Defence Scientist - Operational Research and Social Science

Duties

Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis (DGMPRA) conducts research and analysis aimed at generating evidence-based insights and recommendations in support of decision-makers responsible for the development of personnel policies and programs, and for the management of military and civilian personnel in the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces. Areas of research and analysis include attraction and recruitment, selection and assessment, career management, training and education, attrition and retention, conditions of service and work environment, personnel and family support, psychosocial health dynamics, operational and organizational effectiveness and leadership, forecasting, and workforce analytics. Scientists within DGMPRA conduct studies using a range of qualitative and quantitative research techniques, and generate products in the form of scientific reports and briefings geared to both scientific audiences and to senior non-scientific clients alike. Scientists are also responsible to generate new scientific capabilities within their domain, as well as to interact and collaborate with scientific partners in academia, industry, other government departments and allied nations. All this ensures the Department has access to the best scientific knowledge available to address its personnel research requirements today and in the future.
Addressing these personnel research requirements involves the development and application of operational research (STREAM 1) and social science methods (STREAM 2) in dealing with a wide range of personnel issues. While DGMPRA is looking for researchers who might suit any of the areas listed above, within STREAM 2 we are looking to strengthen our expertise in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Behavioural Economics, Health Psychology, and Decision Making. We encourage all those who are committed to excellence and are seeking to embark on a challenging career in scientific research and development activities to apply.

Intent of the process

A pool of qualified or partially qualified candidates will be established from this process and may be used to staff similar positions where tenure, language requirements and security requirements may vary according to the position to be staffed

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter in 5,000 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:
Stream 1: Graduation from a recognized post-secondary institution with a Master’s degree or PhD, in Operational Research, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, or other scientific disciplined related to the fields of operational research and quantitative analysis.

Stream 2: Graduation from a recognized post-secondary institution with a Master’s degree or PhD, in Psychology, Sociology, Epidemiology, Management Sciences (specifically, with a specialization in Organizational Behaviour or Behavioural Economics), or other social science discipline related to personnel and human resources management. Must include a minimum of 2 semester-based courses (or an equivalent 1 year-long course) in quantitative research methods, univariate or multivariate statistics.

*NOTE*: Candidates with foreign educational credentials are required to provide proof of Canadian equivalency. For further information you may consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials at www.cicic.ca.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:

All streams: Academic and/or professional experience performing scientific research and analysis in domains applicable to Personnel and Human Resources Management (e.g., survey research, job analysis, statistical analysis, mathematical modelling and data analysis).

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

EDUCATION:

Stream 1&2
An average of at least 80% in your programs of study.
Graduation from a recognized post-secondary institution with a PhD.

Stream 1
A post-graduate degree in Operations Research, or Operations Management.

Stream 2
A post-graduate degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Behavioural Economics, or Health Psychology.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCES:

Stream 1
Experience (academic or professional) developing analytical models.
Experience (academic or professional) developing or using simulation tools and techniques.
Experience manipulating, cleaning and analyzing data.
Programming experience (e.g. Python, Matlab, C++, VB) to support scientific research.

Stream 2
Experience in conducting research in the domains of organizational behaviour or organizational development.
Experience conducting job analyses or designing selection instruments.
Experience conducting advanced statistical analysis (e.g., HLM).
Experience in conducting intervention research.

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

Various language requirements
Various language requirements, including: English Essential, Bilingual Imperative – Level: BBB/BBB
**Candidates are entitled to participate in the selection process, and be assessed and interviewed in the official language of their choice, regardless of the language requirements of the position being staffed. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application**

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE:

Stream 1: Knowledge of the principles and application of scientific methods relevant to defence operational research and analysis.

Stream 2: Knowledge of the principles and application of quantitative and qualitative methods and associated analytical techniques relevant to defence individual, organizational, social, and behavioural research and analysis.

ABILITIES:

All streams
Ability to apply sound analytical techniques and judgment to identify the critical parameters when solving complex problems.

Ability to effectively communicate scientific concepts and results orally to scientific and non-scientific audiences.

Ability to effectively communicate scientific concepts and results in writing to scientific and non-scientific audiences.

Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and meet deadlines.

PERSONNAL SUITABILITIES:

All streams:

Interpersonal skills
Dependability
Initiative
Judgement
Adaptability
Attention to detail

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

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Travel
Work overtime on occasion

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance - (level II)
Note – this factor is not used at the preselection stage, as the department is responsible for the security clearance process.

Other information

For an application to be considered complete, the following items should be included at the time of the application; incomplete applications will be eliminated from the selection process:

1. A cover letter (of no more than 5,000 words), identifying which stream the candidate is applying for, and, using headers, clearly demonstrating how the essential qualifications of Education and Experience are being met, and, where applicable, how the asset qualifications of Education and Experience are being met. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Do not assume that the screening board has any previous knowledge of your background, qualifications, or work history. You must be specific and provide concrete examples/details for each Education and Experience element, as applications will be screened only on the information provided. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being screened out of the process.
2. Curriculum Vitae, to include a list of scientific presentations and publications (e.g. theses, dissertations, peer-review publications, analytical reports), scholarships, and awards (if applicable).
3. Copies of academic transcripts from your Bachelor’s, Master's, and, if applicable, Ph.D. programs to be scanned and emailed to: . The transcript(s) must demonstrate the completion of a graduate degree. Unofficial copies of the transcripts are acceptable at this stage; official copies will be required at a later stage in the process.
4. Three professional or academic references (including a contact email and phone number for each). References should be familiar with the research experience of the applicant, and should not include family or classmates.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided in the cover letter and updated as required. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users and check it regularly.

The selection process may consist of a written examination, an oral presentation, an interview, and reference checks. For those who are successful in the screening process, the written examination will be held on Monday, 8 January 2018. If you pass the written exam, you may be invited to an interview. Interviews will be held between 15 January 2018 and 15 February 2018.

Please note that all information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to the close of the process, may be used to evaluate candidates.

We thank all those who apply; however, 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 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.