Director, Forest Research

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

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 developing a skilled workforce that is representative of Canada's diversity, including veterans and those being released from the Canadian Armed Forces.

Applicants are encouraged to identify skills, competencies and/or experiences gained through employment with the Canadian Armed Forces, if applicable.

The hiring organization will accept applications on-line only. All job applications must therefore be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System. To submit an application on-line, please select the button “Apply Online” below. Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

For this selection process, it is our intention to communicate with candidates via email for screening and assessment purposes. This will include communication of screening results and invitations to written tests and interviews. To that end, candidates must include a valid email address in their application. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that this address is functional and that it accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). It is also the candidate’s responsibility to ensure accurate information is provided and updated as required.

Duties

The Research Program Director participates in the management of the Research Centre as part of the management team and several committees within the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) at the national level. He/she develops, coordinates and implements the scientific programming of his/her division in support of CFS national policies and programs. He/she participates in the management of one or more CFS national programs. The Director provides advice and recommendations on research results and activities to senior departmental management. He/she contributes to the integration of science and policy through analysis and recommendations on the impact of scientific results on public policy and participates in the transfer of knowledge to various organizations in the community in order to improve their knowledge and forestry practices. He/she explores and develops partnerships with various external agencies, academic, governmental or private sector. The Director is significantly involved in supporting reconciliation efforts with Aboriginal peoples. He/she manages a team of approximately 30 employees, researchers, professionals and technicians.

Work environment

Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Service (CFS) is a science-based organization that provides scientific and policy expertise and advice on forest and forest sector issues at the regional, national and international levels. One of its main mandates is to conduct scientific research on Canada's forests. CFS scientists provide expertise on topics such as wildland fire, forest pests, forest inventory monitoring, climate change, integrated resource management, sustainable forest management, restoration, industry innovation and more. CFS is also playing a key role in the transformation of the forest sector towards a future based on innovation and the bioeconomy.

The Laurentian Forestry Centre (LFC) is one of five CFS research centers with approximately 125 employees. Supporting national priorities, its research strengths lie in the following four areas: forest pests, ecosystem dynamics, forest productivity and ecogenomics. Beyond its research capacity, LFC contributes to aligning scientific excellence with public policy relevance. It maintains and enhances CFS partnerships with other federal departments, provinces, research organizations, universities, Aboriginal communities and forest communities. LFC makes innovative knowledge generated through scientific research available to businesses and forest users.
In addition to the Director General, the LFC management team consists of four senior positions. The Director of Planning, Partnerships and Operations is responsible for scientific supporting activites. The three forest research directors lead the scientific programming of their division in support of the CFS national programs. The Forest Biology Division includes work on forest pest genomics, forest pathology, tree breeding, illegal timber, ecogenomics and landscape rehabilitation. The Ecosystem Dynamics division includes work on modeling and remote sensing, forest artificial intelligence, forest dynamics, impact of forestry practices and climate change, among others. Finally, the Forest Sustainability Division includes work on forest productivity, ecosystem biodiversity, forest entomology, forest biomass and forest fire management, among other topics.

The management positions are located in the French-speaking Quebec City. Located on the outskirts of the Université Laval campus, near green spaces, restaurants and shops, LFC has an active and friendly social life. We believe that the work we do goes far beyond a job title. We encourage our employees to be creative, motivated, inspired and innovative, regardless of their level.

We believe that life is not just about work. We support our employees by promoting better work-life balance and well-being. We are committed to providing high quality services because we understand the importance of forestry to our economy, our communities, our environment and our health. We consider ourselves fortunate to have rewarding jobs that allow us to serve Canadians.

We are proud of what we do at LFC and encourage you to join us!

Intent of the process

The intent is to fill two (2) indeterminate positions in Quebec City, Quebec.

A pool of qualified candidates may be established through this process to fill identical or similar SE-REM-02 positions at Natural Resources Canada of varying duration (term or indeterminate), with varying language requirements (imperative or non-imperative staffing), official language requirements (English essential, French essential, English or French essential and bilingual) and linguistic profiles (BBB/BBB, CBC/CBC, CCC/CCC, etc.), and varying security requirements, conditions of employment and work locations

Positions to be filled: 2

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter "A cover letter of 5,000 words (maximum): Applicants must submit a cover letter that clearly demonstrates how they meet each of the selection criteria (i.e., essential education and experience qualifications). For the experience criteria, please note that it is not sufficient to simply state that the qualification is met or to provide a list of current or past responsibilities. The applicant must provide concrete examples to demonstrate that the qualification is met. In addition, the applicant is encouraged to describe in detail when, where and how he or she acquired the experience. If you meet any of the criteria for experience (both essential and asset), please include it in your cover letter."

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

EDUCATION:
An acceptable doctoral degree from a recognized post secondary institution in a field of natural sciences related to the duties of the position, or an employer-approved alternative.

An employer-approved alternative for positions in the SE Group is an acceptable master's or bachelor's degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in scientific fields and specializations related to the duties of the position coupled with acceptable training and experience in research and publications (of which at least 5 will have been peer-reviewed). The training and experience must clearly demonstrate the ability to do personal research of doctoral degree calibre.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:
• Significant* and recent** experience in managing scientific research activities associated with forestry, remote sensing, genomics or other scientific areas relevant to the position.
• Significant* and recent** experience in providing strategic advice and recommendations to senior management.
• Experience in managing human*** and financial resources****. (Please indicate the number of employees supervised and the size and type of budget managed).
• Experience in developing collaborative initiatives with diverse partners, such as governments, industry, universities or research organizations.
* “Significant” is defined as a depth and breadth of experience normally gained in the performance of a wide range of diverse and complex activities. Applicants must provide clear and specific examples in their application that demonstrate their responsibilities and achievements.
** “Recent” is defined as experience within the last four (4) years.
*** Human resources management is defined as having clearly demonstrated that you supervised staff, assigned tasks, managed and evaluated performance, and ensured that employees' training and professional development needs were met.

**** Financial resource management is defined as having managed and been responsible for a budget. This experience translates into responsibility for sound financial planning, forecasting and/or reporting.

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

Bilingual - Imperative (BBB/BBB)

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE:
• Knowledge of current perspectives and challenges associated with scientific research.

ABILITIES AND SKILLS:
• Ability to analyze different options and present clear recommendations to senior management
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing
• Ability to communicate effectively orally

PERSONAL SUITABILITY:
• Create a vision and strategy
• Mobilize people
• Uphold integrity and respect
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders
• Promote innovation and guide change
• Achieve results

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

EXPERIENCE:
• Experience in leading interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience in managing the activities of a research laboratory.
• Experience in leading collaborative research projects (development and execution), including proposal preparation, human and financial resource allocation, and project management.
• Experience in policy or program development.
• Experience in knowledge transfer between scientists and professionals (practitioners).
• Experience working in a changing environment.
• Knowledge of the Canadian forestry sector.
• Knowledge of stakeholders associated with forests and forestry science in Quebec.

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

Information on employment equity

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled workforce that reflects the diversity of the Canadian population it serves. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate on your application if you belong to one of the designated groups.

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance

• 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.
• Consent to work overtime.
• Willingness and agreement to travel frequently.

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

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

All information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the candidates.

You must provide proof of your education credentials. 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/.

References must have an in-depth and direct knowledge of your work, and must be able to answer specific questions pertaining to your achievements and strengths. References must have worked with you for at least six (6) months within the last five (5) years.

An interview may be conducted.

A written examination may be administered.

Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

Candidates may be required to meet the other qualifications, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

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.

Candidates must meet the conditions of employment and continue to meet these same conditions during their employment.

Random selection and/or top-down selection may be used at any time during the process to identify which applicants will be further assessed.

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.

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.