Aquatic Science Biologist III

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

Candidates must clearly demonstrate in the screening questionnaire how they meet the education and experience criteria listed in the essential and asset qualifications. Please note that stating that the requirement has been met, and/or listing past or current responsibilities, does not represent adequate substantiation. Rather, you must provide concrete examples that clearly illustrate how you meet the requirement. Résumés may be used as a secondary source to validate the qualifications described; comments such as "refer to my attached resume" will not be accepted and may result in your application being rejected. Failure to provide this information in the requested format may result in your application being rejected.

Please note that your application or any information provided may be considered in the assessment of any of the essential or asset qualifications, including the ability to communicate effectively in writing. Should you wish to update or change any information on your application, it remains your responsibility to advise HR Staffing respectively.

As a science-based department, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) relies on a vibrant science program to provide data and information combined with expert scientific analysis and advice to directly support decision-making as well as policy and program delivery. The Ecosystem and Oceans Science Sector (the "Science" Sector) makes up approximately one-quarter of the workforce of DFO (excluding Canadian Coast Guard) and includes research scientists and biologists with broad range of expertise in ocean and freshwater research, as well as physical scientists, chemists, engineers, hydrographers, a range of technical and other scientific support staff, managers, science advisors, and administrators.

Duties

These Aquatic Science Biologist III positions at DFO are diverse in their duties and required skill sets as they contribute to the full range of DFO's core areas of research.

In general terms, an Aquatic Science Biologist III employee is expected to: plan, conduct and lead field or laboratory activities; supervise support staff; present information and work results to stakeholders, develop quantitative models to analyze and interpret data; prepare and present reports in support of requests for advice; contribute to the peer review of reports and scientific publications; publish as lead author and co-authors of technical reports; and contribute to the scientific understanding of Canada's aquatic resources and ecosystems. They are expected to deliver programs to support decisions by the various management sectors that affect Canadians and the aquatic resources of Canada.

Intent of the process

A pool of candidates will be established and may be used to staff permanent or temporary (including some seasonal) vacancies within the Science Branch. This process may be used to staff similar positions of various tenures within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Gulf Region.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

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 a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in natural, physical or applied science with specialization in a field relevant to the duties of the position.
Note: The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and must have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
A minimum of 2 years experience conducting scientific work in *fish population science, fish habitat science, limnology, environmental science or biodiversity science. (Graduation from a recognized post-graduate program in these areas may be accepted as work experience.).
Experience coordinating science projects, science programs or science initiatives.
Experience in supervising science staff or coordinating a science team.
Experience developing and providing science-based advice for decision-making purposes.
Experience in writing technical documents, scientific articles or reports.
* Note: Throughout this document, the term 'fish' includes fish, molluscs, crustaceans, marine mammals and marine turtles.

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

Various language requirements
The language requirements will vary according to the position to staff.
Various language requirements (bilingual imperative BBB/BBB, 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

PERSONAL SUITABILITY
Initiative
Judgment
Reliability
Results oriented
Effective interpersonal skills

ABILITIES
Ability to communicate effectively orally.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
Ability to analyze science questions and provide advice and recommendations.

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

EDUCATION
Post-graduate degree from a recognized university in aquatic, biological sciences or physical and applied or environmental sciences with a specialization in a field relevant to the position.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
Experience working in scientific studies or work on freshwater species and ecosystems.
Experience in conducting quantitative analyses and interpreting data using statistical analytical techniques or tools associated with biological studies, marine or freshwater fish habitat or stock or ecosystem assessments.
Experience assessing cumulative effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on aquatic ecosystems.
Experience conducting scientific risk assessments with ecological or environmental protection objectives.
Experience in the assessment of the status of aquatic species, habitat, or ecosystems to generate science advice.
Experience with peer reviewed science for publications and reports.
Experience using statistics software to analyse data (e.g. Bayesian or other advanced statistical methods).
Experience in defining limit reference points for fish populations or stocks in line with DFO's Precautionary Approach Framework.
Experience in providing scientific advices for the development of rebuilding/recovery plans for fish species.

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of the biology and ecology of aquatic species in Atlantic Canada, including their habitat requirements.
Knowledge of aquatic sciences and management practices related to the protection of fish and fish habitat or related to Atlantic fisheries.
Knowledge of DFO's "A Fishery Decision-Making Framework Incorporating the Precautionary Approach".

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 REQUIREMENTS:
Willingness and able to travel for extended periods of time (for some positions).
Willingness and able to work flexible hours and overtime on short notice.
Willingness and able to work in harsh environments on vessels at sea or in remote field settings (for some positions).
Valid motor vehicle driver's license or mobility to the extent of the possession of a valid driver's license(for some positions).
Medical fitness in accordance with certification by Health Canada (for some positions).

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Valid motor vehicle driver's license or mobility to the extent of the possession of a valid driver's license(for some positions).
Medical fitness in accordance with certification by Health Canada (for some positions).

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

PLEASE APPLY ONLINE: Please submit your application online. We request that you DO NOT email, fax or mail in hard copy documents. Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line, are asked to contact (902) 426-4698 or toll free at 1-800-645-5605.

Applicants can create a profile and a résumé that can be used when applying for other processes without having to recreate a new application each time;
Applicants can modify their application/ résumé at anytime BEFORE the closing date indicated on the job advertisement;
Applicants can verify the status of their applications, at any time;
Applicants can be notified electronically of tests or interviews and results;
For some jobs, applicants will find important information, namely the job questionnaire and a complete statement of merit criteria that are only available when applying on-line.

Reference checks will be sought.
An interview may be administered.
A written examination may be administered
A practical test may be administered.
A situational exercise may be administered.

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.

Please ensure that your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) is included in your application.

Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript.

Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/

Candidates must meet all of the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position. A candidate may be appointed to a position even though he/she does not meet any or all of the asset qualifications or operational requirements. However, meeting these criteria is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed.

Depending on the requirements of the position(s) being staffed from this process, for current or future vacancies, any or all of the asset qualifications, operational requirements, and organizational needs may be applied at the time of staffing. Candidates may be contacted and assessed against these criteria at any time during this process.

Please note that candidates can be eliminated by the Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) based on PSRS screening questions. Candidates may request to informally discuss their elimination at any point during the process. To do so, please contact the department at the coordinate(s) indicated on this poster.

The Public Service of Canada recognizes that the diversity of its employees' population contributes to its strength and integrity. We therefore encourage members Employment Equity Designated Groups to apply and declare themselves as part of one or more of these designated groups.

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, 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.