Do you take pride in helping others and providing excellent client service?   Keep reading to find out how this role may be a great fit for you!

The BC Family Maintenance Agency (BCFMA) is responsible for the client-centric administration of child and spousal maintenance services for British Columbians, offering supports that strengthen families, so that they may achieve their full potential and secure the best possible future for their children. We are committed to promoting equity, anti-racism and multi-culturalism, addressing social and health issues such as mental health and poverty, and providing services that make communities safer. We strive for lasting and meaningful reconciliation through Indigenous-specific community recognition, outreach, and relationship building efforts. 

BCFMA is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, honouring the Provincial commitment to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action. Through fostering respectful and collaborative relationships with Indigenous partners and stakeholders, BCFMA delivers on government’s priorities. 

We are thrilled you have decided to explore a career with the BC Family Maintenance Agency (BCFMA). The BCFMA is responsible for supporting BC families by providing a free service to track and collect child and spousal support. We are passionate about what we do and the clients we serve and are proud of delivering exceptional service in a client-focused way. 

The BCFMA is currently looking for a permanent, full-time Legal Assistant to join our team in our Kamloops office.  

Our Legal Assistants are a team of professionals who provide legal administrative aid to our in-house Legal Counsel and other Agency staff.  This position collaborates with other staff in a manner which increases the efficiency of the roles they support, enhances internal and external communications and maximizes client service. 

As the successful candidate, you will be a part of a diverse and inclusive team with opportunities for personal and professional growth.  We also provide comprehensive training in a positive learning environment.  

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Prepares the legal case file and supporting documentation
• Prepares and compiles precedents, correspondence, court, land and other registry documents and ensures all are available to legal counsel, staff, clients and other parties as required.
• Maintains a BF system to ensure timely follow up and compliance with deadlines and limitation periods. 
• Arranges for timely delivery and service of Court and other documents to court registries and other parties as required.
• Conducts and obtains search results through BC Online and Court Services Online databases.
• Follows up on files involving court action including arranging for legal counsel to attend where needed, updating database records and sending out reporting letters to clients and other parties. 
• Prepares weekly court list and month end statistics.
• Communicates effectively with clients, external counsel, court staff, reciprocating jurisdictions and other community agencies to enhance and expedite client satisfaction and BCFMA’s legal services.
• Acts as a Commissioner of Oaths for swearing of staff affidavits.
• Proactively provides solutions to improve workflow and client services for both lawyers and legal assistants.
• Works constructively with the legal counsel team and co-workers to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of the team and keeps supervisor informed of problems and suggestions as they arise.
• Participates in meetings, in-house training and committees.
• Maintains knowledge of relevant legislation, policies, procedures, community resources and computer systems to successfully perform responsibilities.
• Provides training to recently hired legal assistants and lawyers.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education

• High School Diploma.
• Direct training and certification (Legal Administrative Assistant) preferred. 

Experience 

• Direct training and certification as a legal assistant or legal secretary, or experience as a titled legal assistant or legal secretary with a law firm for at least 2 years.
• Experience working with Land Title and Survey Authority database, Court Services Online, BC Online, precedents, lawyer's instruction and dictation preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Solid computer skills including use of email, internet and databases. 
• Keyboarding skills of 65 wpm minimum.
• Solid word processing skills, preferably MS Word and Adobe        

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  

• A Criminal Record Check is required. 

Why work at BCFMA: 

• An opportunity to be part of an inclusive and diverse culture where you can make a difference and team members are appreciated and valued.
• Work-life balance with a Monday to Friday work week.
• Participation in a Defined Benefit Public Service Pension Plan
• Competitive benefits package including extended health, dental, above standard vacation entitlement, company paid sick time and flex days.
• On-the-job training with opportunities for ongoing learning and development.

You say you want a job where you can make a difference - don’t delay and apply today!  

The annual salary for this position ranges from $45,851 to $59,519 depending on experience. Candidates must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to apply for this full-time opportunity. This is a unionized position covered by the BCGEU / BCFMA collective agreement.

We are committed to promoting equity, anti-racism and multi-culturalism, addressing social and health issues such as mental health and poverty, and providing services that make communities safer. We strive for lasting and meaningful reconciliation through Indigenous-specific community recognition, outreach, and relationship building efforts. 

INDIGENOUS RELATIONS BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES 

Building a Trust-Based Relationship requires a fundamental understanding that "relationship" is the foundation from which all activities happen and that building a good relationship takes time and commitment. It is a willingness to build a personal relationship in addition to a professional one, participating in open exchanges of experiences and culture. It requires a genuine, non-controlling approach and relies upon demonstrated integrity and transparency. Building a trust-based relationship requires a high level of consciousness of the experience of Indigenous people with Crown relations. It assumes that strengths abound in Indigenous people, cultures and communities. 

Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one’s own culture and worldview and the culture of BCFMA, and to notice their commonalities and distinctions with Indigenous cultures and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective.

BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES

Flexibility is the ability and willingness to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of diverse situations, and with diverse individuals or groups. Flexibility entails understanding and appreciating different and opposing perspectives on an issue, adapting one’s approach as situations change and accepting changes within one’s own job or organization. 

Initiative involves identifying a problem, obstacle or opportunity and taking appropriate action to address current or future problems or opportunities. As such, initiative can be seen in the context of proactively doing things and not simply thinking about future actions. Formal strategic planning is not included in this competency. 

Listening, Understanding and Responding is the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds.  It includes the ability to understand accurately and respond effectively to both spoken and unspoken or partly expressed thoughts, feelings and concerns of others.  People who demonstrate high levels of this competency show a deep and complex understanding of others, including cross-cultural sensitivity.

Results Orientation is a concern for surpassing a standard of excellence. The standard may be one’s own past performance (striving for improvement); an objective measure (achievement orientation); challenging goals that one has set; or even improving or surpassing what has already been done (continuous improvement). Thus, a unique accomplishment also indicates a Results Orientation. 

Service Orientation implies a desire to identify and serve customers/clients, who may include the public, colleagues, partners (e.g. educational institutes, non-government organizations, etc.), co-workers, peers, branches, ministries/agencies and other government organizations. It means focusing one's efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of the customer/client. 

Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively within diverse teams, work groups and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.

We would like to thank all candidates for their interest, however only those being considered for this role will be contacted.