SAJITHA GUNARATNA
Ottawa
Summary
Proactive and goal-oriented professional with excellent time management and problem-solving skills. Known for reliability and adaptability, with swift capacity to learn and apply new skills. Committed to leveraging these qualities to drive team success and contribute to organizational growth.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Case worker - First Point of Contact Team – Community and Social Services Department
City of Ottawa
05.2021 - Current
- Process and review applications for financial assistance for ongoing eligibility determinations and provide support and resources to clients.
- Interpret legislation, policy, and procedures.
- Take initiative, solve problems, and resolve conflict.
- Work in a team environment with a computerized support system.
- Establish effective working relationships with people of diverse social, economic and ethnic backgrounds.
- Perform crisis intervention, support clients with care, compassion, discretion, and empathy.
- Resourceful and innovative.
- Thrive in a stressful environment under pressure and achieve deadlines.
- Effective communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
- Expert knowledge of various provincial and regional applications such as Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) and Social Eligibility Reporting and Vendor Information System (SERVIS).
- Effective communication and liaison with City staff, province of Ontario including Ontario Disability Support Program, Ontario Works Central Intake Unit.
Covid 19 Human Needs Task Force/Human Needs Command Centre Administration
City of Ottawa
05.2020 - 05.2021
- Redeployed to provide support for emergency urgent and emerging needs with the Human Needs Task Force due to Covid-19 pandemic.
- Supported Ottawa’s most vulnerable population with concern, care and compassion during the Covid 19 pandemic.
- Worked with residents, community partners, stakeholders, City of Ottawa councilors to deliver services specially in an emergency response environment.
- Provided administrative support including scribing meeting minutes, uploading documents in SharePoint site, Dropbox, communicating with internal and external partners, stakeholders, scheduling meetings, triage HNTF email inbox and voicemail and direct to appropriate staff for action, record and tracking.
- Liaised and worked collaboratively with other City staff, community agencies, city councilor’s offices, external partners, stakeholders and residents in various projects including the Seeds and Soil Project, vaccine clinic transportation, food security, housing and homelessness, outreach activities through Canadian Red Cross.
- Formed part of the working groups that created matrices that built on long term solutions to various emergency needs in the City.
- Assisted the coordination and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment to community organizations as part of Social Service Relief Fund.
- Worked in collaboration with City staff, external partners to create, develop and maintain different Fact Sheets for Human Needs Task Force and coordinated distribution among various organizations. Ex. Take Away Meals Calendar, Food Resources Fact Sheets, Who to Call fact sheets etc.
Administrative Support Clerk
City of Ottawa - Community and Social Services Department, Employment and Social Services
07.2019 - 05.2021
- Provided administrative support to Employment and Social Services programs and services including data entry, filing/records management, reception and liaison with clients, provide customer service to clients.
- Interacted with clients daily, refer them to appropriate case worker or department.
- Liaised with Case workers, senior leadership and other departments on behalf of clients regarding their questions, concerns and conflict resolution.
- Use of various provincial and regional applications such as Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) and Social Eligibility Reporting and Vendor Information System (SERVIS).
- Booked appointments on case worker calendars and refer them to case workers or team leaders when needed.
- Ability to understand client needs and take initiative to resolve conflict.
- Good knowledge of services and programs offered in the Employment and Social Services department and the City of Ottawa.
Personal Banking Associate
Alterna Savings and Credit Union Ltd.
08.2018 - 07.2019
- Assisted members with daily banking activities and inquiries
- Processed new account openings, credit applications and liaised with other departments
- Increased revenue by identifying potential sales opportunities and recruiting new clients
- Daily use of Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, MS Outlook/Calendar, PowerPoint)
- Maintained adequate supply levels of office goods, cash and other financial consumables.
- Responsible for training new staff on policies and procedures and how to navigate the banking system and in-house platforms.
- Supervised a team of bank tellers
- Resolved member/client issues at first point of contact where possible and referred to senior internal officers based on the complexity of the situation.
- Responsible for directly booking and managing appointments on bankers’ calendars.
- Ensured ongoing compliance and adhered to operational and regulatory policies and procedures.
- Proactively interacted with other branches/internal departments, external partners for client servicing.
- Balanced branch reserve, cash counts, and general bookkeeping duties.
- Carried out start of day and end of day duties
- Prepared and analyzed daily reports
Education
Bachelor of Arts - English Language and literature, French language and literature, International Relations
University of Kelaniya
Kelaniya, Sri Lanka01.2006
Diplôme de Langue Française - undefined
Alliance Française de Colombo
Colombo, Sri Lanka01.2005
High School Diploma -
Holy Family Convent
Colombo, Sri Lanka08-2001
Project Management Development Program
Project Management Institute
Ottawa, ON07-2025
Skills
- Fundamentals of project management
- Effective group facilitation
- Exhibit sound judgment
- Proactive problem-solving
- Strong analytical skills in dynamic settings
- Collaborate in multidisciplinary teams
- Demonstrate independent decision-making
- Skilled in maintaining confidentiality and privacy standards
- Resilient in challenging environments
- Commitment to client service under pressure
- Skilled in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Familiarity with applicable directives and regulations for determining eligibility
- Proficient in writing meeting briefings
- Understanding of public engagement concepts
- Proficient in managing communication and relationships with people of diverse social, economic and ethnic background
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Limited Working
Timeline
Case worker - First Point of Contact Team – Community and Social Services Department
City of Ottawa
05.2021 - Current
Covid 19 Human Needs Task Force/Human Needs Command Centre Administration
City of Ottawa
05.2020 - 05.2021
Administrative Support Clerk
City of Ottawa - Community and Social Services Department, Employment and Social Services
07.2019 - 05.2021
Personal Banking Associate
Alterna Savings and Credit Union Ltd.
08.2018 - 07.2019
Diplôme de Langue Française - undefined
Alliance Française de Colombo
Bachelor of Arts - English Language and literature, French language and literature, International Relations
University of Kelaniya
High School Diploma -
Holy Family Convent
Project Management Development Program
Project Management Institute
Awards and Accomplishments
Winner of 2021 City Manager’s Award of Distinction - Collaboration and Relationship Building – Embodiment of the One City, One Team Vision - Human Needs Task Force Core Team.
Human Needs Command Centre – Community Service Award 2021.
Project Management Development Program 2025 – City of Ottawa.
Summer student placement mentoring program May 2024 and August 2025. Successfully completed two summer student placements mentoring Algonquin College Ottawa students ( social worker program) during their summer placements from May - August 2024 and January - August 2025.