Psychologist - Assessment Expert

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.

Please note that this inventory will be used for imminent or for future appointments. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment. When you apply, your employment application is automatically considered for positions at both the PS-02 and PS-03 groups and levels.

For your application to proceed, you must first meet the education and respective experience requirements of at least one group and level.

Please note that while other qualifications are the same for both levels, a higher degree of proficiency is required at the PS-03 level. In addition, action management and behavioral flexibility are essential (must be met in order to be appointed) for the PS-03 group and level as opposed to assets (may or may not be used for appointment) for the PS-02 group and level.

Assessment Board Members will determine whether you have qualified at one or the other group and level.

Should you not meet the screening requirements, your name will be withdrawn from the inventory. As soon as candidates are notified that they do not meet the screening or assessment requirements, they will have to wait one year before submitting another application for this inventory.

Duties

DUTIES OF PSYCHOLOGISTS WORKING AT THE PERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY CENTRE

The Personnel Psychology Centre (PPC) offers federal government departments and agencies a range of professional assessment products and services that can be used for recruitment and selection or personnel development. The PPC is made up of 3 divisions where psychologists perform various duties such as those described below:

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Develop a range of standardized assessment instruments for use in the selection and development of federal public service employees.
Conduct applied assessment research.
Develop competency profiles and related assessment instruments.
Supports inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility through the development and publication of professional guidance on best practices in personnel assessment.

ASSESSMENT AND COUNSELLING SERVICES
Through a range of methods and tools, assess candidates and communicate results on competencies, attributes or personal characteristics for various management positions.
Provide support services to executives and aspiring executives in the Public Service through career counselling, interview preparation or support in addressing leadership issues.
Support an inclusive approach to assessment for hiring by adapting assessments and advising on best practices for assessing and mitigating biases associated with a variety of personnel assessment methods.

CONSULTATION AND TEST SERVICES
Promote the use of sound, professional assessment instruments and practices for selection and leadership development within the federal public service, through consultation and outreach activities.
Exercise quality control over test scoring and establish and manage a certification program for reliable test administration.

Work environment

At the Public Service Commission of Canada, we foster a healthy, modern, diverse and inclusive workplace. Our efforts to create and maintain an outstanding workplace have been recognized. According to Forbes magazine, we are one of Canada’s Best Employers in 2021. Apply for a job today to join a great team.

Intent of the process

The intent of this inventory is to staff five (5) indeterminate positions within the PPC at the Public Service Commission (PSC) in Gatineau, QC. A telework arrangement could be considered from anywhere in Canada however you might be required to report back to the Gatineau Office on an ad hoc basis. Should the telework agreement come to an end, you will be required to report to and work onsite from the Gatineau Office.

A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used to staff similar positions with different tenures (indeterminate, term, etc.) within the PSC in Gatineau, QC. Please note that term appointments may be extended or may lead to indeterminate appointments.

Please note that persons found qualified at the PS-02 group and level and subsequently appointed indeterminately may be eligible to the Personnel Psychology Centre’s Psychologist Professional Training Program (PS PTP). The Program provides employees appointed to the PS-02 group and level with the opportunity to gain skills required for promotion to the next level (PS-03) within a period of two (2) years, which corresponds to the probationary period required by the Employer (Treasury Board Secretariat) http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/hrh/prob-eng.asp. In order to be promoted to the PS-03 group and level, employees will need to demonstrate that they have the required competencies and skills. Persons initially appointed to a term position could also be considered for indeterminate appointments to the PS PTP.

Positions to be filled: 5

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

EDUCATION:
PS-02 and PS-03
Graduation with a master’s or doctorate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with specialization in personnel psychology, psychometrics, industrial psychology, clinical psychology or some other specialty relevant to the position such as a master in measurement and evaluation or in neuropsychology (already obtained OR will be obtained in six months following the date the application is submitted).

Important notes:
1. The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and must have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization.
2. Candidates who are registered in a combined MA - PhD Program in psychology, or registered in a doctorate's program in psychology, in a recognized post-secondary institution, may be eligible to apply if their university provides an attestation that the equivalent of a master's degree has been completed.

Degree equivalency

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

Bilingual - Imperative
Bilingual Imperative BBB/BBB or CBC/CBC.

Information on language requirements

Second Language Writing Skills Self-Assessment
In order to help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your writing skills in your second official language is available for you to take before completing your application.

For more information, please consult:
Unsupervised Internet Test of Second Language Writing Skills

EXPERIENCE:
PS-02
Experience in a field of psychology that is relevant to the personnel assessment activities* conducted by the Personnel Psychology Centre (PPC).
*See the activities listed under section "Duties".

PS-03
Experience leading or managing projects.

In depth experience* in a field of psychology that is relevant to the personnel assessment activities** conducted by the Personnel Psychology Centre (PPC).

*In depth experience means experience normally acquired over a minimum of two (2) years.
**See the activities listed under section "Duties".

KNOWLEDGE:
PS-02 and PS-03
Knowledge of a range of personnel psychology assessment methods and instruments, their development and use.
Knowledge of measurement principles and psychometric properties of assessment instruments.

COMPETENCIES:
PS-02 and PS-03
Critical thinking
Judgment
Service orientation
Collaborative working relations

PS-03
Action management
Behavioral flexibility

ABILITIES:
PS-02 and PS-03
Ability to communicate effectively orally
Ability to communicate effectively in writing (The content of your application will be one source of information used to evaluate the ability to communicate effectively in writing. We will not pursue further assessment of candidates who do not demonstrate this ability in their application.)

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

EDUCATION:
PS-02 and PS-03
Master's or doctorate degree in psychology from a recognized post-secondary institution with one of the following specializations: measurement and evaluation, statistics, psychometrics, industrial/organizational psychology.

Degree equivalency

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION :
PS-02 and PS-03
Member or eligibility to become a member of a provincial regulatory body for the practice of psychology.

EXPERIENCE:
PS-02 and PS-03
Experience in test development and/or psychometric research.

Experience in the development of test accommodations for assessing persons with disabilities.

Experience providing assessment or career development services for adults in the workplace.

Experience assessing persons with disabilities including providing alternate formats using assistive technologies, such as screen readers and magnifiers, speech recognition software, Braille technology, etc.

Experience advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives or programs within an organization or community.

COMPETENCIES:
PS-02
Action Management
Behavioral flexibility

Organizational needs:
Selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity group: persons with disabilities.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - Some positions may require a secret clearance.

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

Please ensure to indicate in your application if you are a member of an Employment Equity Group.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate in the screening questionnaire how they meet the education and experience criteria listed as essential and asset qualifications on the statement of merit criteria. In order to do so, the candidate must provide the information as part of their answer to the pertinent screening question, using concrete examples, in the textbox provided. The assessment board cannot and will not make any assumptions about your experience. Note that it is not sufficient to only state that the qualifications are met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Resumes may be used as a secondary source to validate the experience described in the experience questionnaire. If you do not clearly demonstrate in the questionnaire how you meet the essential education and experience requirements, your application may be rejected. If you do not clearly demonstrate how you meet the asset requirements, you may be eliminated from consideration if assets are used as selection criteria.

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

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.

Asset qualification(s) may be applied in this selection process.

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

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.

*Details on Vaccination Requirements : https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/news/2021/10/backgrounder-covid-19-vaccine-requirement-for-the-federal-workforce.html

**Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination : https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32694.

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.