Master's Student - Beluga Stress and Shipping - Research Affiliate Program

Duties

The Arctic Aquatic Research Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is based at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Division provides information and advice to support the management of Arctic fisheries resources, their habitat and Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and on the Yukon North Slope. Successful management and conservation of these resources depends on acquiring, interpreting and sharing biological information, the processes affecting them and the ecosystem of which they are part.

Challenges of the position:

Design and conduct a study on the impacts of shipping and other noise disturbances on beluga whale population(s) in the eastern Canadian Arctic.

Implement a non-invasive technique to collected respiratory condensate (or ‘blow’) from wild belugas in western Hudson Bay.

Operate drones to collect aerial footage of beluga whale behaviour and group composition. Proper training and certification is required, while opportunities to gain experience will be provided. The candidate will be responsible for obtaining research permits.

Measure baseline levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, to examine stress response shipping disturbance. Lab work on samples collected in the field will be based at Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the candidate will be responsible for sample storage, processing, and analysis using immunoassay.

Analyse and interpret data, and publish results in government reports and peer-reviewed journals.

Positions to be filled: 1

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)

Currently enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in a Master of Science program.

Degree equivalency

Scientific research experience (preferably an honors project or equivalent, such as a directed study).

Experience working in remote field settings.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Certification and training in use of Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV, or drones).

Knowledge of endocrinology.
Knowledge of statistics.

Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.

Judgment
Teamwork

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

Knowledge of Arctic ecosystems.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Willingness and ability to travel.

Other information

An interview may be administered.

You must provide proof of your education credentials.

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

When submitting an application to this selection process, you will be prompted to answer screening questions concerning the essential education, and the essential and asset experience qualifications. When answering these questions, please provide detailed, concrete examples that clearly demonstrate how you meet the requirement. Failure to clearly substantiate how you meet the screening criteria may result in the rejection of your application. Candidates may not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Only online applications will be accepted.

An alternative format (such as Braille) of this notice and Statement of Merit Criteria are available upon request.

Candidates will be communicated with via e-mail. In your application, please include the e-mail address that you wish to use for communication purposes throughout this recruitment initiative. It is your responsibility to verify your e-mail account on a regular basis.

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.

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

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 Canadian citizens.

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