Research Scientist - Forest Statistics

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

The Government of Canada is committed to building a skilled workforce that is representative of Canada's diversity, which includes the recruitment of Canadian Veterans and releasing Canadian Armed Forces personnel:

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/public-service-jobs/canadian-armed-forces-members-veterans.html

We encourage applicants to identify any abilities, competencies, and/or experiences acquired through employment with the Canadian Armed Forces where applicable.

Duties

We are seeking a research scientist with expertise in advanced statistical analysis in forestry, including forest inventory and mensuration, to join the Canadian Forest Service’s (CFS) Forest Information Division.

The successful candidate will be the lead statistical methods researcher for Canada’s National Forest Inventory. The successful candidate will also contribute to a broader research agenda on the use of data analytics, modelling and machine learning to address a range of research questions of importance to the CFS and Canada’s forest sector including sustainable forest management, cumulative effects, forest carbon accounting, forest mapping and wildfire resilience. The successful candidate will lead research projects, collaborate in multidisciplinary research teams and support Canada’s national forest information programs. The research scientist will be actively engaged in regional, national and international forest monitoring and forest research initiatives, and may be called upon to represent the government of Canada at home and abroad.

Work environment

The Pacific Forestry Centre (PFC) is the CFS’s research centre for the Pacific Region and headquarters for several national forest research and monitoring programs. PFC is located within the traditional territories of the Lkwungen peoples, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, in Victoria, British Columbia – a dynamic, mid-sized coastal city on southern Vancouver Island.

Intent of the process

A pool of (fully or partially qualified) candidates may be established through this process to staff identical or similar positions within Natural Resources Canada with various tenures , various language requirements (English Essential, French Essential, English or French Essential, or Bilingual), linguistic requirements (imperative and/or non-imperative) and profile(s) (BBB/BBB, CBC/CBC, CCC/CCC, etc.), various security requirements (Reliability status or Secret clearance), various conditions of employment and for various locations.

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 with an acceptable doctoral degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in a field of the natural sciences related to the duties of the position, such as but not limited to: forestry, geography, applied mathematics, statistics, quantitative ecology, or the employer-approved alternative for the SE classification (See Note 1 below)

• Productivity or recognition is required for all positions in the Research Scientist sub-group (SE-RES) (Revised October 1, 1999). Productivity or recognition includes developmental work leading to the issue of patents, copyrights, or the creation of improved varieties, functions, or designs, and/or recognition by the professional community of the research environment. It also refers to recognized achievement in the form of authorship and editorship of published or unpublished reports, books, papers, or other communications resulting from:
- Research, experimental development, or tasking associated with operational equipment and problems;
- Operational research and scientific analysis; or
- Planning, analysis and evaluation of Canadian and foreign programs in research and development.

Note 1: The employer-approved alternative for the SE classification is an acceptable master's or bachelor’s degree coupled with acceptable research, training and experience. The degree must be from a recognized post-secondary institution 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 calibre.

Degree equivalency

• Experience in statistical methods research relevant to forest inventory, OR forest mensuration, OR forest remote sensing, OR forest growth and yield, OR forest carbon accounting, OR terrestrial ecology.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

• Knowledge of forest inventory practices
• Knowledge of remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystems

• Ability to communicate effectively orally in English
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing in English
• Ability to provide pragmatic advice on complex statistical issues

• Uphold integrity and respect
• Work effectively with others
• Vision and strategic thinking
• Results-driven

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

• Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary science team.
• Experience working with government, industry or other non-academic stakeholders to develop collaborative initiatives.
• Experience applying, adapting or developing statistical methods for operational forest or natural resource inventory or monitoring programs.
• Experience managing multi-year projects with associated project management, human resource, budget planning and reporting functions.

Selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women

Information on employment equity

• Ability and willingness to travel regionally, nationally and internationally
• Valid driver’s license

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

• Ability and willingness to travel regionally, nationally and internationally
• Valid driver’s license
• 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

On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced details of its plans to require vaccination across the federal public service.

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.

All applications must be submitted online through the GC Jobs website. DO NOT email, fax or mail in applications, as these will NOT be accepted..

Acknowledgment of receipts of applications will not be sent; we will only contact successful applicants when the screening process has been completed.

Applicants are required to meet the Essential Qualifications. Asset Qualifications MAY be applied at any point in the assessment process. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to answer Asset Qualifications questions in your online application. Applicants do not need to meet any/all of the Asset Qualifications for consideration, however, possessing any/all of the Asset Qualifications may increase the likelihood of being considered for an appointment.

Natural Resources Canada is committed to establishing and maintaining a representative workforce. This organizational need may be identified as part of the appointment decision. In such cases, qualified candidates who self-declare as members of a visible minority group, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities or women (in non-traditional occupations) could be considered in priority.

An interview may be sought.

A written test may be administered.

A situational exercise may/will be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

Candidates should be prepared to provide proof of education (copy of degree/diploma) and citizenship or permanent resident status. If you have obtained education outside Canada, you will be required to submit proof of evaluation of Canadian equivalency.

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

If you are selected for further consideration, please advise the person who will contact you of any accommodations you may require during the selection process.

Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

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