Executive Assistant

Overview

Ottawa Tourism’s vision is to be one of Canada’s most visited, sustainable, vibrant, and valued urban destinations and the tourism authority for key economic development and city-building decisions in Ottawa. Ottawa Tourism's mission is to market and sell Ottawa as a compelling leisure and business destination and lead or participate in initiatives that improve Ottawa’s visitor experience. We contribute to the broader economic development objectives of the city and the success of our stakeholders and, by doing so, enrich the quality of life for all Ottawa residents.

Reporting to the Vice President, Operations & Culture, the Executive Assistant & Office Manager is a trusted partner to the President & CEO, responsible for executive office coordination, board and committee governance support, office administration, stakeholder liaison, and executive project management.. The Executive Assistant will also manage the inventory of office supplies, equipment, and facilities to ensure a well-maintained and organized work environment. Ottawa Tourism places a strong emphasis on operational excellence. The Executive Assistant & Office Manager will play a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of the office and supporting the leadership team. The Executive Assistant's responsibilities will encompass managing the President & CEO's schedule, coordinating meetings and events, handling correspondence, and ensuring timely follow-up on important matters. The role requires a high degree of organizational skill, attention to detail, and confidentiality. The Executive Assistant will also be responsible for adapting to evolving tasks and responsibilities and providing valuable feedback to enhance operational efficiency.

This position is based out of the Ottawa Tourism offices in beautiful downtown Ottawa. Ottawa Tourism employs a hybrid work model, with some ability for all employees to work remotely. In some cases, certain positions will have an ongoing requirement to maintain a physical presence in the office. Such details will be discussed during the application process.

Key Competencies

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational, administrative, and project management abilities.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling confidential information.
• Ability to prioritize competing demands, think critically, and make effective decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong stakeholder management, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, and able to anticipate needs and solve problems independently.
• Adaptable, flexible, and able to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain focus on organizational priorities in support of executive-level decision-making.

Primary Areas of Responsibility

• Proactively manage the CEO's time, ensuring focus on the organization's highest-impact strategic, governance, stakeholder, advocacy and leadership priorities. Assess incoming requests and recommend appropriate actions, delegation opportunities, or responses.
• Provide executive office management and administrative support to the President & CEO through effective coordination of information, priorities, communications and workflows. Balance and process expense reports, schedule and organize meetings, manage calendars, create and maintain files, and perform other executive administrative assignments as required.
• Support the Board of Directors and Board committees through meeting scheduling, agenda development, board portal administration, document management, minute coordination, action item tracking, governance records management, and support of annual governance processes
• Manage office administration and staff functions. Responsible for building maintenance requests, coordination of stakeholder ticket allocations, invitations and VIP event logistics, and social committee.
• Consistently exercising discretion in managing correspondence, information and all matters of confidentiality, escalating where appropriate.
• Organize and coordinate employee engagement activities, events, and initiatives to boost morale and foster a positive workplace culture.
• Assist in the development and execution of employee recognition programs.
• Provide administrative support to other members in the executive suite.
• Serve as a key liaison between the Executive Office and internal and external stakeholders, ensuring timely communication, follow-up and coordination of meetings, events and commitments.
• Prepare meeting materials, agendas, and presentations for CEO-led meetings. Coordinate meeting records and action tracking, using technology tools where appropriate, and ensure follow-up on decisions, commitments and next steps.
• Provide project coordination support on strategic initiatives led by the President & CEO, tracking milestones, deadlines, stakeholders and deliverables.
• Maintain executive action tracking systems and regularly monitor progress on CEO, executive leadership, board, and committee commitments.
• Leverage modern productivity tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot and associated technologies, to improve efficiency, reporting, document preparation, meeting support and executive workflows.
• Arrange and coordinate domestic and international travel for the CEO, including flight bookings, hotel accommodations, and itineraries.
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion, maintaining the highest level of professionalism and integrity.
• Ensure the CEO's office environment is organized and fully equipped with the necessary resources, supplies, and technology.
• Prioritize and filter requests for the CEO's time and attention, ensuring that the CEO's schedule remains focused on high-impact activities.

Desired Qualifications

• 5 years’ related experience, providing administrative support at the executive level.
• Experience supporting a board of directors or governance process.
• Excellent communication skills and able to interact with various stakeholders in a professional manner.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask.
• Proficiency in office software (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite) and digital communication tools.
• Ability to maintain composure and professionalism under pressure.
• Discretion and confidentiality in handling sensitive information.
• Strong problem-solving skills.

Assets

• Bilingual in both of Canada’s official languages.
• Previous experience working in tourism, hospitality, or destination management/marketing.
• Experience working with board members.

The Hiring Process

1. Initial Phone Screen
2. In-Depth Interview
3. Reference checks
4. Offer

Land Acknowledgement

Ottawa Tourism is located and operates on the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin people, who have travelled and inhabited these lands for millennia.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement

We place great value on the importance of diversity in our workforce, and we value inclusivity, trust, innovation and encourage applications from individuals who are members of under-represented or marginalized communities. We foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. We connect with Indigenous communities; we care about the planet our people and our industry, and we want our city to be accessible to all. To that end, we are committed to an objective hiring process which is free from discrimination based on any of the protected grounds as stated in Ontario's Human Rights Code. In an effort to ensure that the selection process is as objective as possible, applicants are invited to consider removing any indications on their application that might suggest age, place of origin, ethnic origin, disability, race, or any other protected ground. For example, applicants might choose to include the names and classification of degrees granted (i.e. Diploma in Project Management, with Honours), while excluding the name or location of the school.

Accessibility Statement

All applications will be considered as long as the applicant can demonstrate that they meet the essential qualifications as described in the job posting. Further to this, if you would like to request any additional accommodations based on one of the Code's protected grounds, we will be happy to help accommodate you.