Research Assistant – Grazing Management and Ruminant Nutrition - AMENDMENT to CLOSING DATE

Update: UPDATE
Please note that the selection process has been amended to extend the closing date to December 6, 2017 - 23:59, Pacific Time.

Important messages

UPDATE
Please note that the selection process has been amended to extend the closing date to December 5, 2017 - 23:59, Pacific Time.

Please note that all applicants that applied on 17-AGR-MBSK-EA-ST-184 will need to reapply to be considered.

Duties

1. Provide technical leadership and support for projects.
2. Contribute to the experimental design and planning of experiments and projects, and undertake their conduct.
3. Co-ordinate research efforts with external collaborators, graduate students and national and international research associates.
4. Co-ordinate the running of the Forage Digestibility and Quality Laboratory and the Grazing Greenhouse Gas Quantification Collection Laboratory (e.g., SF6 halters and permeation tubes, N2O chambers etc.).
5. Contribute to the SCRDC Animal Care Protocols and Animal Use Data Form in order to maintain Canadian Council on Animal Care “Good Animal Practice Requirement”.
6. Draft reports and contribute to the preparation of research reports and presentations.
7. Collect data as per protocols and complete sample analyses as required.
8. Input data and provide initial statistical analyses as per developed models.
9. Supervise and assign duties on a daily basis to staff, summer students and graduate students.

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

The immediate need is for one indeterminate 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.

In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, and there is a temporary need, he/she may be considered for acting or assignment/secondment opportunities.

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 from a recognized post-secondary institution with specialization in Grazing Management, Ruminant Nutrition, Range Ecology, Biology, Plant Botany, Natural Resources, Soil Science, or a related program.

Degree equivalency

Experience providing technical support and leading projects in a research, field environment, or grazing practice.
Experience planning and conducting field experiments and contributing to experimental design.
Experience collecting and performing analyses on samples.
Experience working with cattle.
Experience creating and preparing research reports or research posters or research manuscripts.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of ruminant nutrition.
Knowledge of pasture management of native and tame forage species.
Knowledge of forage analytical analyses of chemical constituents.

Adaptability
Initiative
Interactive Communication
Planning and Organizing
Teamwork

Ability to apply and to adapt scientific methodologies.
Ability to interpret and analyze research results.

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

Graduation from a recognized post-secondary institution with a Master’s or PhD with specialization in Grazing Management, Ruminant Nutrition, Range Ecology, Biology, Plant Botany, Natural Resources, Soil Science, or a related program.

Degree equivalency

Knowledge of livestock environmental footprint.

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

Information on employment equity

Placement of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) employees affected by work force adjustment.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Valid Driver’s licence.
Ability and willingness to work overtime.
Ability and willingness to work with cattle.
Known allergies and animal odor/sensitivities must be controlled through the use of personal protective equipment and/or medication and must not impinge upon the duties to be performed.
With appropriate safety precautions in place, able and willing to work in laboratory, greenhouse, and/or field environments for extended periods at a time; able and willing to work outdoors under various weather conditions and under normal safety precautions able and willing to work with hazardous materials.

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.