Benefits Program Officer

Important messages

When submitting an application to this selection process, you will be prompted to answer screening questions concerning the essential education and experience qualifications.

It is NOT sufficient to only state that the qualifications are met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Rather you must clearly demonstrate HOW, WHEN, and WHERE the qualification was met through substantiation by examples. Information on your described skills, experience, etc. provided in the screening questions should be supported by your resume. Failure to provide the above information in the format required may result in your application being rejected from the process.

Candidates may not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Resumes will be used as a secondary source to validate the experience and education described in the screening questions.

INSTRUCTIONS

When recording your examples, be sure you:

• Provide concrete, specific examples of actions that speak directly to the experience sought.
• Choose examples with sufficient complexity, impact and degree of difficulty that will allow you to illustrate to what extent and depth you have shown the behaviours expected for each qualification.
• Focus on what you did. In referring to an experience achieved in the context of a team, set your role apart from the role(s) of others.
• Please describe the achievements in the past tense. This will help to ensure that you are providing concrete examples, rather than making general statements (e.g.instead of saying “I work well within a team….” you can say “I worked well with a team when….”).
• Use action verbs when describing your experience i.e. lead, managed, organized, planned, prepared, informed, determined, etc.
• Provide all examples in sentence format.
• Each example must include when the example took place, background of each situation, what you did, how you did it, what your role was in the situation, and what was the outcome.

All information must be provided through the “apply online” application process. Do not fax, mail, email or drop-off a hard copy application as these will not be accepted. To apply in an alternate format due to disability, you must contact the email address indicated in the "Contact information" section below PRIOR to the Closing Date.

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to establish a pool of qualified candidates which could be used to staff similar or identical positions with various tenures, various language requirements, and/or various security clearance levels.

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:
• A secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternatives.*
* Employer-approved alternatives to a secondary school diploma include:
- A satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma; or
- An acceptable combination* of education, training and/or experience.
* An acceptable combination is defined as completion of Grade Ten with two years of relevant job-related experience.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• EX 1 - Experience in analyzing written material and preparing a written document.
• EX 2 - Experience in the interpretation and/or application of legislation and/or policy.
• EX 3 - Experience providing advice or guidance to clients or subordinates or military personnel

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

Bilingual - Imperative (CBC/CBC)

Information on language requirements

Second Language Writing Skills Self-Assessment
In order to help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your writing skills in your second official language is available for you to take before completing your application.

For more information, please consult:
Unsupervised Internet Test of Second Language Writing Skills

Abilities:
• AB 1 - Ability to communicate effectively in writing
• AB 2 - Ability to communicate effectively orally
• AB 3 - Ability to manage time and workload.

Personal Suitabilities:
• PS 1 - Judgment
• PS 2 - Initiative
• PS 3 - Effective Interpersonal Relationships

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

Assets:
• AE 1 - Experience as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
• AE 2 - Experience in adjudicating benefits or services for government programs.
• AE 3 - Experience in answering inquiries by phone and/or performing outreach activities to clients.
• AE 4 - Successful completion of a post-secondary school diploma with specialization in a health related or social work field.

Organizational Needs:
In support of achieving a diversified workforce, consideration may be given to candidates who self-identify as belonging to one (1) of the designated employment equity groups under the Employment Equity Act: women; Aboriginal peoples; visible minorities; persons with disabilities.

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment:
• A willingness and ability to work occasional overtime
• Reliability status security clearance

Other information

It is your responsibility to ensure that your email and contact information are maintained with the hiring board. All communication for this process will be sent by email and it is your responsibility to verify your messages regularly.

Education and/or Experience factors in the asset qualifications may be used for screening. Applicants should clearly demonstrate on their application if they meet any of the education and/or experience asset qualifications. Failure to do so may result in the rejection of your application.

One or more asset qualifications may be used during the screening to manage the volume of applications.

Candidates will be asked to provide proof of their education credentials, and proof of citizenship at a later date.

An interview and/or written exam may be administered.

Reference checks will be sought. The Assessment Committee reserves the right to contact references other than those provided by the candidates (within the Public Service only) in order to adequately assess the candidates.

Indeterminate employees at the same group and level or equivalent may be considered for assignment, deployment or secondment opportunities before other candidates.

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.