Epidemiologist/ Biostatistician

Important messages

Persons interested must submit, by the closing date, a complete application consisting of a covering letter AND a résumé supporting the information provided in the cover letter. Candidates must clearly demonstrate IN THEIR COVER LETTER how they meet the essential qualifications (Both education and experience) AS WELL as how they meet the asset qualifications. Please note that it is not sufficient to only state that the qualification is met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Rather you must provide concrete examples, which illustrate how you meet each essential qualification related to education and experience as well as how you meet the asset qualifications. You must also include where and when these qualifications were acquired. A suitable approach is to use each qualification as a heading, and provide a description outlining how each of them are met. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Work environment

The Canadian Public Health Service (CPHS) is now recruiting! If you are a skilled and experienced epidemiologist looking for a chance to work at the Public Health Agency of Canada and be embedded on the frontlines of public health - this opportunity is for you.

CPHS public health officers work on capacity building priorities across Canada. We have a diverse and dynamic team of public health officer epidemiologists with a range of experiences and expertise. The CPHS team members contribute to priority needs in the jurisdictions in which they are placed at local, provincial and territorial levels. This opportunity is best suited for those who are keen to immerse themselves in a new work environment, work with multiple stakeholders and deal with a fast-paced and challenging environment.

Come join the CPHS!

Intent of the process

We are currently recruiting epidemiologists to fill a number of positions across the country on priority activities related to opioids and overdose surveillance. The pool resulting from this hiring process may be used to hire future public health officer positions on other priority needs as they arise.

The immediate intent of this Job Opportunity Advertisement is to staff on a temporary basis up to one year, with the possibility of extension. Applicants should be aware that a pool of qualified candidates (fully assessed or partially assessed) may be established and may be used to staff similar positions at this group and level.

A pool of qualified candidates will be established from this process which MAY be used to staff similar positions with various tenures (Indeterminate, Term, Deployment, Acting, Assignment, Secondment), various linguistic profiles, various geographic locations within Canada, various security requirements and conditions of employment, all depending the needs of the position being staffed.

As a result of the potential and possible use of the selection process and subsequent pool by hiring managers, we encourage all employees seeking this type of position/workstream and/or group and level to apply.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter in 4,999 words (maximum)

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)

Education:

Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in Economics, Sociology or Statistics* AND
Graduation with a Master's degree or a PhD from a recognized post-secondary institution with an acceptable specialization in epidemiology**

NOTES REGARDING EDUCATION:
Candidates must have completed a Master’s degree or a PhD at the time of application.

*Candidates must always have a degree. The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and may have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization. The specialization may also be obtained through an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.
**For the acceptable specialization in epidemiology, candidates must have successfully completed one semester of graduate-level epidemiological methods and one semester of graduate level biostatistics.
***Candidates with non-Canadian educational credentials will be required to demonstrate Canadian equivalency for ALL degrees obtained outside of Canada if they are to be used for the purpose of this process.

Degree equivalency

Experience:

Minimum of 12 cumulative months of recent public health or epidemiology experience.*
Experience in the creation AND use of databases and/or spreadsheets using MS Excel
Experience in collecting, analyzing and disseminating public health surveillance data


NOTES REGARDING EXPERIENCE:
* Recent public health or epidemiology experience is defined as experience in the past 5 years and may include public health program development, implementation, evaluation or promotion, and/or the collection, analysis or interpretation of primary or secondary health data. The experience can be obtained through employment in an academic program, a clinical setting or a public health organization or agency. Experience with non-governmental organizations will only be considered where the mandate of the organization includes the implementation, evaluation or promotion of public health programs or the collection or analysis of health surveillance data for public health purposes. Experience obtained through a graduate degree program practica cannot be counted towards the 12 months of experience.

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

Various language requirements
Bilingual Imperative CBC/CBC
Bilingual Imperative BBB/BBB
English Essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:

Knowledge of surveillance principles and its application in public health

Abilities and Skills:

Ability to apply principles and methods of epidemiology.
Ability to analyze, synthesize, and interpret public health information
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to communicate effectively orally.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Personal Suitability:

Effective interpersonal skills
Initiative
Judgment

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

The following asset qualifications may be used for screening purposes, to determine which candidates may be considered further, at any phase/stage of the selection process. These qualifications may also be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. They may also be used for volume management purposes.

-Recent experience (past 2 years) using statistical software such as SAS, STATA, SPSS or other similar software
-Experience designing or evaluating public health surveillance systems
-Recent experience (Past 2 years) manipulating large administrative databases or advanced data management such as linking, merging or manipulating datasets
-Experience working with vulnerable or marginalized populations
-Field Epidemiology Training Program graduate (CFEP or other)
-Knowledge of the Canadian public health system and Federal/Provincial/Territory roles and responsibilities
-Experience working with or engaging with stakeholders

Organizational Needs:

The Public Health Agency of Canada is committed to Employment Equity. In order to ensure a diversified workforce, preference may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one or more of the following Employment Equity groups: aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minority groups provided the candidate meets all essential qualifications listed on the job opportunity notice and any applicable asset qualification(s).  

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment:

Reliability security status
Willingness and ability to relocate to another geographic location within Canada

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection and appointment processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to this process, please advise the organization's representative of your need for accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.

A written examination may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications and/or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

Please identify clearly your substantive group and level and your employment status on your resume and/or application form.

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

Please ensure that your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) is included in your application.

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.

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.