Head Conservator, Books / Paper / Maps and Manuscripts

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 submit their application using the "Apply online" function. Only applications submitted via this portal will be considered, unless a valid reason is presented prior to the closing date and accepted by the hiring manager.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Candidates that apply for this position will have to answer to **PRE-SCREENING QUESTIONS** in order to clearly demonstrate that they meet the education and experience criteria (essential and asset qualifications).

Candidates must clearly demonstrate when answering the pre-screening questions how they meet the education and experience criteria listed as essential and applicable asset qualifications on the statement of merit criteria. To do so, candidates must write one or two paragraph(s) to demonstrate how they meet each criterion, supported by concrete examples. The assessment board cannot make any assumptions about your experience. Note that it is not sufficient to only state that the qualifications are met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Resumes may be used as a secondary source to validate the information described in the pre-screening questions. Failure to clearly demonstrate how you meet the education and experience, both essential and asset, where applicable, may result in the rejection of your application.

The written communication ill be assessed via the pre-screening questions.

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

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to immediately staff two (2) indeterminate positions, possibly three (3) depending on the needs, within Library and Archives Canada.

A pool of partially or fully qualified candidates may be established from this process to staff similar positions with Library and Archives Canada with various linguistic profiles and security requirements.

Positions to be filled: 2

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

EDUCATION
Master’s degree in conservation from a recognized postsecondary institution, or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience*.

*The acceptable combination is defined as having completed two years of a postsecondary program in a related field and 5 years of work experience in conservation.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
Significant* and recent** experience in conservation of various documentary heritage materials***
Experience in providing advice and recommendations to management (Manager and higher) and colleagues in the conservation area
Significant* experience in producing conservation reports or documentation providing physical, and technical information regarding conservation.

*Significant experience is defined as having carried out the activity as a principle duty for a period of at least five (5) years.

**Recent experience means within the last two (2) years.

***Documentary heritage materials include but are not limited to art on paper, books, maps and manuscripts.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (BBB/BBB)

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of the conservation principles and methods used for documentary heritage materials in at least one of the following areas: Books; Maps & Manuscripts; Prints & Drawings.
Knowledge of techniques used to assess the condition and conservation needs of documentary heritage materials.
Knowledge of health and safety standards involved in the conduct of conservation treatments.

ABILITIES
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
Ability to analyze and evaluate problems and find solutions.
Ability to organize work, establish priorities and meet the deadlines.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY
Judgment
Team spirit
Flexibility
Interpersonal skills
Leadership

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

ASSET EDUCATION
Professional accreditation by the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators (CAPC) or equivalent international accreditation.

ASSET EXPERIENCE
Experience working in a museum, art gallery, library or an archives centre.
Experience in writing and publishing specialized professional papers, articles or reports, and in giving conference presentations.
Experience in developing and delivering conservation training to interns and conservators.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Willingness and ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends.
Willingness and ability to work overtime on short notice.
Willingness and ability to travel.

Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Reliability and security: Secret.
Personal protective equipment required for some tasks.

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

A written test may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

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

The application of the Asset Qualifications, random selection and/or top down selection may be used at any stage of the selection process. Please note that achieving a 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 cut-off mark that is higher than the pass mark on any evaluation used throughout the process.

Please identify clearly your substantive group and level and your employment status on your resume and/or application form, if applicable.

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

Proof of education credentials will be requested later in the process. Candidates with foreign credentials will be required to provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Please consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.

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).

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.