Administrative Officer

General Purpose

The Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) brings together major academic fields concerned with creating strong communities, in Canada and around the world. The department offers six academic programs: the Bachelor of Commerce – Food and Agricultural Business, Bachelor of Arts – Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences - Environmental Economics and Policy, Master of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (MFARE) and MSc and PhD in Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (research-based). FARE consists of 15 faculty, 3 staff (2 USW, 1 PSA), about 4 sessional instructors, a number of casual research employees, ~35 graduate students, 200 undergraduate students, and a variety of undergraduate and distance education service courses.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Department Chair and the Associate Director, Finance and Operations at the Dean’s Office, the Administrative Officer is responsible for providing financial, human resources, administrative, and strategic support to the Chair and faculty members in order to effectively manage the Department’s day-to-day operations. The incumbent will be responsible for developing strategies and systems to achieve Departmental financial goals and for managing an operating budget of over $3M, as well as more than 50 specific-purpose and research trust accounts and projects with about $1 M in total annual funds. The Administrative Officer plays an important role in administering departmental human resource activities, including ensuring adherence to employee agreements and establishing and implementing departmental policies. The Administrative Officer will also be responsible for managing and coordinating all Department administrative support activities and working with Physical Resources to ensure that the facilities are well kept, safe, and secure.  The Administrative Officer plays a major role in the preparation of reports (e.g., IQAP Internal Review, etc.). Finally, the Administrative Officer is responsible for supervising and managing two full-time staff members.

Requirements

Requirements of the position include: Completion of a 3-year community college diploma (undergraduate degree preferred) in business administration, accounting, commerce and/or human resource management, plus a minimum of four (4) years related work experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. While not required, a professional accounting designation would be an asset. Experience with financial management and human resource management are essential for this position.  A strong working knowledge of University of Guelph policies and procedures, as they relate to a diverse teaching/research/outreach Department, would be considered an asset. The ideal candidate will possess excellent skills in the areas of organization, communication, strategic planning, team building and highly developed interpersonal skills. Candidates should demonstrate professional judgement, tact, diplomacy and the ability to work both pro-actively and re-actively under tight time-frames and competing priorities. Very strong computer skills, as well as strong analytical, financial and management skills are all essential to this position.