Parliamentary Relations Officer / Cabinet Affairs 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

Only applications received directly via the System (https://emploisfp-psjobs.cfp-psc.gc.ca/psrs-srfp/applicant/page1710?toggleLanguage=en) will be accepted.

If you do not clearly demonstrate how you meet all screening criteria, your application will be rejected. Your application may also be rejected if it has incomplete information. We will not contact you to request information that is missing from your application.

Duties

Parliamentary Affairs:

- Negotiates requirements with the branches for briefing materials to ensure consideration of the President and Treasury Board Secretariat’s priorities and preparation of high-quality and consistent documentation.
- Reviews and serves a quality control function for briefing materials such as:
o House of Commons and Senate agenda and work plans, including analysis of House of Commons and Senate debates and parliamentary committee debates and their reports; verifies and follows up on any matter concerning TBS.
o Briefing materials for Committee appearances, ensuring quality, timely coordination and submission.
o Documents in support of legislative initiatives before Parliament.
- Provides information and advice on, and monitors for TBS, the activities of:
o House of Common and Senate debates and parliamentary committees, and preparing overviews for information and action by senior officials.

Cabinet Affairs:
- Negotiates requirements with the branches for briefing materials to ensure consideration of the President and Treasury Board Secretariat’s priorities and preparation of high-quality and consistent documentation.
- Reviews and serves a quality control function for briefing materials such as:
o Agenda planning and items, as well as decisions to ensure assignment of Cabinet notes and supporting material (decks, speaking points).
o Cabinet documents and presentations to Cabinet, advising officials on appropriate structure, format, and tone.
- Provides information and advice on, and monitors for TBS, the activities of:
o Cabinet, preparing overviews and analysis for information and action by senior officials.

Work environment

What we offer

TBS is a central agency located in the National Capital Region. Working at TBS offers a unique opportunity to:
• contribute to the work of a central federal agency
• be part of cultivating the federal public service as a model workplace

With high-performing teams and innovative practices, TBS professionals in various fields serve Canadians by:
• collaborating on government-wide initiatives
• driving excellence in people management
• taking initiative
• effectively managing risks

If you are a leader, a motivator and a strategic thinker who wants to work for one of Canada’s Top Employers, consider joining the TBS team.

Intent of the process

The initial intent of this process is to offer one appointment within Parliamentary Affairs (Parliamentary Relations Officer BBB/BBB)

A pool of qualified persons resulting from this process will be created and may be used to fill similar positions with linguistic profiles (bilingual imperative BBB/BBB, bilingual imperative CBC/CBC) as well as tenures (indeterminate, deployment, acting, assignment, secondment, specified period) which may vary according to the position being staffed.

Following the initial appointment at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, this pool may be used to staff similar positions in other organizations within the core public administration (http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/plcy-pltq/rfli-lirf/index-eng.htm).

By applying to this process, you consent to your personal application-related information being shared with other government departments.

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 a degree from a recognized university or college, or an acceptable combination of education, training and experience in the field related to the position.

Degree equivalency

Experience
- Significant* experience working with the office of a Minister, Deputy Minister, Assistant Deputy Minister/Assistant Secretary or equivalent;
- Experience in coordinating and preparing briefing material in support of senior officials** in the area of parliamentary affairs, communications, Cabinet support or equivalent;
- Experience in providing senior officials** with advice on program, policy, Cabinet or parliamentary matters;
- Experience in working with officials responsible for Cabinet or parliamentary functions (eg. procedural clerks, central agencies, liaising with Cabinet and Parliamentary Affairs offices in government).

*Significant is defined as depth and breadth of experience normally associated with the performance of those duties for a period of approximately three (3) years.
**Senior officials means Director General level (or equivalent) and above.

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

Various language requirements
Bilingual Imperative BBB/BBB for Parliamentary Relations Officer
Bilingual Imperative CBC/CBC for Cabinet Affairs Officer

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:

Stream 1 – Parliamentary Relations Officer
- Knowledge of parliamentary rules and practices and of the decision-making processes of the House of Commons, the Senate and their committees.

Stream 2 – Cabinet Affairs Officer
- Knowledge of the functions, responsibilities and decision-making processes of central agencies and of the Cabinet process.

Competencies:

Stream 1 and 2:
- Demonstrating integrity and respect;
- Thinking things through;

Abilities:

Stream 1 and 2:
- Ability to identify, analyze and synthesize complex issues;
- Ability to negotiate and establish deadlines and ensure that they are met;
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing;
- Ability to communicate effectively orally.

Personal Suitability

Stream 1 and 2:
- Initiative;
- Working effectively with others.

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

Organizational Needs:
In support of achieving a diverse workforce, consideration may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and women.

Operational Requirements:
Willingness to work overtime on short notice.

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance - A valid secret security clearance is a condition of employment required for an appointment at the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS). Failure to obtain this security clearance means either the candidate will not receive a job offer or the conditional offer will be rendered null and void. A thorough security clearance process will be applied to all candidates considered for an appointment; this process includes inquiries, verifications and assessments regarding matters such as, but not limited to:

• criminal record checks
• length of time living in Canada
• reference checks
• previous employment
• open source checks
• credit/financial status

Individuals must have lived in Canada for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate inquiries, verifications and assessments to be conducted. For a secret security clearance, the verification of background information over a period of 10 years is typically required. Many of the verifications require support from third parties whose timelines are outside of TBS’s control. Overall, the process may take several weeks or months to complete. For further information, you may wish to review the TB Standard on Security Screening and the Policy on Government Security.

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

We will communicate with you about this process by email. As a result, you must update your Public Service Resourcing System profile if it changes. Applicants should use an email address that accepts messages from unknown senders (some email systems block such messages).

If you do not respond to our communications, we will interpret this as your withdrawal from the process.

Reference checks will be sought.

An interview will be administered.

A written exam will be administered.

Please identify clearly for which position(s) you are submitting an application.

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

You must provide proof of your education credentials. You will be advised to provide the documents later in the process. For foreign credentials, the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) assists persons who wish to obtain an assessment of their educational, professional, and occupational credentials by referring them to the appropriate organizations. The CICIC can be contacted at www.cicic.ca.

All of the information collected during the selection process, including behaviour and communication, from the time of application until the end of the process, may be used to evaluate candidates.

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.