POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Executive Assistant

Office Location: Canada, remote work

Work schedule: Generally follows Eastern Time (ET).

Type: Full time, contract position

Salary: $60,000 – $70,000 annually

Application deadline: September 18, 2026

Start Date: October 5, 2026

Position Overview

The Executive Assistant (EA) provides high-level administrative, operational, research, and communications support to the Scientific Director of the Autism Alliance of Canada. Working day to day with the Scientific Director, the EA plays an integral role in ensuring the effective coordination of executive priorities, research activities, meetings, events, and day-to-day operations.

This role carries significant responsibility for coordinating national, multi-stakeholder committees and writing groups across the country, in addition to core executive support functions. The position requires a highly organized and proactive professional who can anticipate needs, manage competing priorities, and work independently in a virtual environment. The EA will manage multiple calendars across time zones and correspondence; prepare for and support meetings and virtual platforms; coordinate national committee logistics; coordinate virtual, hybrid, and in-person events and speaking engagements; and arrange travel and detailed itineraries, including accommodations.

A significant component of the role is supporting the Research Team through project and milestone tracking, grant and funding administration (including tracking funder reporting deadlines and compiling report materials), academic publishing and reference management, and the organization of technical documentation and scientific literature. The EA will also provide operational support through national committee coordination, financial administration, and general administrative activities.

Working collaboratively with the Communications team, the EA will also support social media and digital communications, including drafting and scheduling content that advances the Alliance’s public profile and supports the Scientific Director’s communications and engagement activities.

The EA will be entrusted with sensitive and confidential information and will represent the Scientific Director and the Alliance with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment. The successful candidate will bring strong written and verbal communication skills, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.

Key Responsibilities

Calendar & Schedule Management:

Proactively manage the Scientific Director’s calendar, coordinating internal and external meetings across multiple time zones and adjusting schedules dynamically to accommodate changing priorities.

Meeting Preparation & Support:

Ensure the Scientific Director is fully prepared for all meetings by compiling materials in advance.
Draft agendas, record detailed minutes, and distribute action items and meeting materials in a timely manner.
Set up and manage virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, etc.) for recurring meetings and committee sessions, including scheduling, invites, and basic host/admin support.

Inbox & Communication Management:

Act as a digital gatekeeper, filtering the Scientific Director’s email inbox to prioritize urgent issues and block distractions, ensuring smooth and timely communication.

Correspondence & Reporting:

Draft, process, and edit professional correspondence, reports, and statistical data.
Assist in the preparation of the organization’s Annual Reports and other strategic documents.
Coordinate translation of key correspondence and materials for bilingual or national audiences (e.g., liaising with translators/vendors and managing turnaround timelines).

Travel & Event Logistics:

Coordinate travel arrangements, including flight and hotel bookings, and plan detailed itineraries.
Plan logistics for scientific events, conferences, and virtual symposiums.

National Committee Coordination

Coordinate multiple committees involving 60+ stakeholders across the country, managing recurring meeting cadences, scheduling, and virtual meeting logistics for each.
Distribute meeting materials, agendas, and minutes; track action items through to completion across committees.
Maintain and update committee member contact lists, distribution groups, and attendance/RSVP tracking.

Research Team Support

Research Project Administration: Provide administrative and operational support to the Research Team, including tracking project milestones and long-term deliverables.
Grant & Funding Administration: Track grant opportunities, monitor submission deadlines, and compile and organize complex paperwork for funding applications.
Academic & Publishing Support: Assist the Scientific Director with reference management and manuscript formatting using tools such as EndNote.
Technical Data Management: Comfortably navigate, sort, and organize technical documentation and scientific literature containing specialized terminology.

Operations Support

Financial Administration: Assist with financial administration (including managing weekly expense reports and grant budget tracking).
Social Media & Digital Communications: Work collaboratively with the Communications team to draft and schedule content across the Alliance’s social channels supporting the Scientific Director’s public communications and digital presence.
General Administrative: Handle general office tasks and routine administrative duties as needed to ensure smooth remote daily operations.

Position Requirements

Education & Experience

Education: Post-secondary education in Business Administration, Health Administration, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
Experience: 10+ years of experience supporting an executive team and providing senior-level administrative support. Experience working in the health sciences, healthcare, medical, research, or related fields is considered an asset.

Languages

Required: Professional proficiency in English (written and verbal).
Asset: Professional proficiency in French.

Specialized Skills & Knowledge

Technical Proficiency: Advanced expertise with Google Workspace, Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and Canva
Committee & Stakeholder Coordination: Demonstrated ability to coordinate recurring meetings and logistics for large, multi-stakeholder groups across regions or time zones.
Event, Meeting & Travel Coordination: Demonstrated ability to coordinate and manage virtual, hybrid, and in-person meetings and events, including speaking engagements, scheduling, logistics, travel arrangements, and detailed itineraries. Must be highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities while ensuring seamless execution from planning through follow-up.
Discretion & Trust: Demonstrated ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential materials with absolute discretion and integrity.
Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to serve as a professional bridge between internal and external audiences.
Personal Attributes: Self-motivated, dependable, highly organized, and able to work independently with minimal supervision while working asynchronously in a remote team.
Proficient use of AI tools and Technologies: Comfortable and proficient using AI-powered productivity tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot) to support drafting correspondence, summarizing research and technical documents, preparing meeting materials, and improving day-to-day efficiency. Able to use these tools thoughtfully and with sound judgment given the sensitive and confidential nature of the role.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

Direct knowledge of or experience working with the autism or neurodivergent community.
Experience or familiarity with political advocacy and government relations.
Knowledge of the Canadian disability and non-profit sectors.

How to Apply

Please submit your application by email to workwithus@autismalliance.ca by September 18, 2026.

Your application must include:

A current CV
A cover letter or letter of motivation

In your email subject line, please clearly indicate the position you are applying for.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

About Autism Alliance of Canada

Autism Alliance of Canada is a pan-Canadian network with a broad and diverse membership of Autistic people and their families and support persons, as well as clinicians, researchers, policy influencers, service providers and organizations from across Canada.

We work together as a shared leadership movement to champion a National Autism Strategy that ensures Autistic people have equal rights and opportunities for full participation and acceptance in Canadian society. We harness the power of collective impact as an inclusive organization whose members, board of directors and staff reflect our commitment to Autistic participation in all aspects of our work.

Autism Alliance of Canada is an equal opportunity employer committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization. We strive towards building an Autistic-inclusive space. We actively encourage applications from individuals on the autism spectrum and from all equity-seeking groups. Priority will be given to Autistic or neurodivergent applicants

We invite you to become a member of Autism Alliance of Canada. As a member, you will become aligned with a coalition of organizations, groups and individuals that has come together to provide a strong collective voice toward a national shared leadership movement.

Autism Alliance of Canada jobs

Executive Assistant