Program Support Officer

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 Federal Public Service is stronger and most effective when we reflect the diversity of the Canadian population we serve. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is dedicated to building and promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, representative of Canadian society. All candidates who believe they are qualified are encouraged to apply, including Black, other racialized and Indigenous peoples, women, persons with disabilities and persons of the LGBTQ2+ community.

Individuals who identify with the LGBTQ2+ community and have any questions concerning their potential candidacy in this selection process are encouraged to send an email to the following mailbox: . This mailbox is confidentially managed by a person of the LGBTQ2+ community.

The term “Indigenous peoples” aligns with international usage and, in this job advertisement, replaces the legislative term “ Aboriginal peoples” that appears in the Employment Equity Act and the Employment Equity Regulations. Prior to appointment, Indigenous peoples who self-declare will have to complete and sign the Affirmation of Aboriginal Affiliation Form (AAAF) (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/appointment-framework/employment-equity-diversity/affirmation-aboriginal-affiliation.html).

On October 6, 2021, the Government of Canada announced 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. Accommodation requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will be limited to employees who are unable to be vaccinated due to a certified medical contraindication, religion or any other prohibited ground of discrimination as defined in the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA).

 IMPORTANT TO READ 

Please note that the selection process has been simplified and you must answer questions that will be used to assess ALL advertised qualifications except the ability to communicate orally and the bilingual language requirement. Your ability to communicate effectively in writing will also be assessed through the application questionnaire.

In answering these questions, you must provide concrete, detailed examples that clearly illustrate HOW you meet the requirement. Failure to clearly explain how you meet the criteria will result in the rejection of your application.

Duties

The objective of the Client Services Division is to provide the best customer experience. Client Services Division determines issues/weaknesses that affect our clients regarding the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program and resolves them while respecting the applicable regulations/guidelines. These issues may be procedural, external or internal. Program Support Officers are responsible for providing prompt and accurate information to a countrywide client base. The team professionally interacts with our clients/stakeholders to provide the best possible customer experience.

If you are highly motivated, quick learner, quality oriented, customer focused, and able to thrive in a fast paced, high volume environment this work is for you! If you possess strong communication skills, excellent customer service skills, problem-solving skills, and information gathering from various systems requiring strong computer-keyboarding skills, we want you in our team!

These positions may require the use of a headset for prolonged periods, working in an environment that contains background noise and constant exposure to a computer screen. Work conditions require adapting to change, dealing with stress, and dealing with potentially angry clients. This is where your strong communication skills and problem-solving skills will come handy!

Responsibilities:
• Manage inbound calls and correspondence in a timely manner
• Identify caller needs, clarify information, research every issue, and provide solutions and/or alternatives
• Accurately document all conversations in the appropriate database in a comprehensible way

Work environment

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) ensures employees have a safe, inclusive and innovative work environment where they feel valued and motivated. ESDC is a large, yet connected organization of people dedicated to our clients and improving service delivery by constantly evolving with changes in technology, procedures and legislation.

We have quickly adapted to the new reality and the majority of our employees are currently working remotely from their home. Employees can expect to work on site, remotely or with combination of both depending on the organizational needs at the time of hiring and as we evolve. These positions are located in Gatineau, Québec.

Intent of the process

Candidates who qualify will be placed into a pool of partially qualified candidates. Hiring managers can then invite the people on this list to participate in interviews to assess their ability to communicate effectively orally and have them tested for the bilingual language requirement in order to fill advertised or similar positions with various tenures, various security levels and various conditions of employment within Employment and Social Development Canada.

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

Secondary school diploma or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE

Experience in using technology (e.g. e-mail, Internet and word processing)

Experience in delivering services or programs to the general public involving obtaining and providing information requiring explanation or clarification

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge of the Privacy Act

ABILITIES

Ability to communicate effectively in writing

Ability to analyze and solve problems

PERSONAL SUITABILITIES
Judgment

Effective interpersonal skills

Client focus

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

EXPERIENCE

Recent* experience working in a high volume in-bound** call centre

Experience in preparing written correspondence such as written replies to inquiries from the public

Experience with the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program

*Recent experience is defined as experience that would normally be associated with the performance of these duties within the last year.
**An inbound call centre is a central service or group of people whose almost exclusive function is to provide an appropriate response to a large number of enquiries for information and advice initiated by clients.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (BBC/BBC)

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

ABILITY

Ability to communicate effectively orally

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

Employment and Social Development Canada is committed to Employment Equity (EE). In order to achieve a representative workforce, selection may be based on qualified candidates self-declaring as belonging to one or more of the following EE designated groups: Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, women and visible minorities. We encourage you to indicate if you belong to one or more of the designated groups by completing the EE section in your application.

Conditions of employment

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Level of security: Reliability

Work day consists of 7.5 hours a day, and the call center is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Employees must be available to work between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM: rotation of work hours within the call center opening hours may be required.

No work hours outside of the call center opening hours can be accommodated.

Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and attest to their vaccination status or have a supported accommodation measure based on a medical contraindication, religion, or any other 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

EVALUATION

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 note that asset qualification or a random selection may be used to identify which applications will be given further consideration.

Applicants may be appointed to the position even though he/she does not meet any or all of the asset qualifications. However, meeting these criteria is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. In the event that there are as many applicants who meet the essential qualifications as there are vacancies, the manager may decide not to assess some or all of the asset qualifications.

COMMUNICATION
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 further considered. 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.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent.

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.