HR/Executive Administrator – Canada
Vancouver
Permanent, Full Time
About Whitecliffe Global
Whitecliffe is a leading independent tertiary institution, renowned for delivering innovative, industry-connected education. With campuses in New Zealand, Canada, Germany and Australia, we pride ourselves on having teaching staff with extensive industry experience who support our graduates to turn creativity into a career.
Whitecliffe University of Applied Sciences, Canada is the group's newest operation. Our Toronto campus opens its doors to its first cohort in January 2027, launching with the Master of Creative Art Therapy – a programme that sits precisely at the intersection Whitecliffe exists to serve: creative practice translated into professional, clinical outcome.
About the Role
Based at our Vancouver headquarters and reporting directly to the Executive Chairman, you'll provide executive support to the Chairman and the Group leadership team, while coordinating HR administration for employees in Canada and cover for HR administration globally. It's a genuinely dual-function role, blending the precision and discretion of a senior executive assistant with the organisational capability and people focus of an HR coordinator. On any given day you might be managing the Chairman's schedule across time zones, preparing Board papers, onboarding a new employee in Toronto, coordinating recruitment, or preparing payroll inputs for the Vancouver office. Day to day, you'll:
- Manage the Executive Chairman's calendar, communications, and international travel, responding independently where appropriate and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks
- Draft, proofread, and format correspondence, briefing notes, presentations, and Board papers on the Chairman's behalf
- Prepare agendas, materials, and minutes for Board of Governors meetings, Group executive meetings, and other key forums
- Liaise with Board members, government contacts, legal advisors, search firms, and institutional partners with professionalism and discretion
- Run the Vancouver HQ office and coordinate Group-wide events, leadership retreats, and video conferences across four countries
- Coordinate end-to-end recruitment for Canada, from posting vacancies and scheduling interviews to pre-employment checks and offer letters
- Manage onboarding for new employees, from systems access and equipment to induction and welcome communications
- Maintain accurate employee records, leave, and lifecycle documentation in the Group's HRIS, in line with privacy legislation in each jurisdiction (BC PIPA, PIPEDA, DSGVO, and equivalents)
- Coordinate the performance appraisal cycle and support benefits administration across Group entities
- Collate and submit payroll input data for the Vancouver office and act as first point of contact for employee payroll queries
About You
You're an exceptionally organised professional who thrives on ownership, someone who anticipates what's needed and brings calm, professional energy to everything you do. You conscientious in the creation and administration of every document, record, and communication that leaves your desk, and you can juggle competing priorities, complex schedules, and tight deadlines without losing accuracy.
You bring discretion and integrity to confidential executive and HR matters, and a genuine interest in the human side of organisations. You're warm, credible, and equally at ease with Board members, government contacts, and new employees across every culture. Adaptable and tech-savvy, you're comfortable with the pace and ambiguity of a fast-moving international group, and quick to pick up new systems.
Skills, Experience and Attributes
- Three to five years' experience in an executive assistant, HR coordinator, or combined EA/HR role within a professional, fast-paced environment
- Demonstrable experience supporting C-suite or senior executives, including calendar management, Board preparation, and confidential communications
- HR administration experience across recruitment coordination, onboarding, employee records, and HR correspondence
- Excellent written English, with strong drafting, proofreading, and editing skills and the ability to produce polished documents independently
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and cloud collaboration tools such as Teams or SharePoint
- Familiarity with HRIS platforms such as BambooHR and/or the ability to learn new systems quickly
- Exceptional organisation, attention to detail, and the discretion to handle sensitive personal and commercial information
It would be an advantage, though not essential, to have experience supporting an international or multi-site organisation across time zones, knowledge of BC employment standards and PIPA, exposure to Canadian payroll administration, familiarity with board governance and minute-taking, or a background in higher education or professional services.
- Legally entitled to work in Canada and able to work on site in Vancouver
If this sounds like you and you'd like to find out more – Apply Now!
Whitecliffe is committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any support or adjustments during the application or interview process, please let us know how we can support!
