Administrative Assistant

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request special accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Information on accommodation for persons with disabilities

The positions to be staffed from this process are located in the Information Management Services Directorate of Health Canada. The primary work location is in KANATA, in the National Capital Region.

Part of the assessment will be conducted through a take home exam and will take place over a weekend. Candidates are expected to be available. The take home exam will only be rescheduled under exceptional circumstances and a strong rationale and evidence will be required to support any reschedule request. The take home exam will be sent by email at 10AM EDT Thursday, August 16th, 2018 and must be returned before 4PM EDT Monday, August 20th, 2018. Please indicate your availability to complete the take home exam in your cover letter.

Intent of the process

The Information Management Services Directorate is located at 340 Legget Drive in Kanata. This process will initially be used to staff two positions on an indeterminate basis. A pool of candidates may be established and may be used to staff similar positions with various tenures.

Positions to be filled: 2

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter in 5,000 words (maximum) "Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their cover letter, how they meet the education and experience factors listed in the essential and asset qualifications as well as provide the additional information requested in the “Other information” section of the poster. Candidates must use the education/experience factors as a header and write how they demonstrate each using concrete examples. Please note that it is not sufficient to only state that the qualification is met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Resumes will be used as a secondary source to validate the experience described in the cover letter. Failure to clearly demonstrate in your cover letter how you meet the screening criteria (Education and Experience, both Essential and Asset) and provide the additional information requested in the “Other information” section of the poster may result in the rejection of your application. *NOTE: The Ability to follow instructions, Written communication and Thoroughness will be assessed through the covering letter."

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Education:
A secondary school diploma or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

Degree equivalency

Experience:

1. Experience in an administrative or project support role, performing at least four (4) of the following tasks:

- Maintaining an agenda and monitoring deadlines for a supervisor;
- Setting up meetings by booking meeting rooms and preparing meeting material;
- Controlling the flow of documents for either translation or editing requests;
- Setting up teleconferences or videoconferencing;
- Preparing project schedules or status updates;
- Preparing communications for various project stakeholders;
- Proofreading translations and making required changes for clarity and grammar.

2. Significant* experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, and the Internet in a work setting.

3. Experience in providing support in one or more of the following: finance, human resources, procurement, or administrative services.

* Significant experience is defined as depth and breadth of experience normally associated with the performance of those duties on a regular basis for a period of approximately two (2) or more years.

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

Asset Qualifications:

Education:
1. Completed post-secondary education from a recognized educational institution.

Experience:
1. Experience providing administrative support to staffing processes within the federal government.
2. Experience with Microsoft Project.
3. Experience providing operational information management support.

Degree equivalency

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Bilingual - Imperative (BBB/BBB)

Information on language requirements

Competencies:
1. Planning and organizing
2. Oral communication
3. Written communication
4. Thoroughness
5. Initiative
6. Judgement
7. Reliability
8. Team work
9. Client focus
10. Respectful of diversity

Abilities and Skills:
1. Ability to use advanced features of MS Office products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
2. Ability to follow instructions.

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Operational Requirements:
Must be willing to work overtime, sometimes on short notice;
Must be willing to handle files and lift boxes, up to 25 pounds.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the targeted groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

Asset education & experience criteria MAY be used to assist with volume management and/or right-fit justifications, and may be evaluated at any phase of the assessment process.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you check for messages regularly. Failure to respond to key messages may result in your being automatically withdrawn from this process unless you have previously identified alternate arrangements for accommodations measures.

You must confirm in your cover letter whether or not you will have access to a working computer with MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint for take-home exam weekend.

To assist with volume management, the selection board may elect to use a top-down methodology to select candidates for progression through each stage of the assessment process.

All written communication obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to the close of process, may be used in the assessment of the qualification "Written communication”.

We will only accept on-line applications received via the jobs.gc.ca site. Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

You are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of your choice. As such, please identify in your covering letter your preferred official language for (1) correspondence; and (2) interviews. Please identify either "English" OR "French".

Candidates must provide proof of education. It is the candidate responsibility to obtain the appropriate documentation.

Your cover letter must include the reason for which you are entitled to work in Canada: Canadian citizenship, permanent resident status or work permit.

Please include in your cover letter whether your have valid Second Language Evaluation (SLE) tests results with the Public Service Commission (PSC) and provide your levels. If your levels have expired or you do not have test results, this must also be included in your cover letter.

All information pertaining to the process will be sent by email. It is therefore your responsibility to verify your email account for new communication regarding this selection process on a regular basis.

You must include your email address in your cover letter.

All communication and information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to the close of process, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

Depending on the number of applicants, volume management strategies such as random selection, top-down approach, and/or cut-off scores MAY be used for the purpose of managing applications/candidates. As such, please note that achieving the cut off mark on any of the assessments used does not mean you will move forward in the selection process. Management may decide to use a pass mark that is higher than the cut off mark on any of the evaluations used throughout the selection process.

Any false information and/or fraudulent documentation provided by candidates in relation to this selection process may result in their termination from this staffing process, removal from the eligibility pools created by this competition and/or revocation of any employment offers which may result from this process.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.