Come grow with us as an Indigenous Research Technician!

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

To help reduce systemic barriers that have hindered many Indigenous people’s access to employment in the federal public service, the qualifications listed on the poster will be assessed through conversations with a member of our Indigenous Science Liaison Office (ISLO) and an Indigenous HR representative. Your main point of contact will remain the same throughout this process to help ensure your comfort as we get to know you. Gabrielle Dauphinais (she/her/elle) is an HR representative from the Recruitment and Collaborative Staffing team at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She is Red River Métis and located in Manitoba. Please direct any questions you have to her at .

🚩 We will be hosting two information sessions, one in English and one in French, to discuss what you can expect when applying to this process and to provide a bit of context as to what a Research Technician does. The English Session will take place on November 23rd from 2:00pm to 3:00pm EST and the French session will take place on November 24th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm EST. Please email Gabrielle at to register for a session! 🚩

Duties

Research Technicians at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are passionate about what they do and work in a variety of environments, including on farms, in greenhouses, in the field and in labs.

Research Technicians will have individual experiences at our various Research and Development Centres. Each Centre has its own focus, whether it’s horticulture, food and biodiversity in Summerland BC; oilseeds, cereals and pulses in Brandon MB; or dairy and pork in Sherbrooke QC. If you would like to know more about our various Research and Development Centres across Canada, please visit https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/about-our-department/careers/aafc-locations-throughout-canada.

Research Technicians are expected to bring their passion for science, knowledge and learning to the table. Let your passions contribute to meaningful change in the field of agriculture!

Does this interest you? If so, please email for an application or complete the online application in a few easy steps. The application requires answers to a few yes/no questions and attaching your resumé. It shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes to complete!

Work environment

At AAFC, we take pride in what we do and strive to create an environment where diversity and inclusion are at the forefront. To that end, we have several diversity and inclusion networks dedicated to ensuring that we continue to grow as an inclusive, respectful and diverse workplace.

Indigenous-specific supports at AAFC include the following:
-The Indigenous Science Liaison Office (ISLO), which supports the development of Indigenous agricultural science initiatives and provides an Indigenous science lens on other initiatives, policies and programs at AAFC;
-The Indigenous Support and Awareness Office (ISAO), which offers training year-round to AAFC employees on various Indigenous matters; and
-The Indigenous Network Circle (INC), which is open to all Indigenous employees at AAFC and meets virtually every other month to discuss various projects in progress that support Indigenous employees. These meetings are an opportunity to connect with other Indigenous employees across Canada.

We encourage our employees to be creative, motivated, inspired and innovative and offer a comprehensive benefits package to support healthy and engaged employees. Benefits include vacation leave, pension, and health and dental benefits.

Intent of the process

AAFC strives to incorporate both Western and Indigenous knowledge in our scientific endeavours. To help make this goal a reality, we have committed to assessing aspiring Indigenous Research Technicians through conversation and look forward to getting to know you! This selection process will be used to fill immediate and future vacancies in various Research Support positions located across Canada. Full-time permanent and temporary positions will be staffed using this process.

This pool may be shared with other federal organizations.

Positions to be filled: 30

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

Various language requirements
Most of our positions are English essential; however, we also have bilingual and French essential positions available.

Information on language requirements

A high school diploma; a satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission’s high school diploma alternative test; or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience related to research and/or agriculture. The education, training or experience can be obtained through the private sector, community work, volunteer work, self-employment or other.

If you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. Click on the link below to contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC).

Degree equivalency

The following abilities and competencies are essential qualifications and are required for all positions. Managers may assess additional essential qualifications at a later date.

✔Ability to support research in varying environments: you have the skills that enable you to support research teams by completing various tasks, such as setting up experiments, making observations, collecting data and keeping accurate records of your research projects.
✔Ability to maintain and operate equipment: you can learn to use and maintain various pieces of equipment that will be used in your role. For example, certain positions may require you to operate and maintain farm machinery while others may require the maintenance and use of scientific equipment in a lab.

✔Continuous learning: you are eager to continue learning and expanding your knowledge throughout your career.
✔Teamwork: you are able to collaborate with colleagues and work together towards completing tasks.
✔Attention to detail: you have what it takes to make detailed observations and keep accurate records.
✔Interactive oral communication: you have oral communication skills that enable you to share the work you are doing with others.
✔Planning and organizing: you plan and organize your daily activities and are efficient in completing your tasks.
✔Problem solving: you problem solve to reduce sources of error, increasing the overall reliability of the research.
✔Concern for safety: you are aware of your surroundings and able to follow and promote safety guidelines.

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

The following are asset qualifications and while they are not essential for the job, managers may consider them when making a hiring decision.

Knowledge or experience related to one or more of the following areas: Animal Science, Plant Science, Entomology, Food science, Microbiology, Agri-environment, Bioinformatics / Data Modelling, GIS / Remote Sensing, Genetics / Molecular or Analytical Biochemistry

Analytical thinking
Written communication

Ability to establish and maintain relationships with Indigenous communities

As part of its priority to advance reconciliation and renew Canada’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is committed to hiring more Indigenous people into its workforce. Better representation within the public service of Canada’s fastest-growing demographic group will lead to more innovative and inclusive solutions to today’s complex challenges. Selection will be limited to candidates who self-declare as Indigenous persons.

Operational Requirements may be added depending on the position being staffed.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - or Secret security clearance

Other information

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU APPLY

• Step 1: The first step in the process is to either complete the online application or email us if you would prefer a PDF application. Completing an application should take no longer than 15 minutes.
• Step 2: We will reach out to schedule a virtual interview with you and through ongoing conversations, we will assess all essential qualifications.
• Step 3: Once we have completed our conversations, we will send you your candidate profile containing the highlights of our conversations. This will allow you to add your comments so we can have the most accurate representation of your knowledge, experience, abilities and competencies.
• Step 4: A pool will be established with all qualified candidates. If you are being considered for a position, hiring managers will inform you if further assessment is needed.

Communication throughout this process will be done by phone, email and/or via your Public Service jobs account. Please ensure that your email address is valid and accepts messages from unknown users. It is your responsibility to regularly check your voicemail, email and jobs account for communications regarding this selection process. If your personal contact information changes at any time during this staffing process, please contact us to provide your updated information. Should we contact you and you fail to reply within the designated time frames, your application may not be given any further consideration. If you have a preferred method of communication, please notify us.

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

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.