Salinity Laboratory Lead Biologist

Duties

The incumbent will be responsible for the scheduling, operation and results of the plant salinity tolerance laboratory. This greenhouse facility is unique in Canada and one of three in North America, in which replicated experiments can be performed to determine the salinity tolerance of agricultural crops. It is used extensively by researchers from across AAFC to determine salinity tolerance of breeding lines of both annual and perennial crops, and to determine the impact of floods on plant productivity. The laboratory also has the capacity to be used to test the impact of other nutrients or pollutants on plant growth. The incumbent will be required to interact with various researchers in the design, implementation and the appropriate analysis of the resulting data. Operations of the laboratory are undertaken by the incumbent, a technician and the additional support of labourers and/or students during peak periods. Therefore, the incumbent must be able and competent in aiding in all aspects of the plant experiments, including their physical configuration, as well as being part of the team that maintains and updates the greenhouse physical configuration (e.g., lighting, watering, plant containers) from time-to-time. During the summer, external testing of saline tolerant plants using test plots will be undertaken. The provision of written technical reports to researchers and presentations at regional meetings and conferences are a requirement of the position.

Work environment

As one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, AAFC is proud to celebrate our achievement in creating a diverse, respectful, and positive workplace where all employees are valued and recognized for their unique qualities, ideas, voices and perspectives.

Intent of the process

Immediate need: 1 Full time permanent position

A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used for similar permanent and temporary employment for the location indicated for this process.

In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, and there is a temporary need, he/she may be considered for acting or assignment/secondment opportunities.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

Contact information for 2 references.

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 bachelor’s degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with specialization in agriculture, biology, plant science, or relevant discipline.

Degree equivalency

Experience in the conduct of scientific research as it relates to abiotic stress.
Experience in the design of experiments carried out in a greenhouse setting.
Experience in greenhouse lighting and water control hardware and software.
Experience preparing scientific documents and reports.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of the impact of salinity on plant growth.
Knowledge of experimental statistics.

Analytical Thinking
Initiative
Interactive Communication

Ability to identify growth stages and diseases in agricultural crops.
Ability to perform physical sampling and analyses of plant characteristics.

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

Graduation with a Master’s degree or PhD from a recognized post-secondary institution with specialization in plant science or a relevant field.

Degree equivalency

Experience managing human and financial resources.
Experience in computer programming (e.g., C++, Visual Studio, Fortran, etc.).
Experience making minor mechanical repairs (e.g., equipment maintenance, basic fabrication, plumbing, etc.).

Selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women

Information on employment equity

Placement of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) employees affected by workforce adjustment.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Valid driver’s license.
Ability and willingness to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.
Ability and willingness to control allergies, through the use of personal protective equipment and/or medication without impinging on the duties to be performed.
Ability and willingness to travel regionally and nationally as required for field studies, liaison with clients and attendance at scientific or technical meetings.
Ability and willingness to work under challenging conditions (eg. temperature extremes in the field).
Ability and willingness to plant tests, harvest samples, maintain greenhouse facility.

Other information

Applications submitted by email will not be accepted. You must apply on-line through www.jobs.gc.ca.

Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

All communication relating to this process, including email correspondence, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

Appointment decisions may be based on one or more of the following criteria:
- Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the strengths and weaknesses of the work team.
- Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the specific duties of the position being staffed.
- Depth, breadth, type of work-specific experience.
- Level/degree of one or more competencies/qualifications.

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.