Environmental Specialist (ANTICIPATORY)

Important messages

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a vacancy in a specific office, but to create a pool of qualified candidates to staff anticipated vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate in their screening answers how they meet essential and asset qualifications in education and experience factors listed in the Statement of Merit Criteria. Candidates must write one or two paragraphs for each, demonstrating how they meet them and citing concrete examples (when, where, how). 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. Résumés may only be used as a secondary source to validate the experience described in your answers. Failure to clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria will result in the rejection of your application. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Duties

Main duties of the position(s) include

Providing scientific and technical advice, guidance, support and training to colleagues, management, other government departments/agencies and external stakeholders on various topics, such as federal contaminated sites, environmental assessments, and/or environmental air quality.

Coordinating, reviewing and evaluating scientific and regulatory documents, assessments, project proposals and/or reports to identify data gaps and deficiencies and ensuring accuracy, consistency, compliance and/or validity of the information with current science, policies, regulations and legislation.

Representing Health Canada at quasi-judicial proceedings, panels, hearings, review boards and/or Indigenous community meetings to address human health implications of environmental issues.

Fostering collaborative partnerships with other government departments/agencies to coordinate advice from departmental experts and developing, promoting and implementing strategies related to objectives/priorities, projects, policies, programs and plans.

Work environment

WHAT TO EXPECT

Health Canada's Regulatory Operations and Regions Branch - Controlled Substances and Environmental Health Directorate - Environmental Health Programs is seeking motivated individuals with a strong background in environmental health-related sciences. The ideal candidate enjoys working within a team environment and is an excellent communicator. You will work as part of a national team in one of our regional offices to deliver the Environmental Health Program in the contaminated sites, environmental assessment or air quality & health program areas. You will coordinate with other regional teams and colleagues across the country whose offices are located in downtown Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Longueuil and Halifax.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING

You will provide comprehensive scientific and technical advice, guidance, support and training on issues related to environmental assessment, contaminated sites, or air quality to a diverse network of regional/national stakeholders. You will also coordinate, evaluate and review scientific/technical and regulatory materials for compliance, conformity and validity with current science, policies, regulations and legislation.

Intent of the process

This process is an anticipatory process. A qualified pool of candidates will be established. The pool will be used to staff similar positions at this group and level with various linguistic profiles and various tenures (indeterminate, term, acting, assignment/secondment and/or deployment) within Health Canada across Canada.

Qualified candidates who are currently employees of the Federal Public Service at the same group and level or equivalent may be considered for deployment, secondment or assignment. Qualified candidates who are currently employees of the Federal Public Service may be considered for an acting appointment.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

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)

Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in biology, physics, geology, chemistry, or some other science relevant to the position.

Degree equivalency

Recent and significant* experience in evaluating the impacts on human health or ecological health due to environmental conditions, e.g. may include chemical contamination, air, water, or soil quality.

Recent and significant* experience in critically reviewing scientific or technical reports (e.g. may include human health risk assessments, air, water, or soil/sediment quality reports) used in one of the following areas: (1) environmental assessment; (2) contaminated sites; (3) environmental air quality.

Recent and significant* experience in providing scientific and technical advice, presentations, or briefings to senior managers, colleagues, or work teams.

Recent and significant* experience in working in multi-disciplinary scientific and technical teams.

*“Recent and significant” is defined as the depth and breadth of experience associated with having performed a broad range of complex activities related to this task over a period of approximately two years or more within the last five years.

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

Various language requirements
English Essential
Bilingual Imperative (BBB/BBB).

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of the methods used to assess the effects of substances in the environment on human health, including human health risk assessment.

Knowledge of the application of regulatory requirements for protection of human health in one of the following areas: (1) environmental assessment, (2) contaminated sites (3) ambient air quality.

Ability to communicate effectively orally.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
Ability to analyze complex information, identify issues of key relevance and provide recommendations.
Ability to effectively manage time.

Working effectively with others.
Initiative.
Thinking things through.
Demonstrating integrity and respect.
Respectful of diversity.

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

Graduation with a Master’s or Doctoral degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with an acceptable specialization relevant to the position e.g. may include environmental health, toxicology.

Degree equivalency

Experience in working within Canadian federal, provincial, or territorial environmental assessment processes.

Experience in reviewing Environmental Site Investigations (ESI) or human health risk assessments of contaminated sites.

Experience in communicating (orally and written) risks to human health associated with environmental conditions.

Experience in working with government agencies, Indigenous groups, or stakeholder groups on issues related to protecting human health or the environment.

Experience with participating in consultations, negotiations or facilitating discussions with Indigenous groups or organizations

Knowledge of the principles and practices for (1) risk-based assessment and management of contaminated sites, or (2) assessment of risks to human health in the environmental assessment process.

Knowledge of how air quality and climate change impact human health and populations at greater risk of negative health impacts.

Organizational Needs: Health Canada is committed to ensuring a fair and equitable representation and distribution of women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and visible minorities reflective of their representation in the Canadian workforce.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Available to work occasional overtime, including weekends.

Able and willing to travel in a variety of conditions and modes of transportation, sometimes in remote locations, including north of 60.

Possess a full passenger-vehicle driver’s license (e.g. Class 5, Class G) or personal mobility to the degree normally associated with possession of a driver’s license.

Small amounts of lifting and carrying presentation materials, including but not limited to backdrops, posters, and brochures.

Other information

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.

Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed. Meeting one or many of the asset qualifications may be a deciding factor in appointing a particular candidate amongst the qualified candidates. Please note that some or all of the asset qualifications could be used at the screening phase.

A test may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

An interview may be administered. If required, they will be conducted at locations of the employer’s choice and may require candidates to travel to the interview location

You must provide proof of your education credentials.

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

We will only accept on-line applications received via the jobs.gc.ca site. Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

All information pertaining to the process will be sent by email. It is therefore your responsibility to verify your email account for new communication regarding this selection process on a regular basis.

All communication and information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to the close of process, may be used in the assessment of 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.