Vancouver is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable and environmentally sustainable cities. Recognized among BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver is seeking colleagues who can help advance our core commitments to exceptional public service, sustainability, equity, and an outstanding quality of life for all residents. With a strong commitment to being a City of Reconciliation, we invite you to join our dedicated team and become part of an innovative, inclusive, and engaging workplace. A career with the City of Vancouver and within the broader public service offers meaningful work where you play a key role in ensuring equitable access to services, upholding ethical governance, and supporting the needs of citizens with integrity and dedication.
The Opportunity
The Executive Assistant to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) provides senior-level, strategic administrative and operational support to the CHRO and Human Resources Leadership Team. This role is responsible for managing complex workflows, facilitating executive decision-making, and ensuring the effective coordination of communications, priorities, and initiatives across a broad range of internal and external stakeholders. The position operates with a high degree of autonomy, discretion, and judgement, supporting a fast-paced executive environment and enabling the CHRO to focus on organisational priorities.
Key Responsibilities
As the Executive Assistant, you will manage the CHRO’s complex calendar, ensuring effective prioritisation, alignment with strategic objectives, and proactive resolution of scheduling conflicts. You will act as a key liaison between the CHRO, HR leadership, and senior stakeholders, including the City Manager’s Office, General Managers, and external partners. This role involves coordinating interactions with senior stakeholders, ensuring timely, accurate, and strategic handling of requests, issues, and correspondence. You will anticipate priorities, identify emerging issues, and ensure the CHRO is appropriately briefed and prepared.
Your responsibilities will also include drafting, reviewing, and coordinating a wide range of sensitive and confidential communications, reports, presentations, agendas, and correspondence for the CHRO and HR leadership team. You will prepare high-quality presentations and briefing materials using tools such as PowerPoint, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and professionalism in all communications aligned with corporate standards. You will also coordinate city-wide communications in collaboration with Corporate Engagement & Communications, including sequencing and distribution lists.
You will oversee the flow of information into and out of the CHRO’s office, ensuring efficient tracking, prioritisation, and completion of assignments. This includes maintaining bring-forward systems to track key issues, deadlines, Council reports, and City Manager submissions. You will coordinate agendas, logistics, and materials for executive and senior leadership meetings, and streamline administrative processes to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Further duties involve coordinating and tracking departmental submissions, such as Council reports and City Manager Minutes, to ensure timely and accurate completion. You will support Freedom of Information (FOI) processes as a secondary point of contact and maintain record management practices for the CHRO and HR leadership team. You will also initiate and process HRIS transactions, such as those in SAP SuccessFactors, related to staffing and organisational changes.
You will act as a liaison for office operations, including technology (e.g., Microsoft Teams), workspace coordination, security, and facilities. This role involves overseeing administrative processes like purchasing (P-card reconciliation), supplies, and equipment. You will also coordinate travel, training, and onboarding logistics for HR leadership and staff, and maintain organisational charts, directories (Quickfind), and staff records.
Finally, you will support the CHRO and Directors with monitoring, tracking, and updating whistleblower or referred complaints, coordinating with OAG processes and systems as applicable. You will track and maintain records of sensitive or delegated complaints, ensuring appropriate follow-up and documentation.
What You'll Bring
The ideal candidate will possess a diploma or certificate in Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered. You must have a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience supporting senior executives in a complex, fast-paced environment.
You will demonstrate exceptional organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a high-pressure environment. Excellent communication skills are essential, including the ability to draft executive-level correspondence, reports, and presentations. A high level of discretion and the ability to manage confidential and sensitive information are paramount.
Candidates should have strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with sound judgement, and the capacity to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment. The ability to build and maintain effective working relationships across all levels of an organisation is crucial. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced PowerPoint presentation development, Outlook, Excel, Word, and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, is required. Familiarity with HRIS systems, such as SAP SuccessFactors, is considered an asset.
