Common Services Assistant / Receptionist

Summary of Duties:

The Embassy of Canada in Helsinki is looking for a Common Services Assistant/Receptionist, with good MS Office skills and enthusiasm about providing service to clients. Reception opening hours are 8:30-16:30. 

The successful candidate will carry out the objectives of the Mission by greeting / screening and assisting visitors to the mission referring / directing them to the appropriate program as required; attending to general enquiries serving all programs; providing organizational services related to meetings as well as travel and hotel reservations where required; providing other administrative and consular support services; and other duties as required, for example ensuring the lobby space is kept in an orderly fashion. 

The Common Services Assistant will also provide support services to the Head of Mission Operations and Consular. This may involve verification of accounts, invoice processing, preparation, scanning and filing of invoices, coordinating payment of invoices, verifying the accuracy of data entry and forwarding/liaising with the London CSDP (Common Service Delivery Point) Accounting Section. Other duties may include preparing reports for signature, logistics planning, supporting the regional focus of the program by proactively cooperating with regional offices relating to normal job duties, responding to service requests from clientele and performing other duties as required.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates will initially be screened against the Essential Qualifications relating to education, language* and experience.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate when applying to the position how they meet each of these essential qualifications.

*Language will be assessed further during the process. 

Education:

Candidates will be required to provide proof of the completion of their education.

• Completion of secondary/high school education

Language:

 Fluent English and Finnish (spoken, written, comprehension)

Experience:

• Experience working in an administrative/program support environment or as a receptionist in a customer/client facing capacity.

 RATED REQUIREMENTS

The Rated Requirements are part of the essential qualifications and are relating to knowledge, abilities and competencies. Methods of assessment for rated requirements may include, but are not limited to, a written examination, an oral interview (online pre-recorded/live or in-person), role-play, practical tests, presentations and/or psychometric assessment.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of standard office suite software applications (Microsoft applications, Excel, Word, Outlook)

Competencies:

• Attention to detail

• Client focus

• Professional Integrity (values & ethics)

• Initiative and Judgement

• Adaptability and Flexibility

Abilities: 

• Ability to be organised and prioritize work

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team

 Asset Qualifications:

Preference may be given to candidates who meet the Asset Qualifications. Where applicable, candidates must clearly demonstrate how they meet any asset qualifications.

• University degree

• Proficiency in French (oral, written, comprehension)

• Experience working in a Canadian High Commission or Embassy

• Experience working with a financial system such as SAP/IMS

• Minimum 6 months **recent experience in an office environment working in a clerical/administrative support role

 **Recent in this instance refers to the past 24 months

Organizational Needs: 

This process will be used to create a list of eligible candidates for similar positions either term, indeterminate or emergency (casual)

 Operational Requirements:

• Working hours 37.5 hours per week, 5 days a week (from 08:30 to 16:30)

• Willingness and ability to work at the office.

• Willingness and ability to work occasional paid overtime outside normal working hours (e.g. early mornings, evenings and weekends) and potentially on short notice.

 Conditions of Employment:

Conditions of employment must be met or complied with before being appointed to a particular position, and are to be maintained throughout the employment while being the incumbent of this position.

- Valid work authorization: Ability to obtain and hold a valid work authorization covering the entire employment period.

- Security screening: Obtain and maintain a Reliability Status (security level) which includes a criminal and credit background check from the Government of Canada covering the entire employment period. Please note this may take several weeks.

For Important Notes and How to Apply, please follow the application link below. You need to register to the Government of Canada Locally engaged Staff Recruitment Portal.