Environmental Health

Serving a diverse urban and rural population of more than 475,000, Niagara Region is focused on building a strong and prosperous Niagara. Working collaboratively with 12 local area municipalities and numerous community partners, the Region delivers a range of high-quality programs and services to support and advance the well-being of individuals, families and communities within its boundaries. Nestled between the great lakes of Erie and Ontario, the Niagara peninsula features some of Canada’s most fertile agricultural land, the majesty of Niagara Falls and communities that are rich in both history and recreational and cultural opportunities. Niagara boasts dynamic modern cities, Canada’s most developed wine industry, a temperate climate, extraordinary theatre, and some of Ontario’s most breathtaking countryside. An international destination with easy access to its binational U.S. neighbour New York State, Niagara attracts over 14 million visitors annually, as well as a steady stream of new residents and businesses.

At Niagara Region, we value diversity - in background and experience. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We aspire to hire and grow a workforce reflective of the diverse community we serve. By doing so, we can deliver better programs and services across Niagara.

We welcome all applicants! For more information about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Niagara Region, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Niagara Region, Ontarioor email related questions to diversity@niagararegion.ca. To send input on reducing barriers in the current hiring process, please email myhr@niagararegion.ca

For the Region's full employee equity statement, Working at Niagara Region - Niagara Region, Ontario.

Please note that effective February 12, 2023 mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations are no longer required as per the Niagara Region’s amended COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. As a result, you will not be required to submit verification of your vaccination status before starting employment with the Niagara Region. However, the Niagara Region continues to reserve the right to reintroduce vaccination requirements in the future if necessary to respond to changing public health advice and\or government direction. The Niagara Region continues to strongly encourage everyone to remain up-to-date with vaccinations.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director/Associate Director, the Administrative Assistant is responsible for providing confidential administrative support to the Director/Associate Director, the division’s management team and staff members. The incumbent works in a complex environment that requires a high degree of sensitivity, responsiveness and the application of specialized knowledge and advanced administrative skills related to the preparation of confidential correspondence, information management and human resource management. This position is an integral support member of the management team, applying their expertise in navigating and understanding various areas of the organization to ensure all processes and policies are followed and deadlines are met. This position helps to foster an inclusive work environment and to build and sustain a highly functioning office in which the division can meet its priorities and achieve its goals.

Education

• Minimum two (2) year diploma in Business, Office Administration or similar field of study.

Knowledge

• Minimum 3 years’ recent experience administrative experience in a computerized professional office, preferably in a health/human resource/public administration related office.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and proficiency in office technology and software is preferred.
• Knowledge of PHIPA and MIPPA

Responsibilities

Provides senior level administrative assistance to the Director/Associate Director and divisional management team toward the effective functioning of the division (40%)

• Receives and prioritizes Director’s/Associate Director’s e-mail, redirecting to appropriate programs for follow up and responding on the Director’s/Associate Director’s behalf as needed.
• Manages Director’s/Associate Director’s calendar, prioritizes daily activities, receives and responds to meeting requests and sends invitations.
• Coordinates meetings, prepares agenda packages, records proceedings, performs follow-up on tasks for divisional committees as well as departmental/corporate committees and teams as assigned. Including supporting the Emergency Operation Centre in the event of an emergency response.
• Assists in the preparation of specialized, confidential material, contracts/agreements, legal documents, and budget preparation and monitoring for the Director/Associate Director, divisional Managers, and in specific circumstances, allied agencies.
• Acts as a liaison between the division and internal/external partners, and government agencies.
• Performs financial administrative support for the Director/Associate Director including preparation of expense reports and purchase card processing. Works with the electronic financial management system to process vendor payments and liaises with Legal Services and Procurement to ensure adherence to policies and procedures.
• Works to identify and implement strategies for continuous process improvement within the division and participates in working groups to improve workflow for departmental processes. Identifies opportunities to increase efficiency of services, developing and recommending tactics and initiatives to undertake.
• Coordinates the purchase and installation of new furniture and tech equipment within the division and tracks and maintains inventory lists for divisional assets.
• Creates and updates forms and templates to assist with standardizing work processes across the division/department.
• Monitors and maintains information provided on divisional/departmental websites and databases.
• Coordinates annual reviews of and revisions to divisional Policy and Procedure Manuals.
• Coordinates department/division sponsored special events, assisting with planning activities, coordinating registrations and payments.
• Undertakes special projects, tasks or other related duties as requested by the Director/Associate Director and/or Strategic Leadership Team (SLT).
• Provides administrative backup support for other Public Health Directors and non-union administrative staff as required.

Provides human resource management support for the division (35%)

• Prepares, maintains and tracks confidential employee documentation, correspondence and reports.

• Manages the time and attendance process for the division; oversees the encoding of payroll, runs and verifies reports, conducts regular audits and creates, maintains and distributes staff schedules for various employee groups.
• Responsible for training divisional staff and managers on payroll policies and procedures and troubleshooting issues for staff/managers related to payroll, vacation, benefits and other relevant human resources functions/concerns.

• Maintains divisional list of employees, temporary posting end dates, position numbers, reporting structure and position management information.
• Coordinates and tracks workshops, training programs and legislative requirements with external agencies to ensure staff meet licensing, membership and certification requirements
• Administers corporate and departmental trainings through the Learning Management System (LMS) by; setting up sessions and building courses, coordinating participation registration, providing reports and attendance listings as required.
• Conducts onboarding and off boarding functions for divisional staff and students.

• Responsible for ensuring that all divisional staff and students are in the appropriate systems and have the necessary equipment, access and information they need to perform their job successfully.
• Where needed performs driver’s abstract searches for staff to ensure compliance with legislation.
• Responsible for notifying Human Resources of all divisional employee status changes and ensuring that all off boarding procedures have been followed.

• Provides insight into the selection of applicants for clerical recruitment as needed; participates on interview panels, leads clerical testing and collates test result scores and submits to Human Resources.

Document Management Steward: maintains division’s files and records, indexing, filing, retrieving and archiving files for storage in accordance with Corporate Records Management System and protocols. (15%)

• Acts as Steward and Responsible Officer leading the process of retention and disposition of divisional records in compliance with the Records Retention Bylaw.
• Responsible for ensuring the maintenance of the divisional electronic folder structure, document naming conventions and versioning.
• Provides training, guidance and ongoing support to staff on using, navigating and maintaining document retention and electronic filing standards.
• Manages contractual records and documentation using the Electronic Contract Management System.

Coordinates divisional reports for Regional Council and specialized documentation to support division activities (10%)

• Coordinates reports for Public Health & Social Services Committee meetings, responsible for confidential information, following up to assist senior staff in meeting the schedule deadlines, and liaising with Medical Officer of Health’s office to ensure submission and final report approval/signatures.
• Ensures document compliance with AODA.
• Collects and/or collates data as directed in support of division initiatives/projects.
• Collaborates with the Access & Privacy team on Freedom of Information requests, ensuring appropriate forms are completed, assists divisional team in search for requested documentation and submits to the Access & Privacy team by deadline.
• Ensures all Ministry documents are completed and submitted.

Special Requirements

• Annual influenza vaccination – preferred.
• Must maintain ability to travel in a timely manner to other offices, work locations or sites as authorized by the Corporation for business reasons.
• Regional staff strive to enable the strategic priorities of council and the organization through the completion of their work. Staff carry out their work by demonstrating the corporate values of service, honesty, choice, partnership and respect.

We thank all candidates for their interest however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. It is the responsibility of the employee to ensure: an on-line application is completed; the information contained in his/her e-Application is complete, accurate and up to date; and it is submitted within the above noted time period. A complete job description is available on myHR.

Please review your respective employee group terms and conditions, and the impacts a transfer has on changing employee group.

When leaving one employee group to go to another, the following are some examples affected by a transfer, including but not necessarily limited to seniority, banks reflecting vacation/lieu/stand-by/call-in/holiday, health and dental benefits, sick leave, long term disability benefits, life insurance, union dues, etc. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

If you require an accommodation for the application process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the alternate formats for contacting us are as follows:

• Email: myhr@niagararegion.ca
• Phone: 905-980-6000 or 1-800-263-7215
• Bell Relay: 1-800-855-0511

In-person: Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON L2V 4T7 – Human Resources Department