Research Technician

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 direction of the Principal Investigator, the duties of the incumbent will be to: carry out research under field/greenhouse conditions; carry out research under lab conditions; identify plant and seed using identification tools; contribute and/or maintain plant and seed collections; contribute to the understanding of the relationships between plant and soil, agronomy and ecology; contribute to the development of new knowledge and technology in crop production; collate data, update data bases and contribute to data analysis; contribute to the production of presentations, reports, publications; assign work and/or supervise staff.

Work environment

The Research Technician will work cooperatively with the Minor Use Pesticides (MUP) team of the Pest Management Centre (PMC), located at Scott, SK, to carry out pesticide efficacy, crop tolerance and pesticide residue research. The MUP activities of the PMC aim to increase grower competitiveness by improving access to new and effective crop protection tools and technologies. The PMC conducts field and greenhouse trials and laboratory analysis to generate data which are submitted to Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) in order to obtain new registered uses of pesticides for horticulture and specialty crops. The PMC and its dedicated teams at AAFC research centres are recognized by the Standards Council of Canada as being compliant with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).

Intent of the process

Immediate need: 1 full-time indeterminate position.

A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used for similar permanent and temporary employment.

In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, and there is a temporary need, 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 planning and conducting laboratory or field experiments.
Experience in the use of word processing and spreadsheet applications such as Word and Excel.

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

Post-secondary diploma from a recognized college or university in one of the following fields:
Animal Science
Entomology
Food Science
Microbiology
Natural Resources
Plant Biology
Computer Science
Soil Science
Biology
or a related agricultural program

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 in the operation of field equipment.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of related experimental methodologies, tools, theories, practices and principles.
Knowledge in pest identification.
Knowledge of field crop production.
Knowledge of pesticide application.

Adaptability
Interactive Communication
Teamwork
Planning and Organizing
Concern for Safety

Ability to make observations, collect and record data accurately.
Ability to work independently.

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

Knowledge of research work under Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).
Knowledge of basic statistics.

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

Information on employment equity

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Valid driver’s licence.
Ability and willingness to travel.
Ability and willingness to work overtime.
Possession or ability and willingness to obtain the permit for pesticide application.
Known allergies must be controlled through the use of personal protective equipment and/or medication and must not impinge upon the duties to be performed.
With appropriate safety precautions in place, able and willing to work in laboratory, greenhouse, and field environments for extended periods at a time; able and willing to work outdoors under various weather conditions and under normal safety precautions able and willing to work with hazardous materials.

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

ASSESSMENT 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 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 the email referenced below under "Contact Information".

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.