Soil Ecology - Nematology Research Assistant

Important messages

Candidates must apply online, as there is a screening questionnaire that needs to be completed. Application sent by email will not be accepted. Thank you.

Duties

Contributes to the development of scientifically sound sampling strategies and obtains plant and soil samples from experimental plots and agricultural soils in southern BC.
Extracts and identifies nematodes (primarily) and other micro- and meso-fauna from soil samples, and collects and summarizes data on their abundances.
Contributes to the development of new approaches and molecular tools for nematode identification.
Performs analyses of general soil physical and biological/biochemical properties (e.g. organic matter fractions, microbial biomass, enzyme activities, water content, bulk densities).
Maintains cultures of plant-parasitic nematodes and prepares inoculum for experimental uses.
Contributes to the design and maintenance of experimental plots in orchards, vineyards and berry fields, including deployment of data-loggers for monitoring the soil microenvironment.
Maintains records of field activities and soil samples analyzed in the laboratory.
Contributes to initial statistical analyses of data and the preparation of graphics and drafts of reports and scientific manuscripts.

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

One (1) indeterminate full-time 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.

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 of Science degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in biology/ecology, microbiology, environmental science, soil science, crop science or other relevant discipline.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be advised that if you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. You are encouraged to begin this process as soon as possible. Please click the link below for more details.

Degree equivalency

Experience conducting field-level research on crop responses to variable soil properties or experimental soil and water management practices.
Experience with analyses of soil biological/biochemical properties.
Experience with laboratory techniques used for the study of populations of soil micro- or meso-fauna (e.g. extraction methods, preparation of samples for microscopy).

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of rhizosphere soil ecology.
Knowledge of the biology of major groups of plant parasitic nematodes, and morphological and molecular approaches used for their identification.
Knowledge of methods for assessing responses of crop plants and associated parasites to experimental soil and water management practices.
Knowledge of in-situ/field and laboratory methods for analyses of basic soil physical and bio-chemical properties.
Knowledge of statistics and experimental design.

Planning and Organizing
Initiative
Interactive Communication
Problem Solving
Teamwork
Adaptability

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

M.Sc. degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with specialization in a field relevant to the position, such as microbial ecology, environmental microbiology, plant pathology or soil science.
Post-secondary studies in microbial ecology, environmental microbiology, plant pathology and/or soil microbiology.

Degree equivalency

Experience writing scientific literature including abstracts, project reports, theses and peer-reviewed papers.
Experience with handling and summarizing large sets of data (e.g. from environmental data-loggers) using
Excel or similar data management software.
Experience with WinRhizo suite of software for analyses root systems.
Experience managing student assistants.

Ability to search and comprehend scientific literature (e.g. research project reports, peer-reviewed papers) in order to identify, adopt and/or adapt new analytical approaches and methods.

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

Information on employment equity

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Valid driver’s license.
With appropriate safety precautions in place, able and willing to work in laboratory, greenhouse and field conditions.
Under normal safety precautions, able and willing to work with hazardous materials.
Ability and willingness to travel for field work.
Ability and willingness to work overtime.
Ability and willingness to work outdoors, in inclement and/or variable conditions.
Ability and willingness to lift materials up to 15 kg.
Under accepted restrictions for re-entry, ability and willingness to work in pesticide-treated fields.
Ability and willingness to work at a microscope for extended periods (e.g. > 2 hr in a given day).

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.