Watch 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

**IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW**

Candidates are required to complete SCREENING QUESTIONS that clearly demonstrate how they meet each essential criteria of education and experience and any asset education and asset experience. Candidates should use concrete examples. It is NOT sufficient to only provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Rather, you must clearly demonstrate HOW, WHEN, and WHERE the qualification was met through substantiation by examples. Resumes will be used to validate. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Other qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. Asset Qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed as a right-fit or may be used to manage the volume of candidates. Therefore, it is important to answer each of the questions related to the requirements.

Duties

We are looking to recruit talented and hard-working individuals from diverse backgrounds to act as Watch Officers at the Watch Centre. As part of your duties, you will be responsible for providing analysis to senior officials, federal, provincial and territorial entities, and non-government organizations on a wide-ranging number of potential emergencies and events of national interest including:
- Natural disasters: human or animal health; tornados; floods; hurricanes; wildfires; tsunamis; volcanos; earthquakes; avalanches; drought; landslides.
- Human-induced intentional events: Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives (CBRNE); civil disturbance (protest or demonstration); cyber threat/incidents.
- Human-induced non-intentional events: Ecological disaster, pollution or industrial incident; critical infrastructure interruption (power outage); hazardous material (radiological or nuclear); space launch; aviation, maritime or rail incident.
- National Security: Death of a federal representative while on duty; terrorism; missile launch/test; suspicious package.
- Assets: Impacts to federal buildings and services
- Major Events: Such as the G7 Summit; Pan Am, Para-Pan AM or Olympic Games.

For more information on the GOC’s products please see:
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/mrgnc-mngmnt/rspndng-mrgnc-vnts/gvrnmnt-prtns-cntr/rspns-mntrng-en.aspx

Work environment

Looking for a job in a fast paced environment helping and making a difference in the lives of fellow Canadians? The Federal Government Operations Centre within the department of Public Safety, known as the GOC within government circles, provides an all-hazards integrated federal emergency response to events (potential or actual, natural or human-induced, accidental or intentional) of national interest. It provides 24/7 monitoring and reporting, national-level situational awareness, warning products and integrated risk assessments, as well as national-level planning and whole-of-government response management. This is a dynamic and demanding workplace where you will have an opportunity to directly ensure the safety and security of Canadians. You could do some amazing work at the GOC. The GOC is staffed by a cadre of dedicated professionals with diverse educational backgrounds and skills specialized in the areas of emergency preparedness, operations, risk managements, geomatics, to name a few. The GOC coordinates the whole-of-government response by working with federal, provincial, territorial and non-government partners in dealing with the most recent emergencies and disasters which have affected Canadians over the last few years including the pandemic, floods and wildfires. The GOC plays a key role in ensuring the safety and security of Canadians when potential emergencies and events of national interest occur and it is expected that the number of hazards will continue to increase in the years ahead.

The Watch Centre is located in Ottawa and Watch Officers are required to work 12-hours shifts in person (onsite), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The position is classified as a PM-04 with a salary range starting at $71,599 (under revision). In addition to the base salary, there are shift premiums which consist of $2/hour as extra duty pay for work performed outside 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and a weekend shift premium for time worked during weekends. This can result in a Watch Officer’s pay being significantly above the base salary. In addition, you will be offered appropriate onboarding, including training and mentoring with a more senior staff member of the Watch Centre team. Successful candidates will be required to obtain a Top Secret clearance which the GOC will seek through the appropriate channels.

Intent of the process

The intent of this selection process is to staff indeterminate or determinate position(s) at Public Safety Canada in the National Capital Region (NCR).

A pool of qualified will be created.

Indeterminate or determinate employees at the same group and level or equivalent may be considered for deployment.

Positions to be filled: 10

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

Education:
A secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternatives.

Note:
The employer-approved alternatives to a secondary school diploma are:
- A satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma; or
- An acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
- Experience in conducting research;
- Experience in conducting analysis;
- Experience in writing reports;
- Experience in preparing and delivering presentations;
- Experience in synthesizing information.

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

Various language requirements
- Bilingual Imperative: CBC/CBC
- Bilingual Imperative: BBB/BBB
- English Essential

Information on language requirements

Behavioural Competencies:
- Integrity and respect (3)
- Analytical and Strategic Thinking (3)
- Decision making and Judgment (3)
- Adaptability (3)
- Initiative (3)
- Collaboration and Network Building (3)

Technical Competencies:
- Government, Public Safety and Portfolio Knowledge (3)
- Oral communication (3)
- Written communication* (3)

Note
* Your application (resume and response to screening questions) will be used to assess Written communication.

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

ASSET QUALFICATIONS:

Education:
- Successful completion of Emergency Management related program from a recognized post-secondary institution.

- Graduation from a two-year program of study from a recognized post-secondary institution.

- Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
- Experience in working in a federal or provincial/territorial emergency operations center.

- Experience in media monitoring including electronic press, newspapers, social media, radio and television.

- Experience in working in an emergency management environment.

- Experience in conducting research, analysis and writing reports and presentations on topics related to emergency management.

- Experience in collaborating with stakeholders (such as other government departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), provincial/territorial or municipal stakeholders);

- Experience in coordinating projects/files, activities or initiatives.

The Department of Public Safety is committed to maintaining a representative workforce reflective of Canadian society. In support of achieving a diversified workforce and our employment equity goals, qualified candidates who self-declare in a staffing process as members of Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and/or women may be selected for appointment to fulfill organization needs.

- Ability and willingness to work flexible hours
- Ability and willingness to work overtime on short notice, including evenings, overnight and weekends.

Conditions of employment

Top Secret security clearance

Other conditions of employment:
- Required to work shift work 24/7; overtime on short or no notice, being subject to call-back and shut-down (remaining at work) for an extended period of time.
- Required to work on site, in Ottawa.

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

• ALL JOB APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED USING THE WWW.JOBS.GC.CA WEBSITE. NO APPLICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED BY EMAIL;

• You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position;

• It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected;

• Asset Qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed as a right-fit for the position or may be used to manage the volume of candidates;

Assets may be used as a screening tool at the beginning of the process.

• A test may be administered;

• An interview may be administered;

• Reference checks will be sought;

• A verification of your security clearance may be made (if applicable);

• A random and/or top down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process;

• Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent;

• Our intention is to communicate with candidates via email. Candidates who apply on this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and to make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email);

• 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;

• Successful candidates must meet and maintain the Conditions of Employment
throughout their employment;

• You must be prepared to provide the original or a certified true copy of your educational credentials;

• Foreign Education Credentials: The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) contains information on how to obtain an assessment of foreign education credentials. Candidates with foreign education credentials are required to provide proof of Canadian equivalency. You may consult the CICIC for further information: http://www.cicic.ca/en/index.aspx

• You may be required to provide ORIGINAL proof of your Canadian citizenship or your eligibility to work in Canada if your application is accepted. It is your responsibility to provide this information if and when requested.

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.