Director, Environmental Impacts/Senior Scientific Advisor

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

The Government of Canada is committed to building a skilled workforce that is representative of Canada's diversity, which includes the recruitment of Canadian Veterans and releasing Canadian Armed Forces personnel:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/public-service-jobs/canadian-armed-forces-members-veterans.html

We encourage applicants to identify any abilities, competencies, and/or experiences acquired through employment with the Canadian Armed Forces where applicable.

Duties

The environmental impacts research team at CanmetENERGY in Devon is seeking a director to provide scientific leadership and management for the delivery of its research programs in the understanding and management of the environmental impacts of oil and gas production. This is a multidisciplinary team of professional and technical staff responsible for developing and carrying out research in air emissions, water quality, tailings, and land reclamation as they relate to oil and gas development, including oil spill behaviour. Environmental team members conduct in-house research as well as field work, both in Canada and internationally.

The director:
• Directs and manages a research program into mitigating the environmental impacts of fossil fuel resource development, with a focus on unconventional fossils fuels.
• Is responsible for developing, with their team, short-, mid- and long-term research programs related to understanding and minimizing the environmental impacts of resource development, related, but not limited to the development of conventional and unconventional fossil fuels.
• Provides authoritative advice (relevant, and scientifically sound) to federal politicians, senior departmental and sector management, and the CanmetENERGY-Devon director general.

The director has to be an excellent communicator, able to synthesise complex scientific information and be able to present it clearly and concisely to non-experts.

Work environment

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) – an established leader in science and technology! NRCan seeks to enhance the responsible development and use of Canada’s natural resources and the competitiveness of Canada’s natural resource products. If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career, consider joining our team and becoming part of one of Canada’s most innovative government departments. At NRCan, you can play a pivotal role in helping to shape important contributions to Canada’s natural resource development and enjoy an exciting career that comes with an array of benefits that can help you balance your work and private life.

As part of NRCan, CanmetENERGY is Canada’s leading research and technology organization in the field of clean energy. The CanmetENERGY laboratory in Devon (AB) brings together scientists, engineers and technologists in a state-of-the-art R&D facility. We focus on providing innovative solutions for the environmentally-responsible production and processing of hydrocarbon resources, and for mitigating the associated environmental impacts of these operations. CanmetENERGY in Devon collaborates with industry, provincial/territorial governments, academic institutions, and international organizations in this research. Our highly qualified research staff conduct projects ranging from complex theoretical studies to pilot-scale technology trials related to the production, processing, and transportation of fossil fuel resources and products. We have the skills and experience to move projects from concept to bench-scale through to pilot-scale testing in support of commercialization.

This position is an excellent opportunity and offers a creative work environment where there are opportunities for professional and personal growth. Our staff enjoy competitive salaries including a comprehensive benefit package. Natural Resources Canada promotes health and wellness both in the workplace and in personal life, and resources are available to you and to your family members to help you maintain a healthy balance between work and your personal life. The successful candidate will undergo a security check.

Intent of the process

A pool of qualified candidates may be established through this process to staff identical or similar SE-REM-02 positions at Natural Resources Canada with various tenures (determinate period or indeterminate), various language requirements (English Essential, French Essential, English or French Essential and Bilingual) and profile(s) (BBB/BBB, CBC/CBC, CCC/CCC, etc.)), various security requirements , various conditions of employment and for various locations.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Education:
Graduation with an acceptable doctoral degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in a field of the natural sciences such as chemistry, biology, environmental science, or environmental or geotechnical engineering, or another field of the natural sciences related to the duties of the position, or the employer approved alternative*

* The employer-approved alternative is an acceptable master's or bachelor's degree coupled with acceptable research, training and experience. The degree must be from a recognized post-secondary institution and in scientific fields and specialties related to the duties of the position. The training and experience must clearly demonstrate the ability to do personal research of doctoral degree caliber.

Degree equivalency

Experience in managing scientific research teams;
Experience in managing scientific research programs;
Significant* experience in conducting scientific research;
Experience in short and long term planning of research programs;
Experience in report writing and oral communication to academic, senior management, and public audiences;
Experience managing budgets.

*Significant is defined as skills normally acquired over a period of 5 years.

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

Experience developing or evaluating environmental impact assessments;
Experience in conducting research projects related to reducing environmental impacts due to fossil fuel resource development.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of environmental issues pertaining to fossil fuel resource development;
Knowledge of sciences (chemistry, biology, or geotechnology) related to environmental issues pertaining to fossil fuel resource development.
Knowledge of data gathering, statistical analysis, and data synthesis and interpretation;
Knowledge of project and human resource management principles and practices.

Ability to communicate effectively, orally
Ability to communicate effectively in writing;
Ability to review and summarize written reports;
Ability to prepare reports, scientific papers, and presentations;
Ability to synthesise information and prepare presentations for non-experts in the field;
Ability to respond effectively and quickly in dynamic and time-constrained situations.

Effective interpersonal skills in dealing with superiors, peers and clients;
Cooperativeness;
Self-sufficiency;
Ethics and values;
Good judgement.

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

Knowledge of oil sands mining and in situ operations;
Knowledge of oil sands tailings treatment and reclamation;
Knowledge of water quality chemistry and issues related to fossil fuel development;
Knowledge of air emissions related to oil and gas development;
Knowledge of oil spill science.

Natural Resources Canada is committed to establishing and maintaining a representative workforce. This organizational need may be identified as part of the appointment decision. In such cases, qualified candidates who self-declare as members of a visible minority group, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities or women (in non-traditional occupations) could be considered in priority.

Willing and able to travel within Canada and abroad, including travel by car, rail and air;
Willing and able to work overtime as required and to adopt flexible work hours as per operational requirements;
Willing and able to work in periods of intense, high pressure activity.

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance

Must comply with safety regulations including wearing safety gear in the labs;

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

An interview will be conducted.
Reference will be sought.
A written examination may be administered.

Note: If you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your credentials and/or diploma assessed against Canadian education standards. The public service will accept any Foreign Educational Credentials as long as they are deemed comparable to Canadian standards, through a recognize credential assessment service. For more information please click on Degree Equivalency.

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.

Candidates from outside the public service may be required to pay for travel costs associated with this selection process.

The hiring organization will accept applications on-line only. All job applications must therefore be submitted through the GC Jobs website. To submit an application on-line, please select the button “Apply Online” below. Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

For this selection process, it is our intention to communicate with candidates via email for screening and assessment purposes. This will include communication of screening results and invitations to written tests and interviews. To that end, candidates must include a valid email address in their application. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that this address is functional and that it accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). It is also the candidate’s responsibility to ensure accurate information is provided and updated as required.

We thank all applicants for their interest in our position(s). For the purpose of this staffing process, only candidates selected for further assessment will be contacted.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.