Equestrian Office Administrative Assistant

Queen Margaret's School is accepting applications for an Equestrian Office Administrative Assistantto join our staff.

The Equestrian Office Administrative Assistantprovides direct support and efficient, accurate administration of the day-to-day operations of the Shirley Burr Equestrian Centre at QMS. The successful candidate will liaise with the School's Admissions and Finance Departments to provide a seamless customer service experience for QMS families. We are seeking a high-energy, customer-service-oriented candidate with exceptional organizational skills.

Staff interested in joining the Queen Margaret's School community must embrace the ethos of independent school education, develop positive relationships with all community members, and contribute to a collaborative learning community. Staff and Faculty are expected to support the school's extensive co-curricular program.

All applicants for this position will be expected to agree to have a Criminal Record Check initiated by Queen Margaret's School.

For further information about our school, this opportunity, and how to apply, please visit our website.

Responsibilities

• In many instances, act as the first point of contact of the Equestrian Office
• Greet visitors, direct and facilitate student, parent, and staff inquiries, responding to a wide variety of calls and concerns to determine the appropriate course of action, referral or response
• Provide a consistently high standard of customer service
• Maintain a high level of communication with students, community riders, and equestrian staff
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with service suppliers and providers in the horse industry to support our horses' health and our standards of excellence
• Provide direct administrative support to the Equestrian Program's leadership team (Director of Equestrian, Barn Manager, Head Coach – Competition, Head Coach - School, Equestrian Event Coordinator, and Equestrian Education Coordinator) including, but not limited to:
  
  • Coordinate calendars, schedule meetings, and organize special events as required
  • Prepare, prioritize and distribute correspondence as required
  • Track and maintain all horse records, including but not limited to health records, equine passports, and insurance
  • Coordinate farrier, veterinary, and other horse care appointments as assigned by Barn Manager
• Maintain student files and databases, including Equestrian Canada and Horse Council of BC memberships
• Collaborate with the Director of Equestrian and the School's Finance Department to fulfill accurate and efficient billing and accounting procedures for equestrian families
• Collaborate with the Director of Equestrian and the School's Communications Department to assist with communications material to the broader community (handbooks, magazine articles), including show results
• Collaborate with the Director of Equestrian and the School's Admissions office to support the Equestrian Application process, including, but not limited to:
  • Under the direction of the Equestrian Program leadership, liaise with parents/guardians regarding rider applications and enrolment
  • Coordinate student files and Equestrian Student List from equestrian application submission through to acceptance and enrolment
  • Under the direction of the Equestrian Program leadership, prepare and distribute equestrian acceptance packages
  • Under the direction of the Equestrian Program leadership, prepare and distributes equestrian waivers, lease contracts, and board contracts

Qualifications

The following are requirements for this position:

• Diploma in Business Administration, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum 2 years experience in a fast-paced office environment
• Working knowledge of equine operations
• Knowledge of safety practices and industry standards with regard to equestrian activities
• Advanced proficiency in computers, including Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe Acrobat software
• Knowledge of best practices for billing and record-keeping
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written communication (including grammar and punctuation)
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to plan, organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple projects concurrently
• Demonstrated history of strong customer-service mindset, with the ability to represent the QMS Equestrian Program in a professional, enthusiastic and positive manner
• Demonstrated understanding of working in an environment with a variety of constituents (students, parents, agents, vendors, faculty, board of governors, alumni) from many cultural backgrounds
• Demonstrated understanding of confidentiality of information
• Outstanding IT skills would be advantageous

Working Conditions

• Periodic weekend and evening availability required for community events
• Ability and willingness to work weekends and evenings during scheduled horse shows and equestrian-centered activities
• Scheduling and completion of project work outside of regular office hours may be required
• Other duties as assigned
• Flexibility around working patterns and hours is available by the agreement at the interview stage, although ideally, we are looking for a commitment of 25 - 30 hours per week.

This position will close upon the appointment of a suitable candidate, so early application is advised.