City of Burlington
Non-Union Job Evaluation
Position: Administrative Assistant to the Director of Planning and Building
Department: Planning and Building
Current Job Rating: Grade 7
Supervisor's Position: Director of Planning and Building
POSITION SUMMARY:
This position is responsible for providing confidential administrative/secretarial support to the
Director of Planning and Building as well as providing advice and assistance on administrative
matters to staff in the department.
The City of Burlington expects all employees to work in an environmentally friendly way in all
the tasks that they do; to work in a manner that is safe for themselves and others and to be
aware of their health & safety obligations; to continually look for opportunities to improve their job
that will result in excellence in municipal government and; to recognize the uniqueness of the
individuals they come into contact with, and to treat them with dignity and respect.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Provides full range of administrative/secretarial support to the Director. Support includes
managing the Director’s calendar, submitting reports to the Director for review, typing of
correspondence and confidential items, answering and screening telephone calls, making
travel and conference arrangements. Keeps records and files specific to the Director, some
of which are highly sensitive and confidential. Ensures all aspects of the work reflect
corporate policies.
2. Assists the Director in the details of the Department’s budget documentation and monitors the
status of the budget on a regular basis during the year.
3. Responsible for scheduling performance evaluations and for maintaining confidential
personnel records. Prepares materials and makes arrangements for new employees and
students.
4. Provides administrative support to the Department including managing Planning &
Development Committee agenda, liaising with the Clerk’s department on all agenda and report
matters, processing of invoices, approving and assigning deposits to appropriate accounts,
arranging for staff’s attendance at conferences and seminars, maintenance of the
department’s fixed asset list, coordinating scheduling of staff vacation, organizing management
and departmental meetings.
5. Provides back-up assistance/coverage to the administrative staff within the Department and
is a member of the Senior Secretaries Committee.
6. Provides customer service to members of City Council, City of Burlington staff, and the
public on behalf of the Director and staff of the Planning and Building Department.
Administrative Assistant to the Director of Planning and Building
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7. In the absence of the Director, ensures that matters of an urgent nature are dealt with by
the appropriate staff, and that the Director is kept informed of corporate and governance
issues, if possible.
POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:
Education: High School graduation, with specialized Business School training in
administrative skills, including typing, use of office equipment and computer based programs.
Experience: 5 years secretarial experience, including 3 years in a senior
administrative/secretarial position. Experience in a municipal environment preferred with a
working knowledge of the administrative requirements of the planning and building regulations.
Organizational and time management skills required. Familiarity with computer-based
applications such as GIS, SAP, property information (e.g. AMANDA), word processing and
spreadsheets required.
Work Environment: 35 hour work week, standard office environment.
Supervision:
Supervision Given: Has no staff reporting directly, but advises staff of some issues of
an administrative/secretarial nature, especially regarding corporate standards or
procedures.
Staff Years Supervised: None.
Time Pressures: Constant internal and external deadlines, with peak period demands during
budget preparation and constant deadlines for providing statutory notice of applications to the
public. Pressure comes from the need to meet these deadlines, over which there is no control,
while completing other essential work. Failure to meet deadlines causes inconvenience in other
departments, outside agencies and for the public. It is not unusual to have significant issues arise
unexpectedly requiring immediate turn-around times by senior staff.
Responsibility:
Supervision Received: Employee is expected to use initiative in planning and carrying
out duties and special assignments. Employee receives initial instructions on new tasks
or procedures with independent action expected on matters or in the absence of the
Director of Planning. Has recourse to supervisor or other supervisory staff if required.
Effect of Errors: Errors can occur in dealing with responses to requests from members
of Council, City Manager and the General Manager or other senior management staff,
which often have high political profile, or in dealing with sensitive political issues with the
public which could cause embarrassment.
Freedom to Make Decisions: Works independently on routine assignments with little
supervision and on non-routine assignments with minimal supervision. Some work
assignments require the employee to use own judgment within guidelines, regulations
or legislation in determining solutions and in keeping with the Director’s preferred
course of action.
Interpersonal Contacts:
Purpose: Contacts are for the purpose of obtaining/exchanging information with staff,
members of Council, the public, consultants or outside agencies, required by
supervisor. As a front line person in the Director’s office, tact, diplomacy, discretion and
customer service skills are essential.
Administrative Assistant to the Director of Planning and Building
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Nature: While contacts are generally pleasant, must sometimes deal with difficult
contacts on behalf of the Director. Must be able to handle all callers in a tactful,
diplomatic manner.
Ingenuity: Requires the ability to make decisions involving a choice of standard corporate
policy and procedures. Supervision available to deal with situations outside the normal policy,
procedures or Corporate policies. Ingenuity expected/required in carrying out special
assignments from the Director.
Physical Demands: Few physical demands in the job.
Date: January 26, 2017
Signatures:
Incumbent(s):__________________________________________________________
Department Head:_______________________________________________________