Oceana Canada seeks an Executive Assistant, based in our Toronto office. This position offers an exciting opportunity to be part of an ambitious and growing international family of Oceana organizations dedicated to some of the most important issues facing humanity: preserving our oceans and feeding the world.

Oceana Canada, an independent charity established to restore Canadian oceans to be as rich, healthy, and abundant as they once were, is proud to be affiliated with the international family of Oceana organizations which has seven offices located in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. Oceana Canada will work with civil society, academics, fishers, and government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health. We engage in fact-based campaigns designed to preserve the bounty of the sea as a source for wild-caught fish, as well as to preserve the marine ecosystem for our and future generations.

The Executive Assistant will provide principal administrative and project support to the Executive Director, Oceana Canada. The Executive Assistant handles confidential matters, facilitates departmental information exchange, and maintains a collaborative alliance with internal and external constituents. The Executive Assistant manages a varied, fast paced, high volume workload and works independently to meet deadlines and accomplish tasks.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

Serves as a first point of contact for the Executive Director (ED) with internal colleagues and external constituents, vendors, and others. Uses a high degree of judgment to handle correspondence and phone inquiries, speeding response and minimizing handling by the ED. Also drafts correspondence for ED’s signature. Manages workflow requiring approval/feedback/input from the ED. Also drafts correspondence, briefings, meeting memos, departmental reports and presentations.
Coordinates special project initiatives commissioned by ED from notice to completion. This includes welcoming and directing new staff, assembling appropriate staff members for meetings, scheduling and attending meetings, completing appropriate tasks, engaging outside stakeholders, and providing the ED with periodic updates.
Organizes, manages and handles follow-up for departmental meetings (including with international colleagues).
Works with the ED to track follow-up and assignments given to direct reports.
Manages the day-to-day administrative functions of Oceana Canada. The Executive Assistant coordinates and maintains relationships with internal and external vendors to ensure timely satisfaction of invoices, expense reports, and subscriptions (and to handle approval of employee expense reports and invoices generated by vendors managed by employees and requiring approval by the ED).
Handles research assignments for the ED using the Internet, Oceana’s library, and other sources.
Performs additional duties as needed and/or assigned.

Education/Experience or Other Requirements:

University degree, equivalent combination of education and administrative experience required.
Must have excellent computer skills, including proficiency using word-processing, spreadsheet, and scheduling software. Microsoft Office Suite experience required.
Must have the ability to handle many tasks simultaneously, with speed, accuracy, and courtesy, show initiative, and exhibit exceptional level of insightful planning and understanding of abstract concepts.
Must possess good organizational, written and verbal communication skills.
Must be willing to accept varied workload, including travel and working outside of normal work-week hours.
Must maintain strict confidentiality in working with sensitive data, and possess excellent judgment in handling communications, expenses, budgets, other issues and personal relationships.
Must be able to successfully, diplomatically and tactfully handle inquiries from Oceana Canada’s board members and celebrity supporters.
Must be a team player, who can build and maintain trust and confidence of all staff including CEO, Executive Committee members.
Ability to take initiative in suggesting ways to augment work and responsibilities of position to accomplish Oceana Canada’s goals.
Must be able to represent Oceana Canada in a professional and responsive manner.

Oceana Canada offers a competitive salary and benefits package. Oceana Canada is an equal opportunity employer.

Please send a cover letter and email to:
hr@oceana.ca