Competition # : 42814

Department: Municipal Affairs and Housing

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Term

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: 31-May-24 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing is dedicated to working with municipalities to build healthy, vibrant, and safe communities throughout Nova Scotia. The Department provides programs, grants, and funding opportunities for municipalities and community groups. The Department also provides services and guidance to municipalities in many areas including land use planning, budget planning and finance, infrastructure development, policy and program development.

The Department is also responsible for ensuring the availability of safe, suitable, and affordable housing for all Nova Scotians. Our work involves making strategic investments, leveraging new funding, and building on critical partnerships to help further position ourselves to meet current and future housing challenges.

About Our Opportunity

Are you an expert when it comes to multitasking and maximizing efficiencies? Do you have an upbeat professional work ethic and experience providing executive-level support? DMAH is hiring for an Executive Assistant.

As our Executive Assistant, you are an essential resource in the division\'s senior management team. Your expertise contributes to the smooth flow of information and a positive work environment. You will work as part of an integrated administration team to provide senior executive-level administrative assistance and support.

Primary Accountabilities

Daily, you will use your exceptional organizational skills to support the Executive Director. You are a key point of contact and work closely across Departments, the public and key stakeholders. With your expertise, you ensure efficient operations and effective office management including:

Preparing and composing confidential correspondence, reports, and numerous tracking documents
Routing and prioritizing all incoming mail, inquiries, and correspondence,
Coordinating and managing schedules and calendars as well as travel and accommodations as required,
Arranging and coordinating meetings and events,
Supporting projects and collection of data as required,
And ensuring constant innovation and administrative process improvements

In addition to the above, you will work to ensure efficient workflow is achieved by managing numerous operational processes as well as coordinating work with other executive assistants. You will maintain up-to-date knowledge of government practices and policies to deal with and ensure efficiencies related to office inquiries, correspondence, and requests at the senior administrative level.

Qualifications and Experience

You have completed a one-year business course and have a minimum of four (4) years of experience supporting managers or supervisors with administration and coordination. Proficiency with MS Office Suite (or equivalent) is required.

Your ability to prioritize multiple priorities under tight deadlines is essential to your success in this role. Furthermore, you demonstrate:

Strong teamwork and collaboration skills
Excellent communication skills (verbal & written)
A high degree of professionalism, tact, and diplomacy and consistently exercise discretion and confidentiality in managing correspondence and information

Exceptional attention to detail is critical in this role with a particular focus on proofreading, punctuation, and grammar skills. You promote positivity and inclusivity in your work. Assets include familiarity with services and programs offered by the Department

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Equivalency

We recognize equivalent combinations of training, education, and experience, providing opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds to contribute their skills and expertise. Equivalencies include, but are not limited to:

Completion of a 2-year diploma and 3 years of related experience
Completion of a related bachelor\'s degree and 1-year of related experience
At least 5 years of related experience.

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

You will be working within a high-paced, busy office environment with strict deadlines. Most of your time is spent in a comfortable office setting and on occasion may be required to work in the community when setting up meetings and information sessions. Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day. You may be required to work overtime on occasion. Occasionally you may need to move or lift objects such as boxes, inventory, or files.

Additional Information

This is a TERM employment opportunity with an anticipated end date of September 12, 2025. The appointment status (\'term\', \'temporary\' or \'casual\') is dependent on the start date of the successful candidate.

What We Offer

Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
Engaging workplace: our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies.
Countless career paths.
Department specific flexible working schedules.

Pay Grade: CL 22

Salary Range: $1,934.21 - $2,139.34 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement:
Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If applying from outside a government office, employees must apply correctly via this link:

Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued.

External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Competitions@novascotia.ca.