Overview of the Role:   

As the Executive Assistant (EA), you will provide full administrative support to the Chief People Officer (CPO). This involves senior administrative responsibilities and management of administrative processes and procedures.  

You will require a comprehensive understanding of the management of an executive office, organizational structure, priorities, commitments, and goals. As this role is part of, and supported by, a team of Executive Assistants; the successful candidate must be collaborative and have a strong team mentality to be successful. The role requires exceptional communication skills and the ability to work both independently and with broad directives and/or minimal direction. The successful candidate must demonstrate a high standard of excellence, resilience, resourcefulness, and creative problem solving.  

This position deals with highly confidential information and requires the ability to exercise considerable discretion, judgement, and independent decision making. The position involves constant multi-tasking and the need to make independent decisions regarding the management of sensitive internal and external information.  

  
A varied, exciting and demanding role, at times the stress level of this role is moderate to high. The work is high volume and fast-paced and deals with a broad spectrum of internal and external issues, stakeholders, and priorities. Accuracy and attention-to-detail are essential in this environment with little to no room for error.  

  
Key responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to:  

• Act as an ambassador to the CPO’s office, ensuring those engaging with it have a positive, professional experience and works to effectively influence the reputation of the CPO’s office for WestJetters, Board of Directors, public officials and key partners.  

• Provide the full spectrum of administrative support to the CPO, including proactive planning and management of calendar, screening requests from internal and external parties, completing and approving expense reports, reconciling and approval of purchase orders and invoices.  

• Strategically manage the CPO’s time and focus on overall effectiveness. Brief the CPO on relevant issues and provide the CPO with reliable and timely advice, support, and liaison services, allowing him/her to focus on the delivery of WestJet strategic priorities and goals.  

• Share information and feedback on behalf of the CPO as appropriate, be open and receptive to questions, opinions, concerns, ideas, constructive criticism, etc.  

• Take the lead role in the planning and execution of CPO’s commitments, including communications, meetings, presentations, reporting submissions, travel and events. Ensure CPO is prepared for public engagements and internal meetings. Reviews and ensures completeness and accuracy of documents flowing to and from the CPO office, including managing the storage and security of confidential files.  

• Working collaboratively with CPO’s direct reports and relevant stakeholders, assists with drafting, collecting, and/or organizing accurate presentations, reports, and correspondence for the CPO to deliver to the Board and Committees, and to the Executive Committee.  

• Partner with Executive Assistants for seamless execution; establish and maintain strong working relationships and professionalism.  

• Manage special projects when necessary. Examples of special projects can be (but not limited to) coordinating office renovations or moves, planning offsite meetings and events / functions, ordering office supplies, etc.  

• Play a critical support role with assisting the executive team and emergency response team in emergency response situations.  

Experience and qualifications:   

• Minimum 10 years’ related experience in an Executive Assistant or Senior Administrative Assistant role.

• Demonstrates professional discipline, proactive planning, superior organization and calendar management. Highly resilient, reliable and consistently meets or exceeds expectations.  

• Proactive and able to foresee and identify tasks that need to be completed without being instructed.  

• Highly credible and trustworthy, maintains strict confidentiality, exercises considerable discretion and judgement, identifies conflicts, and resolves independently and appropriately.   

• Is enthusiastic about what they do; displays drive and energy; ‘rolls up sleeves’ to accomplish goals; highly self-motivated and demonstrates initiative consistently.  

• Ability to own and is accountable for making independent decisions; understands full impact of decisions; consults with people; accesses information and analyses facts from a broad viewpoint; balances the needs of stakeholders; has confidence in decisions; identifies core principles and applies them consistently to decisions.  

• Provides a high level of customer service to internal and external stakeholders; holds themselves and others to high standards of quality.   

• Superior written and verbal skills with the ability to respond to various levels of WestJetters, Board members, guests, public officials, and key partners on behalf of the Executive(s).  

• Asks questions to clarify or seeks out additional information to gain a better understanding of the work and / or change efforts.  

• Excellent time management and organizational skill set; follows up to ensure other people’s contributions are on schedule; anticipates problems and ensures contingency plans are available and actioned if needed.

• Advanced knowledge and high proficiency in Outlook, Word, Teams, Power Point; and intermediate knowledge of Excel required.  

• Office Management or Business Administration degree from a recognized post-secondary institution is preferred.