Field Epidemiologist

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

Candidates must clearly demonstrate in THEIR SCREENING QUESTION RESPONSES and resume, how they meet the essential qualifications related to the required education and experience. Please note that you must provide concrete examples which illustrate how you meet each education and experience qualification, including the date range (in MONTHS and YEARS) that demonstrate where and when these qualifications were acquired. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information. Failure to provide the above information may result in your application being rejected from the process.

Proof of Canadian citizenship and educational credentials must be available upon request.

Work environment

The Canadian Field Epidemiology Program (CFEP) is now recruiting! If you are a skilled and experienced public health professional, this is your chance to further develop and polish your technical skills and field-readiness competencies in preparation for current and future possible public health challenges. As a participant in the program, you will support and contribute to the growth of public health capacity, and be embedded right at the front lines! When disease outbreaks or other threats emerge, CFEP Field Epidemiologists are on the scene to support Canada’s public health response with various levels of government and/or partners.

Over the course of this two-year program, you will actively develop your applied epidemiological skills and knowledge. You will be provided with the opportunity to contribute to building Canada’s capacity in responding to emerging public health issues, and will work with public health partners across Canada to gain hands-on experience in your placements. Your experience will consist of a site placement where you will be placed to apply epidemiology under the close guidance of your site supervisor. You will develop a variety of competencies, such as data collection and analysis, outbreak investigation, and emergency preparedness, while honing your leadership and communication competencies. Your competencies will be assessed through the completion of eight Professional Experience Guidelines (PEGs), which must be completed within the program’s timelines:
1. Field investigation
2. Epidemiologic analysis
3. Public health surveillance system
4. Peer-reviewed journal
5. Public health update
6. Oral presentation
7. General communication
8. Public health service

Upon successful completion of the two-year program, you will graduate and be able to utilize your new skills to further assist you in finding employment in public health at the level that suits your career goals whether it be locally, internationally, in academia or the private sector. CFEP will provide you the opportunity to develop the skills you may require to prepare and pursue careers relating to infectious and non-infectious disease outbreaks, strengthening public health surveillance and helping public health organizations enhance their own disease prevention and health promotion programs.

In addition to providing developmental training to field epidemiologists, CFEP provides an indispensable service to Canadians by building a dynamic and well-trained public health workforce that efficiently and effectively identifies and responds to routine and emergent public health issues across Canada. This opportunity will therefore provide you with the knowledge, skills, experience and valuable networking opportunities for the next phase of your career.

Come join the CFEP!

Intent of the process

The CFEP provides two-years of professional development in applied epidemiology. The intent of this program is to provide development and training opportunities to its participants, and eventually build public health capacity within provincial, territorial, and local Public Health. Upon the successful completion of the two-year program, you will be amongst an esteemed group of graduates who will have helped to contribute to the health of the people of Canada. Upon graduation, you will be able to leverage your new skills outside of the Federal Public Service and work towards a career in building Canada’s public health capacity.

The immediate intent of this process is to fill five (5) to ten (10) positions within the CFEP for a specified period of two-years. The program is designed to be completed within this timeframe. There are no indeterminate (permanent) positions available through this program.

Positions to be filled: 10

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 a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in Economics, Sociology or Statistics*

AND

Graduation with a Master's degree or a PhD in epidemiology or in public health with an acceptable specialization in epidemiology** from a recognized post-secondary institution

NOTES REGARDING EDUCATION:
Candidates must have completed a Master’s degree or a PhD at the time of application. Applicants must provide the date on which the degree was conferred.

*Candidates must always have a degree. The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and may have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization. The specialization may also be obtained through an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

**For the public health Master’s/PhD degree specialization in epidemiology, candidates must have successfully completed two semesters of graduate-level epidemiological methods and one semester of graduate level biostatistics. Applicants must provide the following details on the relevant courses: course number, course date, number of credits, start & end dates, program and University name.

Candidates with non-Canadian educational credentials will be required to demonstrate or obtain Canadian equivalency for ALL degrees obtained outside of Canada if they are to be used for the purpose of this process.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:

Minimum of 24 cumulative months* of recent public health or epidemiology experience**

NOTES REGARDING EXPERIENCE:
* 24 cumulative months is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with full time performance of the duties over the cumulative time period identified.

** Recent public health or epidemiology experience is defined as experience gained in the past 5 years in the analysis and interpretation of health data in the context of public health practice, which may include: surveillance related activities, investigation of public health issues, program development, implementation, evaluation, or health promotion. The experience can be obtained through employment in an academic program, a clinical setting or a public health organization or government department/agency. Experience gained through a graduate degree program practica/research or volunteer work is not acceptable.

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

Various language requirements
• Bilingual Imperative CCC/CCC
• Bilingual Imperative CBC/CBC
• Bilingual Imperative BBB/BBB
• English Essential
• French Essential

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE:

Knowledge of the Canadian public health system and the Federal, Provincial/Territorial and local roles and responsibilities
Knowledge of public health concepts
Knowledge of analytic study design and implementation
Knowledge of surveillance and its application in public health

ABILITIES:

Ability to apply principles and methods of epidemiology
Ability to analyze, synthesize, and interpret public health information
Ability to clean, manipulate, and prepare health data
Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to communicate effectively orally
Ability to communicate effectively in writing

PERSONAL SUITABILITIES:

Effective interpersonal skills
Initiative
Judgement
Leadership

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

Willingness and ability to relocate to another geographic location within Canada for the duration of the program
Willingness and ability to travel within Canada on short notice
Willingness and ability to be mobilised domestically (government travel) to provide epidemiological assistance during public health events, as well as to travel on short notice for long periods of time

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

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

In assessing candidates, assessment boards may use a variety of tools and methods including, but not limited to, reviews of past performance and accomplishments, written tests, interviews, simulations, PSC tests, reference checks, board member knowledge etc. In addition, all information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the candidates.

We will communicate with applicants by e-mail. It is your responsibility to verify your e-mails regularly to ensure that you do not miss out on any opportunities. Failure to respond in the prescribed timeframe will result in your application not being referred to the hiring manager. The applicant shall ensure that the e-mail address provided is valid and make sure this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.

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.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent.
We would like to thank in advance those who have submitted a job application, but will only contact those people selected for the next phase in the process.

Depending on the number of applicants, needs and/or plans, volume management strategies such as, but not limited to, top-down approach, cut-off scores, asset selection, random selection and/or assessment may be used for the purpose of managing applications/candidates and/or determining which candidates will continue in the staffing process. Should a volume management strategy be used, communication regarding the application of the strategy will be provided to those candidates who are impacted.

Proof of education may be requested if you are considered for a position. Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/

Proof of citizenship will be requested if you are considered for a position.

Candidates from outside the federal public service may be required to pay for travel and relocation costs associated with this selection process.

For existing public service employees, include your substantive group and level, your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) and your employment status on your resume and/or application form.

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.

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.