Graduate Assistant

Date Posted: 07/23/2026
Req ID: 48519
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Dept of Political Science
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00058078
Existing Vacancy: Yes

Description:

About us:

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

The Department of Political Science is a community of established and emerging scholars, ranked among the world’s best, with the largest and most prestigious PhD program in Canada. Our mission is to encourage our students to think broadly, critically and internationally about the core features of democratic and global citizenship. This is accomplished by drawing on a Canadian perspective, the University’s intellectual culture and the city’s diversity to address the most enduring questions of politics, locally and internationally.

Your opportunity:

Reporting to the Business Manager and under direct supervision of the Graduate Administrator and Graduate Chair, the Graduate Assistant will provide program and student support by engaging in various activities, including but not limited to: coordinating program activities; maintaining and updating course and student information and records; organizing orientation materials; troubleshooting timetabling; preparing and editing correspondence; tracking and monitoring student registration, enrolment status and final oral exams; preparing and submitting job postings; drafting TA employment letters and monitoring contracts; managing DDAH records; submitting signed contracts for payroll processing; generating reports; supporting the MA internship program, including liaising with the MA internship instructor, A&S experiential learning, MA Director, and MA students; and responding to requests in a timely fashion.

The successful candidate will also be responsible for assisting with classroom A/V needs for graduate courses; organizing the logistics of events and programming; serving as a resource for various programs and platforms; acting as backup for reception; providing departmental administrative support; and managing other relevant activities as assigned throughout the year.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Scheduling appointments for prospective students, applicants, and current students to address individual needs. Providing detailed information on program and/or course eligibility requirements, procedures, policies and deadlines.
• Acting as the first point of contact for general enquiries
• Determining logistical details and activities for events and/or programming
• Coordinating meeting schedules, agendas, materials, action and follow-up items.
• Handling sensitive and/or confidential information
• Liaising with students and faculty to coordinate program activities.
• Preparing draftstatistical reports and summaries from data collected.
• Serving as a resource to others by providing (non-supervisory) job-related guidance

Essential Qualifications:

• Advanced College Diploma (3 years)or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum two (2) years of recent and related experience providing front-line and program support for a graduate program in a post-secondary environment.
• Experience supporting graduate program activities, including non-exhaustively admissions, TA hiring and administration, coordinating timetable/room bookings & resolving conflicts, final oral exams, petitions, preparing and editing correspondence, reports, records management.
• Demonstrated success working with students and faculty from diverse backgrounds to provide information on different academic issues, processes, and policies.
• Demonstrated experience in maintaining, analyzing, and summarizing data, and preparing reports for program planning and decision making.
• Experience organizing the logistics of special events, workshops, programming, etc. for current and incoming students.
• Demonstrated advanced working knowledge and experience with a wide variety of software, including MS Office, SharePoint, ROSI, Slate, Qualtrics, and eMarks. Experience supporting users of varying technical knowledge and providing basic troubleshooting.
• Strong planning, organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to explain processes and procedures accurately and effectively with a wide and diverse range of people.
• Ability to work with competing assignment demands; detailed oriented; ability to follow through.
• Knowledge of CUPE Local 3902 Unit 1 procedures and policies or other related agreements.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Faculty of Arts and Science, the School of Graduate Studies practices and procedures and other related student services.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Decisive
• Diligent
• Efficient
• Meticulous
• Organized
• Proactive
• Responsible

For internal staff, a copy of the detailed job description is available upon request from the Faculty of Arts and Science HR Office by emailing: adminhr.artsci@utoronto.ca.

This role may be eligible for an Alternative Work Arrangement in accordance with the University of Toronto’s Alternative Work Arrangements Guideline.

Closing Date: 07/31/2026, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW
Appointment Type: Budget - Continuing
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 08 -- $63,963. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $81,797. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Student Services

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Job descriptions are available upon request for internal applicants.