Administrative Assistant

Position: Administrative Assistant
Organization: rare Charitable Research Reserve
Location: Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo Region, Ontario

Who You Are

You are someone with a passion for people and the environment. You foster meaningful relationships with rare’s community of visitors and supporters from various backgrounds. You have high expectations for yourself and your work, while also being willing to learn from failure. You are someone who enjoys being independent while also working as part of a team to get things done. You are excited to make rare a household name and have an interest in continued learning and making the world a more sustainable place.

Who We Are

We are a community-based urban land trust and environmental institute that stewards over 1,550 acres of land in Waterloo Region/Wellington County. The lands we live on, work on, and derive benefit from were taken away from the original stewards, and it is our goal to restore that connection and to work towards building ethical, reciprocal relationships. This includes learning about and acting on our responsibilities as settlers and unlearning our cultural and historical biases. Most of the land currently in our care is located within the Haldimand Tract, which is territory of the Onkwehon:we peoples of the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit Anishinaabe First Nation. In addition, we steward land at the border of the Upper Canada Treaty No. 3 and Treaty 19 which is also territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. We honour and respect the sovereignty of these First Nations and their ancestors.

Conservation is our priority, and our goal is to make the environment more relevant in peoples’ lives through environmental research and education. Modelled after an academic institute or research lab, the culture we strive for is a casual work environment that is positive, supportive, collegial, and often experimental. As a registered charity, we are not working towards making the biggest profit for a corporation, but working towards finding the best ways on how we want to live sustainably. You can find more about our culture and values, who we are looking for and what you can expect in the Frequently Asked Question section at: https://www.raresites.org/about/careers#jobs

The Role

Reporting to the Administrative Coordinator, the Administrative Assistant will work collegially as part of the administrative team with colleagues, program advisors and volunteers, to represent rare and to serve the broader community.

The role requires attention to detail, strong interpersonal skills, a desire to help achieve results, flexibility for changing priorities and effective communication skills both in person and in writing. You will be responsible for assisting with administrative activities including:

• Providing reception coverage and assistance with guest inquiries including information regarding access points for public trails, community gardens, educational programs and facilities rental
• Assisting with donor database management including data entry, tax receipting and donor mailings
• Ensuring a clean and professional office environment including maintaining inventory and ordering necessary office materials, keep space tidy of dishes, garbage, and recycling and completing the mail collection and distribution
• Attending, sharing and taking minutes at various meetings
• Supporting personnel onboarding/offboarding including requesting necessary set-ups, preparing related personnel items and overseeing distribution/collection of issued items
• Supporting administrative functions including supporting staff with meeting coordination, set-up and event management
• Other duties, as assigned.

Skills and Requirements

• Background in office administration, business or related field.
• Experience with contact databases, preferably DonorPerfect.
• Strong organizational skills, reliable, self-motivated and great attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills, including diplomacy, tact and teamwork.
• Flexibility and ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and use of good judgment.
• Advanced computer skills including Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, Publisher, PowerPoint) and Canva.
• An understanding of and commitment to confidentiality including demonstrated ability handling sensitive confidential information in all formats.
• A valid driver’s licence and access to a vehicle to travel between sites and run errands, as necessary.
• In addition to following all COVID-19 safety measures to ensure the safety of our staff, volunteers and guests, the rare Charitable Research Reserve requires all staff be fully vaccinated (at least two doses) against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

Don’t meet all requirements?

We don’t expect you to be perfect, but we want you to have confidence in your own ability to progress. If we decide to hire you, we want you to succeed and we will support and train you in areas that need developing. Training and mentorship by more experienced colleagues and volunteers are all considered part of your work and encouraged.

Compensation Package

• This is a part-time role working approximately 17 hours per week Wednesday to Friday with some additional work required on evenings and weekends, periodically.
• rare is a certified Ontario Living Wage Employer and the hourly rate of pay is $23.00.

Work Environment & Benefits

• Responsibilities for this role are carried out primarily in our office. Tuesdays are in-office collaboration days.
• Flexible tracking system for time worked.
• Physical demands may include lifting boxes with materials and setting up equipment up to 20kg, ability to attend hikes/outdoor events during various weather conditions may also be occasionally required.
• Invitation for voluntary participation on the JEDDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Decolonization and Inclusion) committee.
• We operate across different sites - many of which are not accessible by public transit. This role may involve transporting materials and related items.
• Monthly team building and social opportunities including outings, lunches, and being together on the land.
• Dogs are welcome to visit the office - in accordance with related policies.
• Free employee parking.

Anticipated start date: March 2026
Deadline for applications: Monday, February 16, 2026

How To Apply

Applicants are invited to send their application to the following email address: jobs@raresites.org

Only documents, including a cover letter and resume, compiled into ONE PDF file attachment will be reviewed. Any application materials provided within the body (text) of your email or as separate documents will not be considered. Cover letters for this position may be addressed to Kim Robichaud. Please include the name of the position for which you are applying in the email subject line.

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

No phone calls or social media outreach please. Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.

As part of our commitment to racial justice, reconciliation, and equity building, we welcome individuals from marginalized communities including Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ and self-identifying women candidates to apply for this position. We encourage people with disabilities to apply. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

We are dedicated to removing bias from our hiring process. For this reason, we have implemented an anonymous review component in our recruitment process. What does this mean? We will be removing your name, address, and e-mail address and any other potential identifying information from your application/resume prior to it being reviewed by the hiring manager, during the first stage of the recruitment process. If you are selected for an interview, this information will become available to the hiring manager only at that time. Note that we do not use artificial intelligence or automated decision-making systems in our recruitment, screening, or hiring processes.