Executive Assistant to Vice President – Academic & Student Affairs

JOB ID: J0726-1038

Classification: Full-time Administration

Pay Band: 9

Pay Range: $79, 101 - $103,725 per year

Campus/Location: Progress Campus/Hybrid

Hours/Week: 35

Shift Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (flexibility to work outside of these hours as needed)

Posting Date: July 30, 2026

Closing Date: August 14, 2026

Centennial College recognizes and affirms Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Indigenous ways of knowing as central to the vibrancy and uniqueness of its learning and working academic mission. We strongly encourage applications from members of Indigenous communities and all equity-deserving groups including Women, Racialized, Persons with Disabilities, and LGBTQ+ communities.

We also recognize that Centennial is situated on the Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and pay tribute to their legacy as well as that of all First Peoples that have been and remain present here in Toronto. We recognize that First Peoples come from sovereign Nations and that part of understanding our responsibilities of residing on this territory are understanding the true history, circumstances and legacy of the Treaties signed here (such as the Toronto Purchase, Robinson-Huron Treaty and Williams Treaties) and including pre-contact Treaties and Agreements between sovereign Nations and that all peoples in this area are therefore Treaty people with obligations and responsibilities to all our relations.

Position Summary

As the Executive Assistant (EA), you will serve as the first point of contact and liaison for internal and external stakeholders, including College leadership, staff, faculty, students, government representatives, community members and partner organizations. Working within a complex, confidential and unionized environment, the EA will provide high-level administrative, operational and strategic support, serving as a trusted strategic partner to the Vice President (VP) in advancing divisional priorities and ensuring the effective operation of the Vice President's office in support of the Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) division—the College's largest division with broad responsibilities for academic excellence and student success.

This role will involve a range of functional activities, including: planning, budgeting, calendar and logistics management, travel coordination, preparation of reports and presentations, development of briefing materials, handling correspondence, maintaining centralized records and maintaining effective documentation practices. The EA also supports project activities and special events that advance strategic initiatives, including coordinating preliminary work and stakeholder engagement on behalf of the Vice President.

The ASA division spans multiple academic faculties, institution-wide student affairs, applied research, strategic planning, governance, and cross-functional initiatives requiring exceptional judgement, discretion, and coordination across a broad range of stakeholders.

As part of the core responsibilities, the EA will play a leadership role by supervising divisional Administrative Assistants, who will support the broader division. This will include managing schedules, assigning and prioritizing work and distributing workloads, to ensure a fair, consistent and responsive service delivery.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and coordinate strategic and administrative support for the VP's office and division, anticipating priorities, proactively managing competing demands, and ensuring the VP is well prepared for key decisions and engagements
• Act as primary contact and liaison for the VP’s division, ensuring effective communication and professionalism; work with internal and external stakeholders and vendors to support office operations, coordinate with the Board of Governors Administrative Officer on reports and submissions, and exercise sound judgement in triaging issues, identifying priorities, and escalating matters appropriately
• Monitor divisional budgets and track expenditures; reconcile credit card transactions, invoices, travel and other expenses; ensuring proper documentation and compliance of financial policies
• Supervise Administrative Assistants and ensure consistent work standards and fair workload distribution
• Represent the Vice President by relaying complex/sensitive information, instructions, and responding on their behalf when necessary
• Manage staff onboarding, offboarding and performance evaluations for administrative staff
• Support divisional human resources activities including contracts (EPAF, EICN, EIPF, etc.), mentorship, staff development, and handling escalations
• Attend key meetings to accurately document minutes, action items, track progress and conduct follow-up
• Support and coordinate executive-level committees, governance processes, and strategic initiatives by ensuring decisions, actions, dependencies, and risks are tracked and communicated effectively, providing continuity, context, and guidance to stakeholders based on a thorough understanding of the Vice President's priorities and committee objectives
• Track timelines of key strategic initiatives aligned with college-wide plans and Ministry; support planning and reporting cycles to ensure administrative and project needs are met
• Assist in planning and coordinating leadership retreats; collaborate with key stakeholders and the preparation of materials required
• Conduct research, environmental scans, benchmarking, and analysis to support executive decision-making and strategic planning
• Source and review documentation, reports, strategic plans, presentations, correspondences, etc.
• Update and manage internal centralized physical and digital records and filing systems to ensure efficient access to and compliance of recordkeeping requirements; manages system access and safeguards confidential information
• May perform other divisional administrative support duties as required

Qualifications:

• Three-year diploma/degree in Business Administration, Management, Public Relations, Human Resources and/or related field; or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience will be considered
• Five (5) years of progressive administrative and project coordination experience in the public or post-secondary sector, supporting senior executives in a complex, highly confidential and unionized environment
• Experience supporting senior executives through organizational transformation, strategic change initiatives, or complex institutional projects is considered a strong asset
• Demonstrated ability to exercise exceptional judgement, anticipate executive needs, manage ambiguity, and navigate complex, politically sensitive situations with diplomacy, discretion, and professionalism
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills, with the ability to collaborate on divisional messaging, website content, publications, and executive communications while ensuring alignment with institutional tone, brand, and standards
• Exceptional writing, editing, analytical synthesis, and presentation skills, including the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources, identify emerging issues, distill complex information into concise executive briefings, correspondence, reports, presentations, and speaking notes, and support informed executive decision-making
• Demonstrated commitment to embedding Indigenization and decolonization, anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion principles into operations, planning, decision-making, and relationships with colleagues and partners
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate needs, exercise initiative, and operate effectively with minimal direction while managing multiple concurrent priorities
• Experience with monitoring budgets, credit card reconciliation, invoice processing and other finance/procurement documentation
• Demonstrated interpersonal and relationship building skills with experience providing high-quality service and support to a diverse community
• Proven experience leading a team, including experience in staff mentorship and performance management
• Excellent organization and time management skills, consistently enhancing operational effectiveness
• High technical aptitude with advanced proficiency in the following:
  • Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
  • Telephone and video-conferencing platforms (MS Teams, Zoom);
  • Project management tools (MS Project, Access);
  • Document related tools and sharing platforms (SharePoint, OneDrive, Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign, and AI-enabled productivity tools (e.g. ChatGPT and other emerging technologies)
• Familiar with college-wide policies and practices on human resources, finance, travel, procurement, and record management

Apply online: www.centennialcollege.ca/careers

Proof of credentials or equivalencies from accredited regional or federal post-secondary institutions and/or their foreign equivalents will be required at the time of job offer.

When applying, your cover letter and résumé must include examples that reflect all of the requested skills and qualifications and must be submitted online by August 14, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Please quote Job ID J0726-1038. Misrepresentation of applicant information will be grounds for your exclusion from the competition or for dismissal should you subsequently be hired for the position. We wish to thank all applicants for their interest and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

We are committed to providing persons with disabilities equal opportunities regarding all employment activities, including access to jobs and accommodations during employment as required, in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).