Intermediate Administrative Assistant/Travel Coordinator

Department: Athletics and Recreation 

Job Type: Continuing

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year) 

Campus: Waterloo 

Reports to: Dir: Athletics & Recreation

Employee Group: WLUSA 

Application Deadline: December 5, 2021

Requisition ID: 2808 

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact.  With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 19,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well as a location in Kitchener. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Our locations are situated on the traditional territories of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. We recognize the unique heritages of Indigenous peoples and support their intentions to preserve and express their distinctive Indigenous cultures, histories, and knowledge through academic programming and co-curricular activities. Laurier’s Centre for Indigegogy is one example of how Laurier honours Indigenous knowledge.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director, Athletics & Recreation, the Travel Coordinator/Intermediate Administrative Assistant is responsible for providing daily travel coordination and administrative support within the department.  Responsibilities include: coordinating travel for interuniversity and club teams and all Department Staff; liaising with travel partners or working independently to book buses, flights, rental vehicles, trains, and hotels. In addition, the incumbent reconciles monthly PCard statements for multiple cardholders and three times a year verifies and reconciles intramural bond cash. The first point of contact for the department, the incumbent responds to a wide variety of in-person, telephone and email enquires from WLU staff, Athletic Complex members, student staff, student-athletes, representatives from other universities, donors, sponsors, and the community. The incumbent also performs a wide variety of additional administrative tasks including minute taking, invoicing, processing and applying payments, managing parking permit applications for part-time coaches and trainers, ordering supplies, assisting in facility bookings and working at Department Fundraising/Special events. The incumbent must be knowledgeable of the scope of departmental programming and services and must maintain confidentiality.

Accountabilities 

Travel Coordination:

• Works independently and with travel partners (bus company, travel agent, hotels partners, car rental company) to coordinate, book and manage all department buses, individual and group flights, rental vehicles and hotels for 30 varsity and club teams and department staff.
• Review interuniversity team schedules to access travel needs and identifies complicated trips requiring booking multiple forms of travel; liaises with coaches, Associate Director Interuniversity Sport and Coordinator Athlete Services as well as the Coordinator Clubs, Aquatics and Camps ro confirm travel approval.  
• Negotiates, reviews, corrects, and signs all hotel contracts on behalf of the Department of Athletics and Recreation.
• Prepares and submits documents to arrange PCard payment of hotel contracts and requests and submits rooming lists to hotels; prepares and submits documents to arrange PCard payment of Flights; requests, formats, verifies and submits passenger lists; processes payments for all travel by PCard, submission of invoices with purchase orders or on shoplaurier. Arrangement of team meal money allowance, tracking and reconciliation for inter university sport teams while travelling.
• Creates and maintains a detailed travel spreadsheet and travel supporting documentation binder; distributes weekly travel schedule to coaches for verification or revision

Customer Service:

• Responds to in-person, telephone and email communications from a variety of stakeholders to provide information, resolution and assistance.
• Creates a welcoming and supportive environment to the department and manages the Director Athletics and Recreation calendar and supports Associate Directors with arranging group meetings.
• Verifies, manages, distributes, and reconciles intramural bond cash, a security deposit to ensure intramural rules are followed, three times annually

Administrative :

• Provides support to the department and manages the Athletic Director’s and Associate Directors’ calendars; coordinates with campus partners to schedule meetings
• Reconciles and completes necessary forms for monthly PCard  statements for Director Athletics and Recreation  and some full-time staff and coaches
• Processes in-person and over the phone credit card payments and applies payments to outstanding accounts; provides back-up for processing and applying payments by cheque; provides back-up for the Hawk Desk reconciliation
• Records minutes at the monthly department operations meetings and the annual Hall of Fame meeting

Qualifications 

• Secondary school plus up to one (1) year post secondary education (or 4 months equivalent full-time study) coupled with 3-4 years related experience including office administration, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and bookkeeping experience
• Strong service orientation and well-developed public relations skills
• Demonstrated ability to work co-operatively in a tightly knit team of full and part-time staff with varied missions
• Proven record of accuracy and attention to detail in a high-paced multitasking environment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills including experience planning and scheduling
• Proven ability to solve problems with diplomacy and tact
• Adapts easily to changing priorities (flexibility essential)
• Proven ability to work under strict deadlines with multiple interruptions
• Strong computer skills with spreadsheets, as well as expertise in word processing software
• Experience with Banner and Millennium Finance

Required Travelling

Required travel may include travel outside of Ontario and/or Canada, within Ontario and/or Canada, overnight or attend daily appointments outside the University etc.

Compensation

Position Grade: SH-06

Rate of Pay:  $29.80 - $35.05 per hour 

Hours of Work

This is a full-time, continuing position. 

This position is eligible for educational equivalencies. 

Job Evaluation Factor Scores:

All Laurier employees and students are required to comply with the University's Covid-19 mandatory vaccination policy. Prior to attending Laurier's campuses in-person, you must provide proof of your vaccination status. If you are not fully vaccinated and do not have an approved exemption based on medical/disability or religious beliefs/creed grounds, you will be expected to receive your second dose of the vaccine by no later than October 8, 2021. Prior to becoming fully vaccinated, you will be required to participate in and comply with the University's rapid testing program and follow all recommended additional health and safety protocols. Details about the mandatory vaccination requirements can be found on Laurier's website.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.