Business Officer

Important messages

Do you have a passion for economic development? We are looking for people who really know how to assess economic development project proposals and find the best ones for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) to invest in to help make British Columbia an even greater place to live and work! PacifiCan is the new federal regional development agency focused on British Columbia’s developing, growing and adapting economy. We are looking for client-focused Business Officers in each of our new regional offices in Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George. We want Officers who are passionate about the place they live, the work they do and who care about the Canadians they serve. We want people who will engage with their communities, learn what economic development means at a regional and local level, and help shape and deliver national policies and programs. We are also recruiting Business Officers to fill similar future vacancies in our Surrey and Vancouver locations.

Duties

About the role:
Business Officers help local governments, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, First Nations and other client groups access federal economic development programs and services. Working closely with a broad range of stakeholders and partners to advance economic development priorities in BC, Business Officers support communities in achieving their economic goals. This opportunity will appeal to someone who understands British Columbia’s dynamic economy, and the economic development landscape throughout the province. You will find success in this role if you are curious and innovative, you are a strong communicator and you are eager to make a contribution as part of a team. This job will appeal to those individuals who want to make a difference and support British Columbians to achieve economic success. If that describes you, we encourage you to apply!

We are hiring for three positions.

Position 1: As Business Officer for the Southern Interior and Kootenays Regions of British Columbia, you will live in the Kelowna area and serve the region.

Position 2: As Business Officer for Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, you will live in the greater Victoria area and serve the region.

Position 3: As Business Officer for the North, North Coast and Northeast Regions of British Columbia, you will live in the Prince George area and serve the region.

These are new positions created to play a key role in PacifiCan’s work to support jobs and growth across BC. You will use your knowledge and networks to facilitate economic development in communities through the following roles:

💼 Convenor – a trusted federal partner that understands local and regional circumstances and can make linkages within and outside of government to drive strategic investments and joint economic ventures.
💼Pathfinder – connect entrepreneurs, economic development organizations and communities with federal programming and services to increase their participation in British Columbia's economy.
💼Advisor – provide insights into regional economic issues to inform national policy and program decisions, and contribute to the development of regional engagement strategies and advice to the federal government.
💼 Investor – guide clients to access PacifiCan’s funding programs to capitalize on
strategic regional investment opportunities or identify other sources of funding to support economic growth, job creation, improved economic competitiveness and other related objectives.

Work environment

About PacifiCan:
Pacific Economic Development Canada promotes the development of British Columbia’s economy and advances the interests of BC in national economic policy and program development and delivery. With offices in Vancouver and Ottawa, we are growing our team to create new points of service across BC and establishing a new headquarters in Surrey. We work with a broad range of stakeholders and partners including other levels of government, First Nations, post-secondary institutions, research organizations and industry associations and offer a broad range of programs to support business growth, innovation and economic inclusion. PacifiCan has played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing emergency support measures and programs for businesses and communities to help with relief and recovery.

PacifiCan is an innovative workplace. We are always looking for ways to improve the workplace and to improve the lives of British Columbians. We care about our accomplishments as a team and about each other. We consistently rank as a top federal department to work for, and we are driven to be the best at what we do. We hire top talent and provide an employment experience that brings out the best in people. We are motivated by achieving great results for British Columbians and Canadians.

Why should you consider a career with PacifiCan? If you join our team, you will:

✔️Work with interesting, fun and engaged people who support each other and love the work they do;
✔️Contribute to meaningful work that strengthens the economy and makes a difference in the lives of British Columbians and Canadians;
✔️Enjoy a culture of continuous learning and support for your professional development;
✔️Gain exposure to diverse economic sectors and issues of importance to the future economy;
✔️Enjoy flexible work arrangements;
✔️Work with modern tools and technology; and
✔️Work with an innovative leadership team that is passionate about hiring and developing talent, and achieving results.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working remotely. If you are appointed to a position, PacifiCan will provide tools and/or equipment to support remote work. As public health restrictions ease, successful candidates will be expected to report to a PacifiCan office in the location of the position to be staffed.

PacifiCan offices are open environments with well-regulated air quality, ergonomic sit/stand workstations, and a combination of natural and fluorescent lighting. The physical demands of these positions include spending a significant amount of time working on a computer, and reading documents. This role will also involve meeting with stakeholders virtually by video and telephone, and in-person as COVID-19 public health measures allow. Please note, 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 process, please contact Carolyn Veitch by email at . Information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Intent of the process

In addition to the 3 permanent positions identified above, this process will be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to staff similar positions of various tenures (including but not limited to term and indeterminate appointments, internal assignments, secondments, deployments, acting appointments, and casual work assignments). It may also be used to staff positions with various security requirements, language requirements and conditions of employment, and in any PacifiCan office location.

Positions to be filled: 3

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter

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

When you apply, you will be asked a series of screening questions based on the education and experience criteria below. When answering the screening questions, please provide:
► Concrete and detailed examples to demonstrate how you meet the qualifications;
► Where, when and how the experience was acquired.

Education:
• Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in a field relevant to the position OR a combination of education, training and professional experience.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Experience developing and sustaining collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders including businesses, community leaders, or government departments.
• Experience developing or evaluating economic development project proposals, applications for funding, or business plans;
• Experience reviewing,analyzing and interpreting financial statements to evaluate sustainability of businesses or not-for-profit organizations;
• Experience participating in committees, working groups or project teams; and
• Experience analyzing information and providing written and oral advice with recommendations to internal stakeholders or external clients.

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

Education:
• Graduation with a master’s degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with a specialization in Economics, Business, Finance, Public Administration or other field relevant to the position being staffed.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Experience engaging with and/or presenting to diverse stakeholder groups including businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and/or Indigenous communities.
• Experience delivering or developing initiatives through Grants and Contributions programs.
• Experience providing pathfinding advice/guidance to companies and organizations seeking funding support.
• Experience assessing applications for repayable funding/loans and/or monitoring a portfolio of repayable project/loans.
• Experience using stakeholder management systems and software applications (e.g., PowerBI, Microsoft Dynamic CRM, Adobe Writer, Project Gateway).

Note: depth, breadth and scope of experience in any one or combination of the experience factors may be applied at any stage in the hiring process.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
• Knowledge of how regional development agencies and other federal, Indigenous, provincial and regional/municipal organizations support economic development and diversification in British Columbia.
• Knowledge of key factors influencing the Canadian economy and of the current economic and business trends, opportunities and challenges in British Columbia.

Competencies:
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Showing initiative and being action-oriented
• Demonstrating integrity & respect
• Communication (Oral and Written)
• Business acumen
• Adaptability

Abilities:
• Ability to integrate local and regional economic considerations into strategic advice and recommendations.

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

Diversity and Inclusiveness:
• Pacific Economic Development Canada is committed to having an inclusive and diverse workforce representative of the population we serve. Consideration may be given to candidates who self-identify belonging to one of the following employment equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, persons with disability, visible minorities and women.

Operational Requirements:
• Willingness to travel as required.
• Willingness to work overtime on occasion as required.

Conditions of employment

• Reliability or Secret security clearance
• Fully vaccinated for COVID 19 unless being accommodated based on a certified medical contraindication or a 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

Communication for this process will be sent via email. Applicants must check their email accounts frequently as there may be a deadline for responses. 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).

Depending on the number of applicants, the needs and/or Human Resources plans, volume management strategies such as random selection, top-down approach and/or establishing cut-off scores to determine who will continue in the staffing process, will be used for the purpose of managing applications.

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.