IT Professional - Team Leader or Technical Advisor

Update: Please note the change in classification and the minimum education standard.

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

This is a continuous intake Inventory and you only need to apply once to be considered for multiple job opportunities! The application process will take approximately 45 to 60 minutes to complete. Based on your interest and experience, we will guide you to the team that best matches your qualifications and skills. Don’t worry, even if your application is not selected for one job, your application remains in the inventory and can be selected again for the entire duration that the inventory remains open. Additionally, you can go back and update your résumé or responses to the application screening questions at any time.

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.

Do you know someone who also might be interested in this opportunity? Share our job ad!

We will be selecting applicants from the inventory around the date listed below for the following positions: Technical Advisor, IT Business Line Support Services, Team Leader, Information Architecture Services and Team Leader, Grants and Contributions Delivery System (GCDS).
To increase your chances of being successful, we suggest you submit or update your application by the following date:

⇨ November 22nd, 2021

Work environment

AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD CANADA: AN EXCELLENT CAREER MOVE!

As a member of AAFC’s Information Systems Branch, the successful candidates will be a part of an organization that prioritizes innovation and both departmental and inter-departmental collaboration.

You would work in a dynamic environment, collaborating in the success of ongoing scientific research, program delivery, as well as a wide range of corporate applications. We recognize the importance of work life balance, while also prioritizing professional development with access to ongoing training and continuous learning.

As one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is proud to celebrate our achievements in creating a diverse, respectful, and positive workplace where all employees are valued and recognized for their unique qualities, ideas, voices and perspectives. Our five Diversity and Inclusion Networks (Gender and Sexual Diversity Inclusiveness Network, the Persons with Disabilities Network, the Indigenous Network Circle, the Visible Minorities Network and the Women in Science Network) advance awareness, contribute to departmental initiatives and provide a safe space and mentorship for their members. By embracing diversity and inclusion, our department ensures broader discussions, better decisions, and a more positive workplace.

As part of its priority to advance reconciliation and renew Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, AAFC is committed to hiring more Indigenous peoples into their workforce. Better representation within the public service of Canada’s fastest-growing demographic group will lead to more innovative and inclusive solutions to today’s complex challenges. Ultimately, this will improve government services for Canadians. Indigenous peoples are therefore encouraged to apply to this process and self-identify.

Intent of the process

We are always looking for dynamic and dedicated individuals to be part of our growing team of IT professionals. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will continuously use this job Inventory to fill multiple Team leader or Technical advisor position vacancies with varying specializations in locations across Canada.

If you don’t immediately receive a job offer at AAFC, qualified candidates will also be placed in a talent pool to be used for staffing similar permanent or temporary positions in the future. The skill specialization(s), work location, language profile, and security clearance requirements will vary according to the position being staffed.

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 from a two-year program of study from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in computer science, information technology, information management or another specialty relevant to the position to be staffed. An acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience may serve as an alternative to the minimum post-secondary education stated.

If you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. Click on the link below to contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC).

Degree equivalency

Experience:

A minimum of three (3) years’ experience working as an IM/IT professional in at least one of the following areas:

• IT Infrastructure Operations/Administration
• Application Development
• IT Desktop or Help Desk Support
• Database Development/Administration
• System Administration
• IM/IT Business Analysis
• IM/IT Project Management
• IT Service Management
• Data Management and Business Intelligence
• Enterprise Architecture
• IM/IT product or services procurement
• Data Architecture
• IT Security Operations, Incident Management and/or IT Security Risk Management.

Experience working with clients to recommend IM/IT options or an IM/IT solution to address business or technical requirements.

Experience leading and coordinating tasks or deliverables for IM/IT projects or initiatives.

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

Asset qualifications:

A diploma or degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in computer science, information technology, information management or another specialty relevant to the position to be staffed.

Degree equivalency

Experience leading a team.

Experience supervising human resources including employees, students or contractors and/or managing financial resources such as preparing budget.

Experience developing and delivering presentations or briefings, and representing a team in discussions with clients or stakeholders or external partners or senior management.

Experience in application development lifecycle strategies and/or Agile Scrum development.

Experience developing software and integration based on one of the following SQL database platforms: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, or MS-SQL Server.

Experience working with Cloud based technologies for application development, for example: the implementation of Infrastructure-as-Code and scripting to support automation of common tasks.

Experience with configuration and deployment of containerization technologies such as Kubernetes, Open Shift, Open Stack, containerization or other Open Source cloud technologies.

Experience in Linux server administration or using Linux in a software development environment.

Experience in administration of a SAS environment (previously known as "Statistical Analysis System").

Experience in supporting infrastructure for science applications such as bioinformatics.

Experience in managing infrastructure for High Performance Computing services.

Experience working with biologists, biological collections, biodiversity information, or genomics data.

Experience related to the use of and development with a variety of Open Source bioinformatics toolsets, including experience programming in Python or Java.

Experience in designing and implementing algorithms for biological data analysis or data sequencing.

Experience designing and implementing software pipelines for data analysis of genomic, metagenomics and other ‘omics data.

Experience in data analysis and reporting using business intelligence software.

Experience in writing formal documentation, such as business cases, project charters, guidelines, communications, service level agreements, IM/IT processes, standard IT operational service procedures, configuration instructions, IT system administration guides, and/or other client-facing documentation.

Experience in procurement of IM/IT products or services, providing strategic advice and guidance to clients on the procedures and policies related to external government contracting.

Experience leading the activities or processes required for the development of solicitation documents, or contract management, or vendor performance management.

Experience in fulfilling the project manager role, including project startup, planning, task delegation and oversight, provision of feedback, client engagement, issue resolution and other areas pertinent to the successful delivery of projects.

Experience working within an enterprise environment as a Data Architect.

Experience in architecting solutions to meet Government of Canada requirements.

Experience working with Government of Canada directives, policies and/or standards.

Experience and/or training related to cloud architecture and/or security.

Experience planning, designing, developing, testing, and implementing an IM\IT system or application using any of the following: JAVA, .NET, ColdFusion, PowerShell, Python, MS Dynamics, MS SharePoint, Adobe LiveCycle, Adobe Experience Manager, Drupal, MS Teams, M365, Cognos BI, CCM Enterprise, Document Management software, Red Hat OpenShift, Microsoft Office 2016 or above, or other.

Experience supporting non-standard environments, including specialized science equipment and mobile workers.

Experience with evergreen planning, procurement, distribution and asset tracking of end-user IT hardware and software.

Experience in managing the lifecycle and communication of all unplanned interruptions, malfunctions, and quality reductions of provided IT services.

Experience performing endpoint management activities such as patch management, operating system deployment and software deployment using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Management.

Experience in cloud operations using Azure and/or AWS to provision/configure resources and provide operational support.

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

Various language requirements
English Essential, bilingual imperative BBB\BBB, bilingual imperative CBC\CBC

Information on language requirements

Analytical Thinking
Client Focus
Creative Thinking
Ability to communicate effectively in writing
Ability to communicate effectively orally

Depending on the position being staffed, additional specialized qualifications may be required by the hiring manager(s).

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

Teamwork
Initiative
Adaptability
Providing advice to management
Planning and organizing

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada recognizes that the diversity of its employee population contributes to its strength and integrity. We are committed to achieving employment equity and developing a highly capable workforce that is representative of Canadian Society. We encourage women (especially in non-traditional occupations), Indigenous peoples (Aboriginal peoples), persons with disabilities, and members of visible minority groups to apply and declare themselves as part of one or more of the Employment Equity groups as selection may be limited to candidates belonging to one or more of the groups.

Information on employment equity

Conditions of employment

In order to be appointed to a position, a Security Clearance (either Reliability level or Secret level) will be required. You will be expected to maintain this clearance throughout the duration of your employment.

All employees of the core public administration are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and attest to their vaccination status unless accommodated based on a medical contraindication, religion, or another prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Depending on the position being staffed, the following may be required:
Ability and willingness to work overtime.
Ability and willingness to varied hours.

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

The Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police requires you to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and that you attest to your vaccination status prior to the date of your appointment unless accommodated based on a medical contraindication, religion, or another prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act. You can find more specific information on the collection and use of your personal information when you submit your attestation.  

APPLICATION & CORRESPONDENCE INFORMATION

⇨ Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact the email referenced below under “Contact Information”.

⇨ Applications submitted by email will not be accepted. You must apply through the "Apply online" link below. Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language(s) of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language(s) in their application.

⇨ Once you click "Apply Now," the first step of the process will involve completing what we call ‘screening questions’ and attaching your resume. The responses you provide to these screening question, alongside your resume, will help us determine whether you meet the education and experience requirements.

⇨ Are you a current Federal Public Servant? If you are already substantively at the CS-03 level, you will be assessed a bit differently. You are still required to complete the application stage, but you may not be required to go through subsequent assessment phases in full.

⇨ We will contact you by e-mail and/or via your GC Jobs account. Please ensure that your e-mail address is valid and accepts messages from unknown users. It is your responsibility to regularly check your e-mail and jobs account for communications regarding this selection process. Should we contact you and you fail to reply within the designated time frames, your application may not be considered further.

⇨ All the information collected during the selection process, from the time of application until the end of the process, will be used to assess the candidates.

INVENTORY DURATION & STATUS

⇨ Your application in this inventory will be active for 12 months. A notice that your application is about to expire will be posted to the “My jobs” menu of your account 30 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.

⇨ We recognize that the IT world is constantly evolving, and that continuous learning & development is necessary. If you have been eliminated from this selection process following the screening of your education or experience qualifications, you will be eligible to re-apply for consideration after a 6 month period has lapsed. At that point, you can re-apply to our Inventory. However, if you have been eliminated at either the test/self-assessment, interview, or reference stage of the process, you will not be eligible to re-apply to this Inventory.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

⇨ PHASE 1 - Let’s see what you’ve got
We will review your application with a focus on your education and experience. We will also review your skills capacity and depth of experience stated for any asset qualifications that may relevant for each unique position being filled. If we see a match, you’ll move on to Phase 2.

⇨ PHASE 2: Test time
We are going to assess some of your skills and competencies using a written take home evaluation and self-assessment. This will be sent to you by e-mail and can be completed from the comfort of your home or location of choice. You will have an established period of time to complete the evaluation at a time that works best for you.

⇨ PHASE 3: Meet us
You will meet with our leadership team, in person, or online to further assess your qualifications. Modern tools will be used for this process such as video interviews. Proof of your education credentials will also be required at this stage.

⇨ PHASE 4: Reference Checks and Second Language Evaluations (SLE)
You will be asked to provide contact information for references, including at least one current or former supervisor.

If applicable, Second Language Evaluations will be conducted for bilingual positions as these do require you to have proficiency in both English and French languages.

☆ PHASE 5: Congratulations!
You have met all our requirements for Team leader or technical advisor positions at AAFC. At this point, we will touch base to let you know your status in our talent pool. If you are selected for a job and are interested in joining our awesome team, we will start your security clearance process.

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.