Careers in Biology for Persons with Disabilities - Post-Secondary Recruitment

Important messages

The Government of Canada is proud of its diversity and strives to be representative of the population it serves. Our vision is to make Canada’s public service the most accessible and inclusive in the world and we have an Accessibility Strategy that aims to identify, prevent, and remove barriers to participation for persons with disabilities.

This recruitment campaign is a part of this Strategy, as we aim to recruit persons with disabilities with a variety of scientific trainings for positions in the Biological Sciences across Canada.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. To request accommodation measures or adjustments during any phase of this process and for any questions, contact us at . Any information you provide in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential. You can read more on our Accommodation process under the “Other Information” section or by visiting our GCWiki page.

INFORMATION SESSION ON HOW TO APPLY

Discover how Scientists in the Government of Canada play a key role in improving the quality of life of Canadians, protecting our citizen’s health or providing them with cutting-edge research to support and protect our environment and industries! Register for our upcoming Information Sessions through our GCWiki page to learn more about how we recruit and hear directly from our scientists about their career journey.

Visit our GCWiki page, linked at the top of this ad, for more information on our recruitment campaign and on what to expect once you have applied. On this page you will find:

📌A fully accessible copy of the job advertisement
📌Job Profiles of Biological Science positions across the Government of Canada
📌Latest updates on the process, including assessments and virtual events
📌The Government of Canada’s definition of a "Person with Disabilities"
📌Registration forms for each of the information sessions
📌Frequently asked questions and other important information

Duties

The Government of Canada strongly supports science and research. Since 2016, our Government has provided more than $10 billion for science, research and the people who power it. This includes the single largest investment in fundamental research in Canadian history.

Careers in Biological Sciences are diverse across departments and agencies in the Government of Canada. You could be working for:

👩🏽‍🚀 Canadian Space Agency to study the effect of microgravity on living organisms or to support the research and technology development to reduce health risks of spaceflights for astronauts
🌲 Natural Resources Canada to provide science and research support to sustainable forest management planning and policies
🦈 Fisheries and Oceans Canada to protect our waters and manage Canada's fisheries and oceans resources ensuring healthy and sustainable aquatic ecosystems through habitat protection and sound science
🌾 Agriculture and Agri-food Canada at one of its 21 Research Centres across Canada to create better opportunities for farmers and all Canadians through agricultural research and innovation
👨🏽‍⚕️ Public Health Agency of Canada to study the effects of microbial and viral diseases (such as COVID-19) in the Canadian population, contributing to their preventions and suppression
🌏 Environment and Climate Change Canada to support Wildlife Research and protect species at risk
🐞 Canadian Food Inspection Agency to provide scientific advice to safeguard food, animals and plants and enhances the health and well-being of Canadians

... as well as many other exciting opportunities in science with the Government of Canada.

Work environment

Recruiting talented individuals with a passion for the sciences is one of the top priorities for the Government of Canada. Our scientists are able to perform important scientific works daily in a laboratory, greenhouse setting, field setting or in offices across Canada.

Once you have been hired, workplace accommodations or adjustments will be provided to give you the opportunity to fully use your competencies at work. Tools such as the Accessibility Passport will help you and your manager identify possible accommodation measures to be implemented, giving you the tools you would need to thrive in your job.

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to recruit persons with disabilities with a variety of scientific expertise for positions in the Biological Sciences across Canada. Aside from the listed group and level, candidates can be hired into various groups and levels in a related field.

By submitting an application, you’re applying to future positions, rather than a specific job. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

Positions to be filled: 30

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

EDUCATION
Positions staffed through this process have various educational requirements. Candidates will only need to meet one of the criteria below to be considered.

• A bachelor’s degree already obtained or that will be obtained by June 30, 2023, from a recognized post-secondary institution with specialization* in a biological science, or in a field relevant to the position.

OR

• A bachelor’s degree already obtained or that will be obtained by June 30, 2023, from a recognized post-secondary institution in a natural, physical, or applied science** with specialization* in a field relevant to the duties of the position.

*Note: you must have successfully completed at least 5 full-semester courses to be deemed as having the specialization in a particular field. The courses for the specialization must be suitable for the position and must have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization.

**Note: some examples of degrees in a natural, physical, or applied science: biology, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, chemistry, agriculture, food sciences, neuroscience, immunology, zoology, forestry, bioinformatics, pure sciences, psychology, and biomedical sciences etc.

The accepted education specializations are diverse as this process will be used to staff a multitude of Biology positions across various departments. Once qualified, you will be matched with a suitable position in accordance to your education and experience.

Proof of education and specialization (transcript) will be requested later in the recruitment process.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
The Essential Experiences listed below may be acquired during the course of obtaining your degree or through work experience.

• Experience carrying out or executing scientific research.

• Experience in presenting scientific data or research results in written or oral format.

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

Various language requirements
You can apply and be considered for English, French or Bilingual (English and French) positions.

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

COMPETENCIES - You will be able to demonstrate the competencies below through a take-home exam

• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to plan, prioritize and deliver on results.
• Working effectively with others.
• Analytical Thinking.

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

ASSET EXPERIENCES
These experiences will only be used for matching purposes. You do not need to possess all of the experiences to qualify for this recruitment campaign. Some examples of these qualifications are listed below:

• Experience working in a laboratory in a research capacity.
• Experience in scientific Field Research.
• Experience using statistical software for analysis and interpretation of large data sets.
• Experience with Geographic Information System (GIS) software or spatial analytical techniques.
• Experience in nutrition or food sciences.
• Experience in aquatic resource management, marine biology, physical oceanography, fish population science, or other relevant experience in aquatic science.
• Experience in Agricultural Research, Plant Pathology, Livestock Science, Soil and Crop Management, Livestock Management or relevant experience in another Agricultural science.
• Experience in Species Management, Conservation programs or other relevant experience in Natural Resource Management.
• Experience in identification, surveys or monitoring of plant or wildlife species (animals or insects).
• Experience in microbiology (virology, bacteriology, mycology, parasitology), cell biology, immunology, molecular biology, structural biology, genomics, or proteomics .
• Experience providing science-based advice and recommendations to stakeholders, industry, or management.

... plus other qualifications that may be required for certain jobs.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - You will need to pass our background check and obtain at least a “Reliability” personnel security status to work for positions within the Government of Canada.

Other conditions of employment may be required depending on the specific requirements of the various positions to be filled.

Below are some examples of requirements that may be needed for certain positions. Candidates will be matched to suitable positions. As such, we invite you to apply even if you do not meet certain conditions among those listed:

• Valid Driver’s licence or mobility generally associated with a valid driver's license.
• Capacity and openness to work overtime on short notice, including working very early in the morning, evenings or weekends for research purposes.
• Capacity and willingness to travel.
• Capacity and willingness to work outdoors under various weather conditions.
• Capacity and willingness to carry heavy equipment, to lift and move weights, and to wear protective equipment.

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

Feel free to apply and communicate with us in the official language of your choice.

ACCOMMODATION MEASURES
At every step, from the application process to the end of the assessment process, accommodation measures or adjustments are available to you.

Tell us what you need. Examples include: accessible environments, different formats, larger fonts, adaptive technology, extra time, individual testing, and more.

Accommodation measures are designed to remove barriers to a fair assessment and allow candidates to fully demonstrate their competencies. For additional information regarding assessment accommodation, please consult: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/assessment-accommodation-page.html

To request accommodation measures or adjustments, and for any question about the process, contact us at .

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.