Defence Scientist/Maritime Information Warfare

Important messages

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE/ HOW TO APPLY
Please read carefully the following instructions before applying. Candidates who do not follow these instructions may be subject to rejection of their application.
• It is your responsibility, as a candidate, to submit a cover letter, which clearly demonstrates how you meet each of the screening criteria (Education and Experience, both Essential and Asset).
• Please note it is not sufficient to simply state that the qualification is met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities.
• You must provide concrete examples, which illustrate how you meet each qualification (Education and Experience, Essential and Asset).
• Please apply the following approach: use each screening qualification as a header and then provide a description outlining when, where and how you meet each qualification.
• Resumes may be used as a secondary source to validate the education and / or experience described in the cover letter.
• FAILURE TO CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU MEET THE SCREENING CRITERIA WILL RESULT IN THE REJECTION OF YOUR APPLICATION. CANDIDATES WILL NOT BE SOLICITED FOR INCOMPLETE OR POSSIBLE MISSING INFORMATION.
• Any or all of the criteria under the Asset Qualifications may be used for screening purposes
• The client organization will accept applications on-line only.
• All job applications must therefore be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System.
• To submit an application on-line, please select the button "Apply Online" below.
• Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact the Infotel Service at 1-800-645-5605.
• Applicants who apply to this selection process must include in their application a valid e-mail address and make sure this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.•

Duties

The successful candidate(s) will develop expertise, create knowledge and conduct research in support of the Canadian Armed Forces. This includes planning and executing experimental research activities, such as laboratory tests and field or sea trials, as well as developing and applying custom and commercial hardware and/or software for scientific modeling, data collection and analysis. In addition to the execution of longer term research projects, they will provide scientific consulting services and recommendations to the Canadian Armed Forces.

The successful candidate(s) will report their research results through peer-reviewed reports, journal and conference papers, verbal presentations and briefings. They will monitor worldwide developments in science and technology in order to identify and assess trends in their field of research. Throughout the course of their career, they will also get involved in formulating, implementing and leading large research projects and support contracts with industry.

In carrying out the research program, the successful candidate(s) will supervise or provide guidance to technical staff, contractors and students. They will also participate in national and international scientific meetings and conferences.

DRDC is seeking candidates for Defence Scientist streams related to Maritime Information Warfare:

Stream 1 – Information science, where the successful candidate will be responsible for understanding and progressing the science and technology that impact our ability to make operational and tactical decisions, such as our ability to discover, access, process and understand a wide and varied breadth of information in order to reach an appropriate level of situational awareness. R&D challenges include: Intelligent synchronization of information across consumers; Information management in a cloud computing, degraded bandwidth environment with sporadic connectivity; Distributed processing in an asymmetric computing environment; Methods to improve information exploitation; Trust in the information; Variety of maritime information types and exponentially growing volumes of data and information.

Stream 2 – Complex Human-Machine Systems, where the successful candidate will be responsible for understanding and leading science and technology activities that advance human-machine systems development and use in machine-assisted military operations. The research will encompass system engineering approaches to human-machine interactions and collaboration to develop capabilities for humans to monitor, supervise and task large teams of heterogeneous autonomous systems (robots, sensors, etc.) as well as for humans to interact directly with autonomous system teammates. R&D challenges include: Information management and exchange in complex human-machine systems, supervisory control of autonomous systems, dynamic control of human-machine systems, automated methods for improved human performance, artificial intelligence and autonomy in complex human-machine systems, distributed computing, optimization, decision support for task parsing within human-machine systems, and methods for managing complex systems.

Intent of the process

Immediate need will be to fill 3 indeterminate positions.
A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used to staff similar positions with various tenures (term, indeterminate, deployment, assignment, secondment).

Positions to be filled: 3

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter in 9,999 words (maximum)

Contact information for 3 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)

EDUCATION STREAM 1 – INFORMATION SCIENCE
Recent graduation (within the last three years) or completion of all requirements and awaiting convocation with a master’s degree or PhD; or within twelve months of completing a PhD, from a recognized post-secondary institution in engineering, computer science, applied science or applied mathematics relevant to the requirements of the position. Grade Point Average (GPA) must be at least 80%.

EDUCATION STREAM 2 – COMPLEX HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS
Graduation or completion of all requirements and awaiting convocation with a master’s degree or PhD; or within twelve months of completing a PhD, from a recognized post-secondary institution in electrical engineering, industrial engineering, systems engineering, software engineering, or computer science. Grade point average (GPA) must be at least 80%.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE – ALL STREAMS
Experience developing and executing a research project to completion.
Experience writing and having published peer reviewed scientific publications, such as a master’s or PhD thesis, journal papers or conference papers. At least one of these peer reviewed publications must be in the last five years.

EXPERIENCE STREAM 1 – INFORMATION SCIENCE
Experience related to distributed computing systems and computing algorithms applied to complex decision making.
Experience related to information distribution in challenging conditions (e.g. time critical, unstable networks, etc).
Experience related to collection, processing and analysis of data from sensor networks.
Experience using information standards and database design and information sharing protocols relevant to collection and sharing of large data sets.

EXPERIENCE STREAM 2 – COMPLEX HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS
Experience related to human-machine system design and interaction.

KNOWLEDGE STREAM 2 – COMPLEX HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS
Knowledge of: systems engineering, control theory, information systems, artificial intelligence, and system modeling.
Knowledge of human factors engineering standards

ABILITY AND SKILLS – ALL STREAMS
Ability to use creativity to deal with scientific or technical challenges.
Ability to analyze complex problems and develop plans to investigate and solve them.
Ability to work independently.
Ability to communicate effectively orally, including the communication of scientific concepts to a variety of audiences.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing, including the communication of scientific concepts to a variety of audiences.
Ability to lead science activities and people.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY – ALL STREAMS
Effective Interpersonal skills
Dependability
Initiative
Team player
Adaptability
Judgement

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

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

ASSET EXPERIENCE – ALL STREAMS
Experience leading or working as part of multi-disciplinary research teams.
Experience conducting or participating in field or sea trials.
Experience formulating, proposing, conducting, and leading research and development projects.
Experience working with the military or in performing research for defense applications.
Experience undertaking research on behalf of and reporting results and recommendations to clients (industrial, commercial, government etc.).
Experience developing partnerships with research organizations for collaboration.
Experience working in a project management environment.
Experience preparing statements of requirements for research to be delivered by contract.

ASSET EXPERIENCE STREAM 1 – INFORMATION SCIENCE
Experience related to computing algorithms applied to large data sets.
Experience in incorporating diverse information sources into a common framework.

ASSET EXPERIENCE STREAM 2 – COMPLEX HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS
Experience related to task parsing within human-machine systems.

ASSET KNOWLEDGE – ALL STREAMS
Knowledge of military client needs, particularly the Royal Canadian Navy, defence scientific programs, or current defence technology.

ASSET KNOWLEDGE STREAM 1 – INFORMATION SCIENCE
Knowledge of technologies and techniques that enable aggregation of disparate information sources.
Knowledge in data analytics.
Knowledge of communications and networking systems.
Knowledge of information security and privacy concepts as they relate to information sharing in a multi-caveated security environment.
Knowledge of cyber related science.

ASSET KNOWLEDGE STREAM 2 – COMPLEX HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS
Knowledge of Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) approach to systems design.
Knowledge of dynamic control systems.
Knowledge of optimization theory and its application to decision making.
Knowledge of communications and networking systems.
Knowledge of multi-modal data analysis.
Knowledge of cognitive work and task analysis methodologies, requirements analysis and associated techniques.
Knowledge of Verification and Validation of autonomous systems.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS

Employment equity may be used to address the under representation of designated groups.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS – ALL STREAMS
May be required to travel for short durations (courses, conferences, meetings, trials, etc.).
May be required to conduct scientific fieldwork in austere environments i.e. the Arctic.
May be required to work overtime.
May be required to work in confined spaces.
May be required to work at elevated heights, and/or outside in adverse conditions.
May be required to participate in other consulting and research and development tasks, as and when required.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Must be able to obtain and retain a Secret (Level II) security clearance
Must be able to obtain and retain a Top Secret (Level III) security clearance
Pre-placement medical – must undergo and pass employment medical assessments
Ability and willingness to travel abroad.
Ability and willingness to conduct scientific fieldwork onboard naval platforms and other vessels.
Ability and willingness to Adhere to safety procedures including, but not limited to wearing product specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements, gloves applicable to the process being performed, safety glasses, and other required equipment.

Other information

• Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.
• 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).
• Candidates will be asked to provide proof of their education credentials and proof of citizenship at the assessment stage of this process. Failure to do so may result in your application not being considered further in the selection process.
• The assessment of candidates could take the form of one or more of the following: written examinations, interviews, practical exercises, role-plays, behaviour-based questions, situational exercises and reference checks.
• 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
• Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.
• You must indicate on your application if you require a technical aid for testing or an alternative method of assessment.

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.