About Us

The Justice Supports and Services Division of the Department of Justice consists of three programs: each providing Nova Scotians access to critical programming and support.  The Maintenance Enforcement Program helps to facilitate the payment of court-ordered child and spousal support; the NS Restorative Justice Program provides opportunities for those harmed by crime, the person who caused the harm and the communities affected to communicate (directly or indirectly) about the causes, circumstances, and impact of that crime, and to address their related needs. Victim Services offers support to victims of crime as their case moves through the justice system. 

Within Victim Services we offer a range of services to help victims of crime, promote victims’ rights and interests and advise government on issues relating to victims of crime; and work with justice partners and the community to develop policies and programs that address the needs of crime victims. We can help provide the victim, spouse, or relative, with information, support and assistance as their case moves through the criminal justice system. When criminal charges are laid, victims and family members can contact us directly for help.

We provide the following programs: Provincial Victim Services Program, Child Victim/Witness Program, Criminal Injuries Counselling Program, Victim Impact Statement Program, Restitution Program and the Sexual Offense Legal Representation Program.

For more information on the Department of Justice Victim Services please visit the following link: https://novascotia.ca/just/Victim_Services/

About Our Opportunity

As an Administrative Assistant, you will report to the Senior Manager, Victim Services and will support the routine day-to-day operational management of the office of the division by serving as a resource for the Director and staff. You will also contribute to the development of administrative process improvements/standards to meet the division/department standards.

Primary Accountabilities

As an Administrative Assistant, you will:

• Prepare routine and non-routine correspondence, memos, reports etc.;
• Assess and assign priority to mail and e-mail, redirecting and/or answering as appropriate;
• Identify urgent items for the attention of the Director or others;
• Develop and prepare professional presentations and reports;
• Coordinate and control the Director’s electronic calendar ;
• Coordinate/arrange meetings and travel accommodations;
• Prepare agendas, and accurate minutes/notes, ensuring senior leadership decisions are recorded ;
• Identify urgent items for the attention of the Director;
• Maintain filing and retrieval systems, keeping manuals and reference materials current;
• Perform reception duties for the division, when required;
• Respond and direct incoming calls, emails, and walk-ins, and inquiries;
• Update information for the division including the website, business plan, accountability framework, when required;
• Assist with coordinating the division’s budget, monitors forecast documents, orders and receives goods and processes invoices for payment ;
• Handle divisional financial transactions and ensures proper procurement procedures are followed;
• Train, assign work, and mentor new employees or administrative staff when appropriate;
• Other related duties as assigned
  
  

Qualifications and Experience

As the successful candidate you will have a one year secretarial or commercial course along with at least three years of related clerical/administrative experience . An equivalent combination of training and experience may be considered.

You will have a good knowledge of office practices and procedures and a comprehensive knowledge of divisional functions.

You will be proficient in typing, word processing and other standard computer applications, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and internet use.  You will demonstrate the ability to multi-task, prioritize your work and you will be skilled with managing electronic filing systems.  You will be organized and adaptable in a face paced environment, be a strong team player, have good interpersonal skills, be sensitive to the needs of clients and display tact, sound judgement, and able to exercise discretion and confidentiality.  Effective verbal and written communication skills, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work independently are essential in this role.

We will assess the above qualifications using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.  For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

• Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day
• May be required to work overtime on occasion
• Stress level may be higher than normal due to the nature of the work and type of confidential information exposed to, often dealing with difficult situations, persons under considerable stress, and experiencing traumatic events
• There is a high demand for accuracy and attention to detail while working in a complex service area
  
  

Additional Information

This competition is to fill one Permanent employment opportunity based in Halifax, NS.

What We Offer

• Career development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths
• A dynamic, client-focused office environment where service excellence and teamwork are our focus