Program Services 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

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

Applicants are encouraged to apply ONLY if they are able to relocate or commute to Fredericton, New Brunswick, Charlottetown PEI, St. John’s Newfoundland or Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

The first round of applications will be selected for assessment on February 4, 2021. If you wish for your application to be considered for assessment at this time, please submit your application no later than February 3, 2021 by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

No cover letter is required; candidates must ANSWER THE SCREENING QUESTIONS provided by clearly demonstrating how they meet each of the Essential qualifications relative to education, experience and other qualifications.

Please note when submitting an application to this selection process, you will be prompted to answer screening questions concerning the essential education, experience qualifications AND other qualifications. When answering these questions, please provide detailed, concrete examples that clearly demonstrate HOW YOU meet the requirement. Failure to clearly substantiate how you meet the screening criteria may result in the rejection of your application.

Your application in this inventory will be active for 180 days. A notice that your application is about to expire will be posted to the My jobs menu of your account 21 days before the end of your active period. If you do not take action, your application will no longer be active and therefore no longer considered for this inventory. Should your application become inactive while the process is still open, a notice will be posted to your account indicating that your application has expired; you may select the link Update my Inventory Status to reaffirm your interest.

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.

Duties

Program Servicers Officers are exceptional individuals who use their excellent thinking skills and client service skills to make a difference in the lives of Canadians. Program Services Officers deliver the Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security programs. We contact clients by phone and written correspondence while using various computer systems to maintain workload inventories. Our work has the added challenge of production and quality targets to encourage our success while maintaining service standards to Canadians. You will help clients understand program specific legislation, procedures, and the processes required to receive services and/or benefits. You will use a client-focused approach when solving problems and tactfully gathering information that will help you process applications and review continued client eligibility for benefits. Physical and mental efforts are required to sit up for long periods of time while assessing and analyzing information, keyboarding, inputting data, and attending meetings.

Work environment

Are you interested in being a part of a team that is committed to helping Canadians? Can you build trusting and respectful relationships with clients and co-workers? Can you make decisions based on a thorough analysis of facts and policies?

We are looking for individuals who share our enthusiasm for serving Canadians.

The Office Environment:
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) ensures employees have a safe, inclusive and innovative work environment where they feel valued and motivated and where we encourage collaboration and support among employees. ESDC is a large, yet connected organization of people dedicated to our clients and improving service delivery by constantly evolving with changes in technology, procedures and legislation…and we try to have as much fun as possible in the process.

The Benefits:
We offer flexible work arrangements along with a comprehensive benefits package to promote healthy and engaged employees. Benefits include: vacation leave, pension, health and dental benefits and support from Management Teams who encourage training and career development.

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to create a pool of qualified candidates (English Essential and Bilingual Imperative BBC/BBC) at the PM-01 (Program Services Officer) level to staff present and future positions within Employment and Social Development Canada in Fredericton (New Brunswick), Dartmouth (Nova Scotia), Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), and St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador). This pool could also be used to staff similar positions of various tenures within Employment and Social Development Canada in the Atlantic 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:
Secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternatives (a satisfactory score on the PSC test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma; or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience)

NOTE:
- A Secondary School Diploma refers to a High School Diploma.
Alternatively, a University Degree from a recognized post-secondary institution will be accepted.
- Equivalencies granted by provincial and/or territorial authorities (e.g. - General Education Development (GED), Adult Basic Education (ABE) which is a secondary school equivalent), will be accepted.
*A recognized post-secondary institution includes those categorized as “recognized” as well as “authorized” by the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC).
- The PSC Test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma is the Public Service Commission’s General Intelligence Test 320 (GIT-320).
- The acceptable combination will be evaluated by considering the highest level of education achieved and the depth and breadth of training and/or experience accumulated in customer service and/or in office administration.

*YOUR EDUCATION CREDENTIALS AND, IF APPLICABLE, PROOF OF NAME CHANGE DOCUMENT(S) WILL BE VALIDATED AT A LATER DATE. PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE A COPY OF YOUR DOCUMENTATION READILY AVAILABLE.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:
Experience in using technology (e.g. e-mail, Internet and word processing)

Experience in delivering services or programs to the general public involving obtaining and providing information requiring explanation or clarification

ABILITIES AND PERSONAL SUITABILITY:
Communication (written)
Thinking Skills
Diagnostic Information Gathering
Client Focus

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

Various language requirements
English Essential
Bilingual Imperative BBC/BBC

To be considered for a Bilingual Imperative BBC/BBC position, you must already have Second Language Evaluation results at the BBC/BBC level (proof will be required) OR you must be willing to undergo a Second Language Evaluation.

To obtain a copy of SLE results, candidates may make a request at the following website: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/corporate/about-us/contact-us.html#N1.

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

ABILITIES AND PERSONAL SUITABILITY:
Communication (oral)
Verification and Accuracy
Interpersonal Awareness
Dependability

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

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS:
At Employment and Social Development Canada, diversity is our strength. If you’re a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a visible minority and are interested in bringing in different perspectives and insights, let us know by completing the Employment Equity (EE) section in your application. Appointments of members of these EE groups could be made to ensure our workforce is inclusive and representative of the Canadian public we serve.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Willing and able to work overtime as required

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Willing and able to travel for training purposes

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

***CANDIDATES WILL NOT BE SOLICITED FOR INCOMPLETE OR POSSIBLE MISSING INFORMATION.***

If you do not fully complete the screening questions as instructed, you will be screened out.

Acknowledgement of receipt of applications will not be sent.

It is imperative that you provide a current email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). Candidates are strongly encouraged to check their email on a regular basis. It is your entire responsibility to inform us at all times of any changes regarding your contact information.

If candidates are pulled from this inventory and are unsuccessful, their application will not be given any further consideration. We encourage candidates to continue to consult the other external job opportunities posted by the Public Service Commission of Canada at following address: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/opportunities/government.html.

Written test(s) may be administered.

Interviews may be administered.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for multiple locations ONLY if they are able to relocate or commute to that location.

Please note that telework or remote work arrangements may be used for certain positions. This will be determined by the hiring manager. Employees will still need to report to one of the work locations indicated.

Various volume management strategies, such as random and/or top-down selection of candidates, and screening based on degree of experience, may be applied at any stage of the selection process.

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

All information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the candidates.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate on their application their preferred official language for each of the following: a) written correspondence, b) written exam, c) oral interview.

The hiring organization will accept applications online only. All job applications must therefore be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System.

ESDC is committed to providing a workplace environment that supports productivity and the personal goals, dignity and self-esteem of every employee. In the workplace, you have the right to be treated fairly and with respect, in an environment free of discrimination, harassment and offensive behaviour. Employees will be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, being respectful in all interactions and promoting civility in the workplace. The Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector as well as the ESDC Code of Conduct outline expected behaviours for all staff.

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.

If you require accommodation during the selection process, please indicate this on your application and/or resume.

Failure to participate in assessments as scheduled may result in the rejection of your candidacy.

Proof of Canadian citizenship will be required.

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.