Advocacy Officer

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

PLEASE NOTE: There is a advertisement posted for English Essential Advocacy Officer positions in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick. In order to be considered for English Essential positions, you will also need to apply on process 19-DVA-EA-CH-342438. If you apply on both the English Essential and Bilingual Imperative processes, you will only be assessed once; your results will apply to both processes. You should only apply on this process if you want to be considered for Bilingual Imperative positions.

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.

Work environment

The Bureau of Pensions Advocates is proud to be a nation-wide organization of lawyers serving Veterans, former and current members of the Canadian Forces and the RCMP and their families. The Bureau provides free legal advice and representation before the Veterans Review and Appeal Board for clients who are not satisfied with decisions regarding their disability benefits. The Advocacy Officers in the Bureau’s offices work alongside lawyers to serve clients on the phone and in person with medical-legal concerns. The work is rewarding and of particular interest to those who prefer a fast-paced environment requiring multi-tasking and empathy for the special group of clients we serve.

Intent of the process

The intent of the process is to staff various positions in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Saint John, New Brunswick. It will be used to create a pool of qualified candidates which will 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.

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

Education:
ED 1 - Successful completion of Secondary School OR an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience*

* An acceptable combination is defined as the breadth and depth of experience which would normally be acquired with two (2) years of work experience in providing client service to internal or external clients.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
EX 1 – Experience using computer and data entry software programs such as the Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, electronic filing systems, etc.
EX 2 – Experience drafting, formatting and proofreading various documents such as reports, letters and/or memos.
EX 3 – Experience in providing various administrative support services in an office environment, which includes service to clients over the phone and in person.

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

Assets:
AE 1 – Experience as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
AE 2 – Knowledge of Veterans Affairs Canada's clients and their common medical issues.
AE 3 – Experience analyzing and interpreting medico-legal documentation.
AE 4 – Experience in providing administrative support services in a quasi-judicial or legal environment.

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

Various language requirements
Bilingual Imperative BBB/BBB
Bilingual Imperative CBC/CBC
Bilingual Imperative CCC/CCC

Information on language requirements

Abilities:
AB 1 – Ability to communicate effectively
AB 2 – Ability to plan and organize work, establish priorities, and work effectively under pressure and with conflicting demands.
AB 3 – Ability to conduct research and extract relevant information from a variety of source documents.

Personal Suitabilities:
PS 1 – Initiative
PS 2 – Dependability
PS 3 – Effective interpersonal relationships

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

Selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women

Information on employment equity

Operational Requirement:
- Willingness and ability to work overtime as required.
- Willingness and ability to travel as required.

Conditions of Employment:
- Reliability Status security clearance

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

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ASSESSMENT
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A written exam may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

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

You must provide proof of your education credentials. If you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. For more information please click on “Degree Equivalency” in the
Education section above.

LEAVE/ABSENCES DURING THIS SELECTION PROCESS:

It is the responsibility of the candidate to notify the Departmental contact of any pre-approved leave throughout the duration of the process in order to facilitate scheduling of evaluations. One (1) alternate date will be possible only if requested for the following reasons: 1) Medical reasons with doctor’s certificate 2) Death in your immediate family 3) Confirmation of pre-approved travel plans or training plans (made before the advertisement posting date) 4) Religious reasons or another reason that is considered reasonable by the assessment committee.

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OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
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Persons are entitled to participate in the selection process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

Official language proficiency: due to its unique character, this essential qualification could be assessed and required solely upon appointment. It is therefore the candidate’s responsibility to inform the person in charge of the selection process if he/she obtains the linguistic requirements after the pool has been established. Also, a person who initially failed linguistic testing could be introduced into the pool of qualified candidates during the pool’s validity period if he/she is assessed again through another selection process or following linguistic training.

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COMMUNICATION
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It is the candidate’s responsibility to inform the Departmental contact involved in this selection process of any change of contact information during the selection process and during the validity period of the pool.

Candidates must provide a valid email address as communication for this process will be conducted by 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).

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OTHER INFORMATION
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Candidates must meet all the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

Management may choose to invoke an asset(s) at any point of the process.

Please note that achieving the pass mark on any of the assessments used does not mean you will move forward in the selection process. Management may decide to use a score that is higher than the pass mark on any of the evaluations used throughout the selection process. Management may also decide to use top-down selection at any stage of the process.

If you have a Personal Record Identifier (PRI,) please include it on your application.

Indeterminate employees at the same group and level or equivalent could be considered for deployment. If no deployment is made, applicants from other groups and levels will be considered in the advertised appointment process.

An assignment/secondment or an acting appointment requires approval of your supervisor.

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.