Judicial Executive 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 specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

YOU MUST provide responses to screening questions and your resume.

Normally, applicants will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

ONLY ON-LINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED in order to take advantage of the many benefits of using the electronic recruitment system. Some of the benefits for applicants include that you can:

- modify your application/resume at any time BEFORE the closing date,
- complete screening questions which will highlight your qualifications to the hiring manager,
- verify the status of your application and notification(s), at any time, and
- be notified electronically of assessment details and results.

Persons who are unable to apply on-line must contact prior to the closing date.

Duties

The incumbent of the position being staffed provides executive judicial support to a judge of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC). Key activities include: 1) managing the daily activities of an SCC judge and his or her chambers, including coordinating and tracking his or her agenda (e.g., sitting schedules, meetings, conferences), providing logistical support, making travel and hospitality arrangements, and preparing claims for expense reimbursement; 2) preparing, revising and analyzing a wide range of planning, decision and other documents for review by an SCC judge; 3) supervising the work of a court attendant; 4) advising on the preparation and distribution of internal and external documentation; and 5) reviewing and finalizing documents related to judgments on appeals and applications for leave to appeal.

You will also:
• have daily exposure to the pressure of deadlines and the changing, frequently conflicting, priorities and requirements of an SCC judge;
• work in an enhanced security environment;
• work in often stressful situations and be required to quickly adapt to competing demands.

Work environment

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) is Canada’s final court of appeal. The SCC is a bilingual institution that hears cases in French and English, in all areas of the law, such as family, criminal, and tax law. It decides cases from Canada’s two major legal traditions, common and civil law. Its decisions affect the lives of all Canadians. The SCC recognizes that a key element necessary in achieving and retaining a representative workforce is providing a supportive work environment and fostering a corporate culture that is welcoming to all employees, including designated group members. According to the most recent public service employee surveys, the SCC is one of the best places to work in the federal public service. Given that the SCC is not served by Pay Centre, it has its own compensation team responsible for administering the full range of pay and benefits transactions in Phoenix and MyGCHR.

Intent of the process

* WRITTEN COMMUNICATION will be assessed through your application and throughout the staffing process. Therefore, communication needs to be grammatically correct, with appropriate vocabulary and minimal errors in punctuation and spelling. As a result, please use complete sentences.

This process will be used to staff the above mentioned position; it will also be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to staff similar positions at the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada with varying language requirements, security profiles, and tenures.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

EDUCATION:

Completion of two years of post-secondary education or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:

Extensive* experience in coordinating the administrative activities of an executive office, such as but not limited to managing an executive’s agenda and planning and coordinating daily operations, meetings and activities.

Experience in supporting executive level correspondence and briefings including preparation, review, editing, transmittal, tracking and reporting issues to management under tight deadlines.

Experience in coordinating, controlling and resolving sensitive or urgent issues on behalf of management.

*Extensive: refers to the scope, complexity and diversity of experience associated with the performance of a broad range of relevant activities which were primarily the candidate’s responsibility on a regular and continuous basis for a period of approximately three (3) years.

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

Experience as a judicial assistant providing a wide range of support services to a judge or lawyer in a judicial or quasi judicial environment, or a law firm.

Experience in proof-reading and editing legal or para-legal documents.

Experience in preparing and providing verbal and written briefings, strategic advice, or decision documents to management.

Experience in supervision or providing functional guidance and direction.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (CCB/CCB)

Information on language requirements

Second Language Writing Skills Self-Assessment
In order to help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your writing skills in your second official language is available for you to take before completing your application.

For more information, please consult:
Unsupervised Internet Test of Second Language Writing Skills

ABILITIES:

Ability to communicate effectively orally.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
Ability to proof-read and edit legal or para-legal documents.
Ability to effectively plan, establish priorities, meet deadlines in a fast paced, high pressure environment with minimum supervision and tight deadlines.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY:

Attention to detail
Judgment
Effective interpersonal skills
Initiative
Reliability

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

Knowledge of legal terminology.

Knowledge of legal practices and procedures.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS:

The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada is committed to having a skilled and diversified workforce representative of the population it serves. In support of our strategy to achieve our employment equity goals, preference may be given to candidates who, at the time of application, indicate that they belong to the following Employment Equity group: Visible Minorities, Persons with Disabilities.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Willingness to work overtime from time to time on short notice.
Willingness to work primarily on-site.

Conditions of employment

Secret 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 designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

A random and/or top down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

You must be prepared to provide the original or a certified true copy of your educational credentials. Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at www.cicic.ca/indexe.stm.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

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.

Our intention is to communicate with candidates via email. Candidates who apply on this selection process must include in their application a valid e-mail address and to make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide any changes to their personal information to the contact indicated on this job advertisement.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first and then to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

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