OVC Administrative Assistant

Department: OVC Advancement
Position covered by the Collective Agreement with USW Local 4120

Temporary full-time from 03/10/2025 to 12/31/2026 
 

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant. 
Career Opportunities (sapsf.com) 

General Purpose

In our work, we advance the mission of the University of Guelph by building lifelong relationships with our community: alumni, donors, and friends. Our vision is for the University of Guelph to be personally relevant in the lives of our community members. Through these relationships, we amplify the impact of philanthropy to create unique solutions for the challenges facing our world. As a member of this campus-wide team, the Stewardship Engagement Officer epitomizes the department’s shared values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation, and forward focus.
 

The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) Administrative Assistant plays a vital role in supporting the OVC Advancement team in its efforts to build and strengthen OVC’s reputation, relationships, and resources. Reporting to the Director of OVC Advancement, this role provides essential administrative support to the OVC Advancement team, including the Director, Fundraisers, Stewardship, Communicators, and Alumni support. The position contributes directly to advancing OVC’s Healthy Futures Strategic Plan and plays an active part in supporting the fundraising and alumni engagement initiatives of the team.

The OVC Administrative Assistant will work collaboratively with both the Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D) team and the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) External Relations team, which includes OVC Marketing & Communications and OVC Pet Trust, to support the College's strategic goals and priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to the OVC Advancement team, including scheduling and coordinating team meetings, preparing activity tracking reports, and distributing relevant materials for discussion.
• Act as the first point of contact for OVC faculty, Alumni, donors and staff regarding Advancement matters, triaging inquiries and directing them to the appropriate team members. The OVC Administrative Assistant will build and maintain strong relationships across the College to help facilitate fundraising and other OVC Advancement activities.
• Assist in producing personalized pledge reminder letters (approximately 15-30 per month) for designated relationship managers.
• Provide additional administrative support as needed, including editing and proofing documents, coordinating travel arrangements for conferences or events, and assisting with department-wide activities such as staff retreats or professional education opportunities.
• Support AA&D-wide events.
• Assist with administrative tasks such as completing expense reports for OVC Advancement staff.

• Assist with the management of approximately 600 prospects, including updating the alumni database, preparing and distributing prospect lists, and generating reports outlining the status of prospect activity.
• Support the OVC Advancement team in strategizing about the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift prospects, providing relevant insights for ongoing prospect development.
• Coordinate all logistics for prospect calls and meetings, including setting appointments, arranging travel (both national and international), and organizing campus tours and hospitality for meetings.
• Prepare customized packages for senior leadership and volunteers during prospect visits, which may include personalized letters, stewardship reports, background research, and various University and fundraising materials.
• Follow up on actions from prospect meetings, including updating the database, arranging future meetings, and preparing thank-you letters or proposals.

• Assist with donor stewardship, including preparing personalized acknowledgment letters for significant gifts ($1,000 or more) for senior AA&D administration signature.
• Coordinate donor visits, including campus tours or hospital visits, and ensure all logistics are in place for a seamless experience.
• Help organize events that recognize donors or engage alumni, handling tasks such as sending invitations, managing RSVPs, coordinating with on-campus departments, and assisting with hospitality and event logistics.
• Support the digitization of donor files and related documentation, ensuring all information is updated and accessible in the electronic filing system (Image Now).
• Track Gift Agreement signatures and ensure that documents are processed and filed properly, working closely with the Finance team to manage incoming gifts.

• Build and maintain relationships with OVC senior leadership and administrative staff, facilitating communication, meeting scheduling, and document approvals, such as securing signatures for donor thank-you letters and gift agreements.

Requirements

The university recognizes that no one individual will have the following skills/experience in equal measure but the qualifications noted below will be used to assess the suitability of candidates throughout the process.

This position requires strong communication, organizational, and time management skills. The OVC Administrative Assistant must be able to manage multiple tasks efficiently, adapt to changing priorities, and maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Candidates should have:

• A community college degree and up to 18 months of relevant experience as an administrator and or in customer service .
• Familiarity with donor relations and fundraising strategies.
• The ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams.
• A proven ability to work independently, and to assess priorities in a demanding work environment with tight timelines and multiple origins for work assignments.
• The ability to multi-task.
• A proven track record of excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Superior interpersonal, written and verbal communication and client service skills.
• Problem solving and decision making skills.
• Good judgement, tact and diplomacy.
• The ability to work with confidential material.
• Advanced computer skills, including spreadsheets, databases, web connections, email, PowerPoint.

Please include a cover letter along with your resume in your application.

Why choose the University of Guelph

• Comprehensive Extended Health Care Benefits: Immediate enrollment in extended health to cover yourself and your family
• Time off: Strong vacation allocation, floater days, and paid time off during the December closure to ensure that you are at your best
• Wellness: In addition to extensive wellness programming, the University offers a yearly flexible spending credit that can be allocated to any of the following: Health Spending, Wellness or Professional Development
• Learning & Development: Learning and development curriculum and other professional growth opportunities
• On-campus Activities: Discounts on food and apparel, fitness programming, access to networking events and team building opportunities
• Improve Life: Work that directly impacts a brighter future by turning knowledge into action

The university provides a flexible work arrangement. This position is required to be fulfilled both remotely and on-campus (Guelph Campus).

Employee Type: Temporary 
Position Number: 10920753 
Classification: USW, Local 4120 Salary: Band 4  
USW Local 4120 Wage Grid

*Tentative evaluation; subject to final review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date: 02/25/2025  
Closing Date: 03/04/2025