Environmental Coordinator / Specialist

Important messages

Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications should they be invoked by the manager.

You must clearly demonstrate in your answers to the screening questions HOW you meet the essential education and experience and any applicable asset education and experience factors listed. You must include: the length of time (month/year) that you performed each function, where you obtained the qualification, and specific and verifiable examples of your roles and responsibilities which should include depth, breadth and complexity of your duties. It is NOT sufficient to only state that the qualifications are met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. The answers to the screening questions will be the main source of information used by the assessment board to determine whether you meet the essential and asset education and experience factors. Your résumé may be used as a secondary source of information. CANDIDATES WILL NOT BE SOLICITED FOR INCOMPLETE OR MISSING INFORMATION. Failure to provide the above information in the format required may result in the rejection of your application.

Duties

JOB DUTIES THAT COULD BE EXPECTED IN TWO PROGRAM AREAS

Environmental Assessment:

Ensure that environmental assessment expert advice is delivered to Responsible Authorities, in accordance with Departmental policies and within legislated timelines.

Environmental assessment advice, including guidance or training, is provided to internal and external partners to enhance program delivery throughout the fiscal year.

Contaminated Sites:

Support the consideration of human health in the management of federal contaminated sites under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) by providing timely expert support/advice to custodial departments in accordance with Departmental guidelines and policies.

Develop and maintain working relationships with regional counterparts, key stakeholders and their departments to identify, develop and reinforce knowledge sharing, identification of issues and data gaps and opportunities for collaboration.

Work environment

WHAT TO EXPECT

Health Canada's Regulatory Operations and Regions Branch - Controlled Substances and Environmental Health - Environmental Health Programs is seeking motivated individuals with a strong technical background in environmental health. The ideal candidate enjoys working within a team environment and is an excellent communicator. You will work as part of a team in British Columbia Region delivering the regional Environmental Health Programs and coordinate with other Environmental Health Program teams across the country. You will report to our office which is conveniently located in bustling downtown Vancouver within a one minute walk to Waterfront transit station and a short distance to the Vancouver seawall.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

You will be providing expert advice, guidance, support and training related to contaminated sites and/or environmental assessment, to a diverse network of British Columbia stakeholders, as well as coordinate, evaluate and review scientific/technical and regulatory materials for compliance, conformity and validity with current science, policies, regulations and legislation.

Intent of the process

This is an anticipatory process. A pool of qualified candidates will be established and used to staff future vacancies on a temporary and/or permanent basis within the British Columbia region. Qualified candidates who are currently employees of the Federal Public Service at the same group and level or equivalent may be considered for deployment, secondment or assignment. Qualified candidates who are currently employees of the Federal Public Service may be considered for an acting appointment.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Other qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. Some essential and other qualifications will be assessed through your application. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in physics, chemistry or some other science relevant to the position, e.g. environmental science, health sciences

Degree equivalency

Recent and significant* experience in evaluating the impacts on human health due to environmental conditions, e.g. chemical contamination, water, air and/or soil quality.

Recent and significant* experience in working within multi-disciplinary teams.

Recent and significant* experience in providing scientific and technical advice, presentations and/or briefings, to managers and/or work teams.

Recent and significant* experience in critically reviewing scientific or technical reports in one of the following areas: 1) contaminated sites; 2) environmental assessment; 3) air quality; 4) environmental health.

*“Recent and significant” is defined as the depth and breadth of experience associated with having performed a broad range of complex activities related to this task over a period of at least two years within the last five years.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of the methodologies used in human health risk assessment of environmental conditions, e.g. chemical contamination, water, air and/or soil quality.

Knowledge of the practices or regulatory requirements for protection of human health due to environmental conditions in one of the following areas: 1) contaminated sites; 2) environmental assessment; 3) air quality.

Ability to communicate effectively orally.

Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Ability to interpret complex scientific information and identify issues of key relevance.

Working effectively with others
Showing initiative and being action-oriented
Thinking things through
Demonstrating integrity and respect
Respectful of diversity

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

Possession of a graduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in a related field, e.g. environmental health, toxicology.

Degree equivalency

Experience in working with government agencies, or indigenous communities or stakeholder groups on issues related to human health and/or the environment.

Experience in communicating risks to human health associated with environmental conditions, e.g. chemical contamination, water, air and/or soil quality.

Consideration may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the four designated Employment Equity groups to address demonstrated under-representation: Aboriginal Peoples, Persons with a Disability, Visible Minorities and Women.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Availability to work overtime as required.

Willingness to travel within the BC Region and across Canada.

Possession of a valid Class 5 driver’s license or personal mobility to the degree normally associated with possession of a Class 5 driver’s license.

Candidates must meet and maintain the above conditions of employment throughout their employment.

Other information

Candidates must meet all the essential qualifications for the position being staffed. The asset qualifications, organizational needs or operational requirements may have been identified as desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the candidate to be appointed. Therefore, when answering the screening questions, candidates should clearly indicate how they meet all of the merit criteria for the position.

Candidates must provide, as part of their resumes, proof that they meet the Educational Certification requirements. Failure to do so may result in being screened out.

A written exam may be administered.

Performance agreements and talent management results may be used in the process. Accordingly, you must be ready to submit a copy of your last two (2) Performance Evaluations as part of this selection process.

Reference checks will be sought.

An interview may be administered.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

Candidates requiring an accommodation at any point during the assessment process are asked to contact the departmental Human Resources representative.

For this selection process, it is our intention to communicate with candidates via email for screening and assessment purposes. This will include communication of screening results and invitations to written tests and interviews. To that end, candidates must include a valid email address in their application. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that this address is functional and that it accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). It is also the candidate’s responsibility to ensure accurate information is provided and updated as required. Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

An assignment/secondment or an acting appointment is a temporary resourcing option. The approval of your substantive supervisor will be required before an offer can be made.

In the case of acting appointments, notifications of the persons being appointed or proposed for appointment via a Notice of Acting Appointment, will be posted on PSRS. It is your responsibility to check for notifications on the PSRS site to avail yourself of the right to informal discussion with the manager and/or recourse to be submitted to the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (PSLREB).

Please note that deployments do not result in a change of tenure.

The hiring Department will only accept on-line applications. All job applications must therefore be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS).

To submit an application on-line, please click on the button “Apply Now” below.

Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line, are asked to contact us toll free at 1-800-645-5605 and press ‘0’ for assistance.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.