Laboratory Attendant

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 ONLINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED ***
All job applications must therefore be submitted through the jobs.gc.ca site.

To submit an application online, please select the button "Apply Online" below.

Persons who cannot apply online or persons with disabilities preventing them from applying online are asked to inform the contact persons responsible for this process and to contact 1-800-645-5605 prior to the closing date.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate in the screening questionnaire how they meet the education and experience criteria listed in the Essential Qualifications and Asset Qualifications if applicable. Please note that stating that the requirement has been met, and/or listing past or current responsibilities, does not represent adequate substantiation. Rather, you must provide concrete examples that clearly illustrate how you meet the requirement. Résumés may be used as a secondary source to validate the qualifications described; comments such as "refer to my attached résumé" will not be accepted and may result in your application being rejected.

Duties

- Receives, inspects, catalogues, verifies, labels, and stores biological, chemical and physical evidentiary material submitted for all types of forensic analyses; maintains chain of custody of evidentiary material.

- Enters information from cases received into the Laboratory Information Management System in an accurate and timely manner, generates service requests, enters diary dates and priority level; links evidentiary materials to appropriate service requests based on forensic service required.

- Records observations of evidentiary materials received including leakages, spills, damaged and/or unsealed packages, unsafe shipping practices, unauthorized/mis-directed submissions, informs law enforcement investigators of such observations.

- Packages, ships, records, transfers internally and externally, audits and destroys biological, chemical and physical evidentiary materials; handles hazardous and bio-hazardous material in accordance with relevant procedures and in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.

- Provides records management services; produces reports and transfer documentation of evidentiary material received and returned; processes non-evidentiary material requests (e.g. subpoenas) for police agencies and Crown counsel.

- Maintains evidence receipt area, and performs clean up of biological and chemical spills in accordance with health and safety regulations and protocols; orders office and laboratory supplies.

- Complies with disclosure requests by producing statement of involvement, chain of custody report, exhibit notes and case documentation; liaises with Crown counsels, court personnel and law enforcement investigators; presents testimony in court with respect to continuity and handling of evidentiary materials and standard practices, policies, and procedures.

Work environment

- The work involves exposure for extended periods of time on a daily basis to disagreeable or unpleasant material such as criminal case information (e.g. sexual assaults, attempted murders, crimes against children, vehicular accidents, robberies), graphic descriptions of major case investigations, and crime scene photos along with evidentiary material such as sexual assault exhibits, body organs from autopsies, body parts and tissue, blood and other body fluids, maggot and parasite infested articles, fire debris.

- The work involves the need to handle high pressure and conflicting priorities, including the immediate processing of evidentiary material from major investigations requiring prompt forensic analysis, and the preparation for and the giving of court testimony. There are ongoing pressures to complete the workload independently, in a timely manner, and in compliance with many policies, procedures, and federal regulations. There is a high workload volume with frequent interruptions, requiring task prioritization and concentration. Errors made in processing of evidentiary materials may have a significant negative impact on a criminal investigation.

- The work is conducted in a laboratory environment on a daily basis; the work involves exposure to dust, dirt, noxious odors, cold conditions (down to -30ºC) when handling, storing and retrieving evidentiary material from refrigerator and walk-in freezer storage facilities, wearing protective clothing (e.g. gloves, masks, laboratory coats/gowns, closed toe shoes) for a large percentage of the work day, handling all types of forensic exhibits including solvents, chemicals, biologically hazardous substances such as liquid blood and contaminated needles, risking potential exposure to contagions such as hepatitis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), handling and checking firearms to ensure they are "proven safe" for handling and examination by others, handling potentially explosive materials, handling knives and other sharp items, handling drugs and other agents of unknown toxicity, handling gasoline samples and other accelerants, pepper spray, other aerosols, paint samples and fire debris. Forensic exhibits are typically handled in a sealed state except for firearms, packages that are damaged/compromised, when destruction is required, etc.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff one position on an indeterminate basis, with a linguistic profile of English Essential and an RCMP Enhanced Reliability security clearance

A pool of candidates may be established and may be used to staff similar positions within the RCMP in the National Capital Region on an indeterminate or specified period (including term, acting, or assignment) basis, with various linguistic profiles and various RCMP security clearances.

Should a Civilian Member (CM) be found qualified and selected for appointment, the appointment will not result in a change of status to the Public Service (PS) category for the CM.

(SEE OTHER INFORMATION)

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:
Successful completion of secondary school education OR an employer-approved alternative.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
Experience in performing general administrative duties, which may include responding to internal/external inquiries, processing incoming/outgoing mail, OR file creation and maintenance.
Experience preparing general correspondence or reports.
Experience providing operational records management utilizing manual or electronic procedures and systems.
Experience using software applications (e.g. Email, Word Processing, Spreadsheet applications).

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
Knowledge of laboratory practices in relation to exhibit handling.
Knowledge of laboratory safety guidelines.
Knowledge of operational records management.

Abilities & Skills:
Ability to prioritize and multi-task a workload.
Ability to communicate effectively orally.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Personal Suitability:
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Flexibility
Initiative
Effective interpersonal skills

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

Education:
Successful completion of post-secondary education relative to this position.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
Experience working in a laboratory environment.

Knowledge:
Knowledge of the RCMP National Forensic Laboratory Services.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS:
In support of achieving a representative workforce, consideration may be given to candidates who have self-identified as a member of one or more of the following designated groups: women, members of visible minorities, aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Willingness and ability to complete the mandatory in-house training program. This position is comprised of a mandatory in-house training program. As part of the Operational requirements, the appointed candidate must successfully complete the applicable mandatory in-house training program as dictated in the Evidence Management Learning Guide.
Overtime work may be required.
Willingness and ability to work in a police environment, including exposure to unsettling and/or graphic material.
Travel to court will be required.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
(Those selected must meet and maintain the following conditions of employment throughout their employment)

Upon Appointment:
RCMP Enhanced Reliability Status security clearance.

All applicants for positions within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be subject to a thorough security clearance process which includes an interview wherein questions may include (but not limited to), reference checks, previous employment, on-line activities, credit checks, alcohol and/or drug use.

To be maintained throughout their employment after successfully completing the understudy program:
Must be willing and able to testify in a court of law.
Must be willing and able to work with dangerous goods.
Must be willing and able to handle firearms.
Must be willing and able to work in a wide variation of temperature (e.g. fridge and freezer areas).
Must be willing and able to lift heavy objects weighing up to 32kg.

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

OTHER INFORMATION:
The mandatory in-house training program consists of reading assignments, written essays, practical exercises, study tours, oral presentations, group discussions, case studies and if required, a mock trial . All of this training is taken under the supervision of a qualified Laboratory Attendant.

A written exam may be administered.
An interview may be administered.
Reference checks may be sought.
A simulation/situational exercise or role play may be administered.

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

Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

Acknowledgement of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

You must provide proof of education credentials. If you obtained your degree outside Canada, it is your responsibility to demonstrate its equivalence, please take a look at the following link for more information: http://www.cicic.ca/383/foreign-credential-recognition.canada.

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.

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

If a qualified candidate has been selected and appointed on an indeterminate basis from the established pool, they will be removed from the pool. If a candidate is selected for a specified period (including term, acting, or assignment/secondment) appointment, they will remain in the pool for future offers.

Our means of communication with applicants is via e-mail. Please ensure to include a functional e-mail address, which will accept messages from unknown users (some e-mail systems block these types of e-mails). It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.

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.