Research Scientist - Mycology

Update: Please note that the selection process has been amended to extend the closing date to May 13, 2022 - 23:59, Pacific Time.

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.

We will be doing continuous pulls of candidates on a monthly basis. Please submit your applications prior to the deadline to be considered throughout this period.

A complete 'Statement of Merit Criteria and Conditions of Employment' is not required for this inventory.

Should you be contacted for further consideration, the hiring manager will provide a copy of the complete 'Statement of Merit Criteria and Conditions of Employment' for the position being filled. You may be required at that time to provide additional information to be used for screening.

On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced details of its plans to require vaccination across the federal public service. The details can be found on this site: https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/news/2021/10/backgrounder-covid-19-vaccine-requirement-for-the-federal-workforce.html

As per the new Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, federal public servants in the Core Public Administration and members of the RCMP must attest to their vaccination status. The requirement for employees to be fully vaccinated applies whether they are teleworking, working remotely or working on-site. This is a condition of employment and it applies to indeterminate (permanent), determinate (term), casual, and student hiring. Should you reach the point in the selection process where it is necessary to verify terms and conditions of employment then the hiring manager or a human resources representative will contact you in order to complete an attestation. The Policy can be found on this site: https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32694

Duties

The position requires scientific innovation and leadership in the area of biosystematics of mycotoxigenic fungi, mycology, and fungal taxonomy. The incumbent will perform research to discover, characterize (morphologically and using Sanger and next generation sequencing technologies), describe and name new species of mycotoxigenic fungi. The incumbent is expected to create DNA barcode libraries of mycotoxigenic fungi that can damage plants or contaminate food, and to develop standard operating procedures for DNA-based monitoring, enabling faster and more accurate detection and identification of the responsible organisms. As an expert on taxonomy of mycotoxigenic fungi, the incumbent is also expected to provide fungal identifications of quarantine and invasive species submitted to the National Fungal Identification Services and respond to requests for assistance in identification annually.

The incumbent will have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, sequencing facilities, and access to the Canadian Collection of Fungal Cultures and to the National Mycological Herbarium. The successful candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists at Ottawa RDC, including other mycologists, plant breeders, plant pathologists, agronomists, and genomic and metabolomics specialists working on various aspects of fungi affecting agricultural sustainability.

The incumbent is expected to interact very closely with the regulators (e.g. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CFIA; and the Canadian Grain Commission Grains Research Laboratory). The incumbent is also expected to support research performed at other research centres in the areas of fungal diseases and mycotoxins.

The incumbent will have the opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders in academia and industry. Research Scientists have access to competitive core and external funding opportunities, and are supported by technical and administrative staff. Research Scientists are encouraged to seek university affiliation and co-supervise graduate students.

The researcher is expected to manage multiple projects in a multidisciplinary setting requiring collaboration with other scientific teams. They will be expected to seek internal and external funding and collaborators to support the research program and to effectively manage resources to achieve the desired outcomes. The scientist will directly supervise staff, and may mentor and train post-doctoral fellows and graduate students.

Work environment

As one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, AAFC is proud to celebrate our achievement in creating a diverse, respectful, and positive workplace where all employees are valued and recognized for their unique qualities, ideas, voices and perspectives.

Intent of the process

1 indeterminate Full Time position. A pool of qualified candidates could be established and could be used to fill a similar position in the center referenced in this poster or another AAFC research center.

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 an acceptable doctoral* degree or the employer-approved alternative from a recognized university in the field of mycology, microbiology, plant pathology or other relevant discipline related to the duties of the position.

*Applications will be accepted from candidates enrolled in, but who have not yet completed their dissertation. Completion of the Ph.D. thesis defense must occur before the appointment date.

NOTE: The employer-approved alternative is an acceptable master's or bachelor's degree coupled with acceptable research, training and experience. The degree must be from a recognized university and in scientific fields and specialties related to the duties of the position. The training and experience must clearly demonstrate the ability to do personal research of doctoral degree caliber.


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:
Experience in the design and conduct of scientific research specifically as it relates to mycology and biosystematics or other closely related disciplines.
Experience in the taxonomy and identification of mycotoxigenic fungi.
Experience in the handling and microscopy of fungi or other microorganisms relevant to agricultural research.
Documented scientific productivity/recognition in the form of authorship/editorship of research results in the area of mycology, fungal biosystematics, or other relevant discipline, in recognized journals and/or published reports, books, papers, or other communications resulting from scientific research.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
Knowledge of taxonomy and nomenclature of fungi.
Knowledge of phylogenetics.
Knowledge of molecular biology.
Knowledge of genomics and metagenomics.

Competencies:
Intellectual Leadership
Initiative
Team Work
Adaptability
Interactive Communication

Abilities:
Ability to present scientific information to various audiences.

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

Asset Qualifications - Experience:
Post doctoral experience in mycology or other relevant discipline.
Experience with biosystematics.
Experience in the taxonomy and identification of plant pathogenic Ascomycetes.
Experience preparing taxonomic monographs or revisions.
Experience curating either a fungal herbarium or fungal culture collection.
Experience handling fungal pathogens within regulatory constraints.
Experience interacting with Federal regulatory departments or agencies.
Experience working on a multi -disciplinary team.
Experience managing multi-year projects with associated human resources, budgetary, and planning functions.
Experience interacting with industry and other stakeholders to garner support and research direction.
Experience in Project Management.
Experience in Team Leadership.

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

Reliability Status security clearance

Possession of a valid driver's license or personal mobility to the extent normally associated with the possession of a valid driver's license.
Ability and willingness to travel.
Ability and willingness to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.

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.

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

Only on-line applications through the jobs.gc.ca website will be accepted. Applications submitted by email will not be accepted.

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

When applying on-line applicants can:
- create a profile and resume that can be used when applying for other processes
without having to recreate a new application each time;
- update their applications at any time;
- verify the status of their application at any time;
- find important information related to the process.

If you have an enquiry about your 'Applicant Profile', please contact the Public Service Commission directly for assistance.

Please identify the following on your application: substantive group and level if applicable; employment status; Personal Record Identifier (PRI).

There is a questionnaire that is part of this application process. Most questions are in a yes/no format, however, some will require additional details. Provide as much detail as possible to avoid being screened out. Do not copy and paste your resume when answering these questions. Your resume will be used for additional support for the answers you provide.

Communication for this inventory 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 inventory should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

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.

All communication relating to this inventory, including email correspondence may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

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.

There will be a security screening process prior to being hired that will include a criminal record check (fingerprinting) and credit check.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first and then to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, 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.