General Labourer

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

AAFC is committed to diversity and inclusion and is proud to be recognized as one of Canada’s best diversity employers. We welcome all applicants and strongly encourage candidates to self-declare if they belong to an Employment Equity designated group (i.e. Aboriginal Peoples, Persons with Disabilities, Visible Minorities or Women).

Duties

Under the supervision of lab and/or field supervisor you will:

- operate, calibrate, and maintain farm equipment with standard transmission including tractors, seeders and combines and the implements that are required including cultivators, fertilizer spreaders, 3PT hitch mowers, trimmers and harrows
- prepare experimental materials such as seed and plant samples for laboratory analysis, and assist with sample processing activities;
- participate in controlled environmental studies and field-plot experiments to assess agronomic, physiological traits;
- participate in plot maintenance program;
- record information on plant and seed attributes, maintenance, repairs, and supplies.

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.

The Swift Current Research and Development Centre was established in 1920 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, in the semi-arid prairie region. The region where the Centre is situated encompasses 20 per cent of the arable land in Canada (the Brown soil zone). In addition, Swift Current Research and Development Centre research extends across the Dark Brown and Thin Black soil zones via the associated research site at Indian Head.

Canada is known worldwide for producing high performance and quality wheat, which researchers located at Swift Current have played, and continue to play a key role developing. Long-term-rotation field experimental plots have been in place at Swift Current for more than 40 years and at Indian Head for more than 50 years.

The Centre's mandate is to address severe drought, erosion, frost, pests, and crop disease related problems, and to provide support to the expanding settlements in the region characterized by a semi-arid climate.

Intent of the process

This process is to staff one(1) full time permanent position.

Although we are looking to fill one (1) position, in the event that more than one candidate is found qualified, a pool of qualified and partially qualified candidates will be established and may be used to staff similar positions with various tenures within AAFC.

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

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)

A secondary school diploma OR an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

IF YOU HAVE FOREIGN CREDENTIALS, please follow the link below for information on how to obtain a degree equivalency. You must obtain an equivalency, at your own expense, in order to be considered for appointment into the public service.

Degree equivalency

Experience calibrating and operating large agriculture/farm equipment.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of field crops and crop production.

Concern for safety
Initiative
Teamwork

Ability to operate and calibrate agriculture/farm equipment.
Ability to operate basic laboratory equipment.
Ability to follow instructions.
Ability to perform basic mathematical calculations.

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

Class 1 driver’s license
Pesticide Applicator License (Agriculture or Greenhouse)

Experience working in a greenhouse.
Experience working in an agricultural research setting.

Knowledge of plant care in a greenhouse setting.

Ability and willingness to obtain a Class 1 driver’s license.
Ability and willingness to obtain a Pesticide Applicator License.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Valid driver’s license.
Ability and willingness to work overtime including evenings and weekends.
Ability and willingness to work under variable weather conditions.
Ability and willingness to perform physically demanding work including moderate to heavy manual labour requiring bending and lifting heavy objects (up to 20kg).
Ability and willingness to work in harsh environments (outdoors, cold, hot, dust, and noise).
Ability and willingness to control allergies, through the use of personal protective equipment and/or medication and this must not impinge upon the duties to be performed.
Ability and willing to work in a laboratory, greenhouse and field environments.

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

ASSESSEMENT 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. 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.

Various assessment tools may be used, such as, standardized tests, interviews, references, board member knowledge, etc.

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

A random and/or top down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

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.

A test may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

You must provide proof of your education credentials.

Asset qualifications may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

APPLICATION & CORRESPONDENCE 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).

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.