Laboratory Technician (Amendment to closing date)

Important messages

The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is a federal department responsible to ensure the integrity and marketability of grain for the domestic and international grain trade, from producer to global customer.
The CGC is a significant part of Canada’s dynamic and diverse agricultural sector. We regulate grain handling in Canada, set grain standards and conduct research on grain. At the CGC, we strive to live our values of excellence, integrity, respect and accountability.
We promote work-life balance. We have an Employee and Family Assistance program to support you and your family.
Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is seeking a Laboratory Technician to join our Grain Research Laboratory team. Are you looking for a work environment where your knowledge, ideas, and professional opinions are valued? Do you want to be part of a collaborative, supportive team? Apply!

During the work day, you can take advantage of walking clubs and ad-hoc fitness classes onsite. We also have an arrangement with GoodLife Fitness for discounted memberships.
Our headquarters are located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. On your breaks, you’ll be able to explore the great restaurants and shops situated in the historic Exchange District or enjoy nature at the Forks and the Waterfront.
With its low-cost of living, diverse population, thriving arts scene, professional sports and the friendliness of a small town, Winnipeg is one of Canada’s most desirable cities.

Duties

-Performing sample preparation and analytical testing. This may include preparation and analysis of cereals, pulses, and oilseeds for trace elements, heavy metals, pesticides, or mycotoxins using established modern instrumental-based analytical methods. Assessing data quality.

-Helping with the development, evaluation, and validation of new analytical methods. Preparing technical instructions or other documentation. Compiling and reporting results.

-Conducting routine maintenance of laboratory equipment. Calibrating, maintaining, troubleshooting issues with laboratory equipment and analytical instrumentation.

-Managing the resources involved in the day-to-day work tasks required for the above activities. Aiding with sample receiving, tracking, and preparation as needed; carrying out administrative activities such as maintaining supply inventories, purchasing materials and supplies, and attending meeting; assisting in the training of others in the use of equipment and technical procedures; incorporating health and safety guidelines, processes, and procedures in all work tasks and activities; and participating in mandatory training.

Intent of the process

This process will be used to staff 1 full time 8-12 month term position.

A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used for similar indeterminate, specified period employment, acting appointments, assignments, secondments or deployments.

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)

Education:
Completion of all requirements for a Bachelor’s degree, Applied (Bachelor’s) degree OR diploma from a recognized post-secondary institution (university, college, or technical institute) with specialization in chemistry OR biochemistry OR cell/molecular biology, microbiology, OR plant pathology OR food science OR related sciences OR an acceptable combination of education and training with recent experience in a field related to the position. (see list of specializations below).

Chemistry, biochemistry, cell/molecular biology, microbiology, plant pathology, food science or other specialization in a field relevant to the duties of the position.

*Recent may be defined as experience obtained within the last two years.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
-Recent* experience working under minimal supervision
-Recent* experience in processing, preparing, and analyzing samples in a laboratory for microbiological, or chemical or biochemical or biomolecular analysis
-Recent* experience in the operation and maintenance of modern laboratory equipment.

*Recent may be defined as experience obtained within the last two years.

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

Experience:
-Experience working within a quality management system, such as ISO 17025.
-Experience in operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting a HPLC or UHPLC system.
-Experience in operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting a GC system.
-Experience in operating, maintaining and troubleshooting a mass spectrometer.
-Experience in operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting an ICP-MS system
-Experience analyzing trace elements or heavy metals in grain, food, feed, or other complex matrix
-Experience in operating, maintaining, troubleshooting near-infrared spectrometers.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
-Knowledge of laboratory safety practices.
-Knowledge of the theories and principles of chemistry OR biochemistry OR molecular biology OR microbiology.
-Knowledge of the principles of analytical techniques including the operation of various laboratory equipment.
-Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance practices.

Competencies:
-Effective Interactive Communication
-Adaptability
-Being a Team Player
-Analytical thinking
-Initiative
-Results oriented

Abilities & Skills:
-Ability to schedule and coordinate, work with team members.
-Ability to collect data and perform data analysis using basic math and basic or summary statistics.
-Ability to perform work tasks under minimal supervision.
-Ability to calibrate, maintain and troubleshoot analytical instruments and laboratory equipment.
-Ability to collect, organize, and interpret data and other information

Conditions of employment

-Valid Reliability Status.
-Move and/or lift items (up to 20kg.).
-Work overtime as required.
-Work with and be exposed to hazardous chemicals and equipment.
-Wear appropriate protective clothing and/or equipment.
-Maintain standing and/or sitting positions for extended periods of time.
-Work in an environment where there is continual exposure to grain and flour dust (known allergies must be controlled through the use of personal protective equipment and/or medication, and must not impinge upon the work to be performed).
-Adhere to laboratory safety standards and procedures.
-Work in cold rooms for limited periods in order to retrieve samples.

Note: Candidates must meet all of the Conditions of Employment at the time of appointment and must continue to meet these during the period of appointment.

Other information

Candidates will be asked, as per the application process, to answer screening questions for each essential and asset criteria (education and experience). Candidates will have to provide specific examples, for each screening question demonstrating how they have acquired the education and experience criteria. Please note that it is not sufficient to only state that the qualification is met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Resumes will be used as a secondary source to validate your answers to the screening questions. Failure to clearly demonstrate in your answers how you meet the screening criteria (education and experience) may result in the rejection of your application.

FOR EACH EXPERIENCE CRITERIA, please provide the following MANDATORY information:
1 - Name of the department or organization where the experience was acquired;
2 - Title of the position occupied and duration for which you exercised the functions; and
3 - Specific details of tasks, projects or accomplishments demonstrating how the experience was acquired.

The ASSET qualification(s) may be used for screening of applications and/or may be invoked at any time of the selection process. If you meet these asset qualifications(s), PLEASE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE IN WRITING HOW YOU MEET THEM. Provide examples and describe the work/duties you have performed. Failure to do so may result in your application not being considered further during the screening process.

Candidates from outside the federal public service may be required to pay for their own travel.

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 are strongly encouraged to check their email on a regular basis.

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.

Receipt of applications will not be sent; only candidates successful in the screening process will be contacted. Depending on the requirements of the position being staffed from this process, for current or future vacancies, any or all of the asset qualifications, operational requirements, and organizational needs may be applied at the time of screening.

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.

Appointment decisions may be based on organizational needs. We therefore encourage candidates to self-declare their membership to any of the following employment equity groups: visible minority, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, or women, should the organizational need be invoked during the appointment process.

All communication relating to this process, including email correspondence, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

Other sources of information (such as performance agreements, work samples, board member knowledge, etc.) may be used to assess the criteria identified on the Statement of Merit Criteria.

Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript (original documents only).

A “Top Down” assessment process may be used during any stage of the selection process. Please note that simply meeting the essential qualifications and/or achieving a pass mark on any of the assessment used does not mean you will move forward in the selection process. Management may decide to use breadth and depth of the screening criteria, assessed qualifications and/or a cut-off mark that is higher than the pass mark on any evaluation used throughout the process."

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.