Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO

Employment Type: Full-time Regular

City: Calgary, AB (YYC)

Posting Open Date: 01/31/2025

Posting Close Date: 02/09/2025 (Please note the posting will close at 11:59pm MST)

Why WestJet:

Every WestJet journey has the potential to enrich lives; a career with us is no exception.

WestJet arrived on the Canadian airline scene in 1996 and changed the industry for the better. We made air travel more affordable for Canadians and now we're going global.

Join us, this is where your career story takes off.

The Senior Executive Assistant will provide full administrative support to the CEO / Board. This position provides senior level administrative, and some advisory, support to the CEO. The successful candidate will require a comprehensive understanding of the management of a Chief Executive office, as well as the organizational structure, priorities, commitments, and goals. This person will take the lead role in coordinating Board and Committee meetings and Executive Leadership Team offsite events.

The successful candidate must have strong leadership, negotiation, and motivational skills, the ability to build effective relationships, be highly collaborative and have a strong team mentality. The role requires exceptional communication skills and the ability to work both independently and with broad directives with minimal direction. The successful candidate must demonstrate a high standard of excellence, resilience, resourcefulness, and creative problem solving.

This position deals with highly confidential information and requires the ability to exercise considerable discretion, judgement, and independent decision making. The role includes constant multi-tasking and the need to make independent decisions regarding the management of internal and external information.

The stress level of this role is moderate to high. The work is high volume and fast-paced and deals with a broad spectrum of internal and external issues, stakeholders, and priorities. Accuracy is essential in this environment with little to no room for error.

Key responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to:

• Act as an ambassador to the CEO's office, ensuring those engaging with it have a positive experience and works to positively influence the reputation of the CEO's office for guests, WestJetters, and other stakeholders
• Provide the full spectrum of administrative support to the CEO, including managing correspondence, screening requests from internal and external parties, completing and approving expense reports, reconciling and approval of purchase orders and invoices
• Strategically manage the CEO's calendar and schedule
• Take the lead role in the planning and execution of the CEO's commitments, including communications, meetings, presentations, reporting submissions, travel and events
• Reviews and ensures completeness and accuracy of documents flowing to and from the CEO office, including managing the storage and security of confidential files
• Working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders, assists with drafting, collecting, and/or organizing accurate presentations, reports and correspondence for the CEO to deliver to the Board and Committees, and to the Executive Leadership Team
• Research and profile external contacts to help the CEO prepare for engagements
• Filter, delegate and respond to email, telephone, and social media correspondence on behalf of the CEO
• Attend meetings, presentations and seminars when delegated
• Manage special projects when necessary. Examples of special projects can be (but not limited to) coordinating office renovations or moves, planning offsite meetings, etc.
• Play a critical ad hoc support role with assisting the executive team and emergency response team in emergency response situations
• Gather data from the CEO's direct reports and coordinates necessary reporting
• Brief the CEO on relevant issues and provide the CEO with reliable and timely advice, support and liaison services, allowing him/her to focus on the delivery of WestJet strategic priorities and goals

Competencies:

Leadership

• Leads by example, setting the standard for professional behaviour and work habits that support a positive, performance-based environment
• Maintains positive and efficient working relationships with internal parties (ELT members, Executive Administrators, CEO direct reports, key internal stakeholders, emergency response teams, WestJet Board of Directors, etc.)
• Serves as a role model in consistently emphasizing integrity, respect for people, and ethical behavior in all instances
• Influences opinions of teams, stakeholders, and leaders

Professionalism and Integrity

• Exercises a high degree of diplomacy and good judgment; maintains strict confidentiality; exercises considerable discretion and judgement identifies conflicts and resolves appropriately; provides a high level of customer service to internal and external stakeholders; holds themselves and others to high standards of quality; demonstrates consistency and reliability

Business/Commercial Acumen

• Contributes to the commercial success of WestJet by creating value; demonstrates ability to analyze information and summarize messages; champions WestJet as a thriving, successful and profitable business

Communication

• Communicates openly, honestly, and clearly; anticipates needs of audience and adapts style and communication methods; sets the scene by painting the whole picture; utilizes in-person meetings for difficult issues; listens and seeks to understand other points of view, understands and reads body language; excellent written communication skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels is essential
• Superior written and verbal skills with the ability to respond to various levels of guests, WestJetters, vendors, and other business correspondence on behalf of the Executive(s)
• Asks questions to clarify or challenge change efforts and seeks out additional information to gain a better understanding of change efforts
• Questions and explores fundamental assumptions in change efforts seeking deeper clarification to avoid inaccurate conclusions

Enthuses and Inspires

• Is enthusiastic about what they do; displays drive and energy; 'rolls up sleeves' to accomplish goals; highly self-motivated and demonstrates initiative consistently

Makes Decisions

• Owns and is accountable for making independent decisions; understands full impact of decisions; consults with people; accesses information and analyses facts from a broad viewpoint; balances the needs of stakeholders; has confidence in decisions; identifies core principles and applies them consistently to decisions
• Ability and willingness to see what needs to be done before and without being told

Prioritizes and Organizes

• Excellent time management and organizational skill set; follows up to ensure other people's contributions are on schedule; anticipates problems and ensures contingency plans are available and actioned if needed; meets deadlines; highly detail-oriented with the ability to multi-task and manages time (both their own and the Executive(s)) effectively

Relationship Focused

• Builds and manages networks and relationships with internal and external customers, establishes needs and reviews requirements; builds respect rather than simply seeking to be liked; represents WestJet professionally

Professional Qualifications:

• Minimum 15 years' related experience in a senior administrative role. Candidates with an Office Management or Business Administration degree from a recognized post-secondary institution are preferred
• 10+ years' experience working in an Executive Assistant capacity and managing a senior executive, in an organization of similar scope, scale and complexity to WestJet
• Advanced knowledge and high proficiency in Outlook, Word, Teams, Power Point; and intermediate knowledge of Excel required
• Superior organizational, research, analytical, and time management skills
• Excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills

The benefits of being a WestJetter:

WestJet provides all WestJetters with a competitive total rewards package. On top of that, we offer:

• A fun and friendly culture with colleagues who work together to win
• Travel privileges for you and your family, effective from your start date
• Savings and Benefit programs that are flexible to meet your specific needs

Think we are a fit? Apply now!

About WestJet Group of Companies

Together with WestJet's regional airline, WestJet Encore, we offer scheduled service to more than 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe and to more than 175 destinations in over 20 countries through our airline partnerships.

Our Safety Promise

At WestJet, the safety and security of our people and our guests is a core value and at the heart of what we do. As safety and security is a shared responsibility, it is expected that you will use safe work practices to ensure your well-being and the safety of others.

WestJet recognizes that the use of Alcohol and Drugs can adversely impact a safe work environment and the well-being of others including guests, suppliers and the public, as well as place WestJet's operations at risk. All roles that are identified as safety sensitive are required to pass a Pre-Employment Alcohol and Drug Test as per WestJet's Alcohol and Drug Policy.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We embrace what makes us each unique, and what makes us uniquely WestJet. WestJet is committed to inclusiveness, equity, and accessibility and if you require accommodation during the selection process, please let our Talent Acquisition team know. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply. We thank all applicants for their interest in WestJet; however, only those candidates who are selected will be contacted.

For more information about everything WestJet, please visit WestJet.com.

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