrative staff, student workers and the department head.

The Vancouver Summer Program / Administrative Assistant reports to the Manager of Business Operations, with day-to-day supervision provided by the Manager of Student Services and Engagement. This role involves routine interactions with current and prospective students, as well as UBC faculty, staff visitors and guests.

Work Performed

• Coordinates various aspects of ECE’s Vancouver Summer Program; liaises with the UBC VSP office; supervises student workers and student ambassadors who will be assisting with planning and delivery of VSP's academic programs and social events; reviews and accepts prospective VSP students based on established prerequisites for admission; provides information and advising to prospective VSP students.
• Provides accurate and timely information and guidance over phone, email, and in person on issues such as routine undergraduate/graduate program-related questions, graduate admissions policies, and status of graduate applications; assists students with booking appointments with senior student advisors as needed.
• Assists the graduate program assistant with the graduate admissions process for the Master of Applied Science, Master of Engineering and PhD programs in ECE; assesses applications for completeness and eligibility based on established policies; follows up on incomplete applications; corresponds with prospective students and faculty supervisors; informs candidates about application decisions.
• Assists the manager, student services and engagement, with special events, such as new student orientations and graduation, as well as various student social events.
• Works with the communications and marketing assistant to support the delivery of events, workshops and other student engagement initiatives, as well as the development of new content for the ECE website and social media.
• Stays up-to-date on relevant student-related policies and procedures at the university and department level in order to provide a high level of service.
• Communicates sensitive or difficult information in a tactful and professional manner; uses sound judgment to determine when to escalate complex or unusual cases to a senior staff member.
• Regularly reviews academic program-related pages on the departmental website; informs the communications and marketing team in a timely manner if updates are needed.
• Assembles and distributes information packages to new students.
• Participates in the development of departmental policies and procedures related to student services.
• Provides front-line reception service to ECE administrative services office; responds to general inquiries over phone, e-mail and in person; politely greets and assists visitors.
• Processes room booking and building access requests.
• Arranges meetings and catering; transcribes and distributes meeting minutes.
• Uses a web-based ticket tracking system to manage work requests.
• Represents the department, as needed, at various events, including open houses, program information sessions, recruitment fairs, and special events.
• Provides general day-to-day administrative support to the department head and office managers consistent with job classification; provides back-up coverage for the other CUPE position(s) within the administrative services office as needed.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Vancouver Summer Program / Administrative Assistant is a front-line staff member in the ECE administration services office. The incumbent is expected to become familiar with all relevant departmental and university policies, apply these policies using sound judgment and act in a professional, tactful manner. In addition, the incumbent must be capable of maintaining a high level of attention to detail. Failure to do so may cause legal or financial consequences for the department, reduce the efficiency of departmental operations, and negatively impact the reputation of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the University of British Columbia.

Certain duties in this role require a high level of confidentiality, particularly when dealing with personal information of UBC students or employees. At UBC, we are regulated by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), which requires us to protect personal information from unauthorized collection, use or disclosure. Failure to comply with FIPPA increases the risk of a privacy breach, which could have negative consequences for the affected individuals and the department.

Supervision Received

The Vancouver Summer Program / Administrative Assistant reports to the Manager of Business Operations, with day-to-day supervision provided by the Manager of Student Services and Engagement. The incumbent may also receive direction and work assignments from other office managers as needed. Work may also be assigned by the department head, associate heads or other designated faculty members as needed.

Supervision Given

May be asked to explain procedures and provide other job-related training to new, temporary or inexperienced staff.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School graduation, plus one year of post-secondary education, plus four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
• Commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with Workday is considered an asset.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to prepare and adjust schedules to accommodate all requirements.
• Ability to respond appropriately to inquiries in person, on phone, and in writing, and make appropriate referrals.
• Ability to identify and correct missing and incomplete data.
• Ability to efficiently and effectively coordinate tasks.
• Ability to gather, record, and organize information.
• Ability to prepare and complete job-related documents using relevant content and appropriate format (e.g., forms, letters).
• Ability to accurately create and maintain records.
• Ability to accurately proofread for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to effectively use standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office or equivalent) at an intermediate level.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to understand and apply policies, procedures, and instructions.
• Ability to enter, retrieve, correct, and interpret data in financial management system.
• Ability to deal with people in a courteous, calm manner.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to explain, assign, and monitor work.
• Ability to perform basic arithmetic.
• Ability to design and conduct surveys.