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National Executive Assistant & Board Secretary

POSITION TYPE: Full-time, permanent staff.
LOCATION: CPAWS National Office – Ottawa, Ontario (Hybrid work model).
LANGUAGE: English/French bilingual.
SALARY: $75,000 – $85,000/year, with a competitive paid vacation and benefits package.
POSTING DATE: August 27, 2026.
CLOSING DATE: September 17, 2026.

About the Organization

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is a national charitable organization with 13 chapters across Canada, nearly 100 staff, and hundreds of volunteers who have helped protect over half a million square kilometres of Canada’s public land and water since 1963.
Our conservation vision is to protect at least half of Canada’s public land and water in a framework of reconciliation—for the benefit of both wildlife and humans.
CPAWS is based on the unceded and unsurrendered lands of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation and works in both unceded and treaty lands of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit throughout the country.
We are committed to operating in a way that upholds justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), and to ensuring our workplace is inclusive and accessible.

About the Role

CPAWS National Office is seeking a National Executive Assistant & Board Secretary to support the National Executive Director (NED) and the National Board of Trustees.
The National Executive Assistant & Board Secretary is a key position at CPAWS providing administrative and strategic support to the National Executive Director, including managing calendars, sorting and prioritizing correspondence, organizing meeting logistics, supporting administrative financial processes, and preparing correspondence and meeting materials, as required.
As Board Secretary, the incumbent will provide planning and coordination support for the Board of Trustees and Annual General Meetings, including maintaining accurate and comprehensive records of CPAWS’ activities.
This position is ideal for a highly organized, proactive professional who thrives in a dynamic, national environment and is comfortable managing competing priorities with discretion and professionalism. The ideal candidate will exhibit good judgment in all situations, exceptional organizational skills and keen attention to detail and accuracy, strong written and verbal communication skills in both English and French, demonstrated ability to work independently on various projects from conception to completion, and ability to work under pressure at times to manage a wide variety of activities.
This position will be hybrid, with our office located in downtown Ottawa.

Responsibilities

o    Complete a broad variety of administrative tasks that facilitate the National Executive Director’s ability to effectively lead.
o    Lead the coordination of logistics for national meetings and events, including those of the National Board of Trustees. (virtual and in-person.)
o    Manage the National Executive Director’s annual office budget.
o    Coordinate all meetings of the National Board of Trustees and its committees.
o    Maintain board governance records and ensure proper documentation and organization, including managing information and access to CPAWS collaboration platforms and ensuring our policies are up to date.
o    Support Annual General Meeting (AGM) planning and execution.
o    General reception duties on occasion, as required.
o    Support national office operations as necessary.

Qualifications & Expectations

Essential Assets

o    Bilingualism (English and French) is required.
o    3+ years of related work experience in a professional environment supporting a senior executive. A combination of work experience and education may be considered.
o    5+ years of experience working in office administration.
o    Prior experience with corporate governance and supporting Boards of Trustees.
o    Experience coordinating meetings, events, and logistics with multiple stakeholders.
o    Experience with conducting research and creating reports or presentations.
o    Strong project management skills with the ability to organize and monitor deadlines and resources independently.
o    Exceptional organizational and time management skills with high attention to detail and accuracy.
o    Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to learn quickly.
o    High level of discretion and professionalism in handling sensitive information.
o    Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams) and virtual meeting platforms.
o    Ability to manage competing priorities and adapt to changing deadlines and conditions.
o    Interest in or commitment to environmental conservation.

Nice to Have

o    Prior experience in the non-profit or charitable sector.
o    Experience supporting a national or multi-stakeholder organization.
o    Education in administration, business, communications, or a related field.

Working Conditions

o    Hybrid work environment based in Ottawa.
o    Occasional travel will be required.
o    Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends (e.g., Board meetings, events.)

Application Submission and Hiring Process

CPAWS is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the populations we serve. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including applicants from all cultures, racialized communities, abilities, diverse sexual and gender identities, and others who may contribute to equitable representation and diversity of perspectives and ideas. We are committed to a selection process and work environment that is inclusive and barrier-free.

Please contact us if you should require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process at

Please apply through this link: https://cpws.bamboohr.com/careers/51 . Please ensure to send your letter and resume saved into a single PDF with the file name: “LAST NAME_NationalExecutiveAssistant” by September 17, 2026.

We thank all candidates for their interest in the position. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, as we are looking to fill this position quickly. We expect to have two rounds of interviews and that interviews will last up to one hour. They may take place in person, or over Zoom, dependent on the needs of the candidate. We commit to contacting all candidates who we interview within two weeks of the interview date.