Manager / Section Head, Biologist V

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

Health Canada is committed to increasing representation of Black employees and other racialized groups, Indigenous People, women and persons with disabilities. Health Canada would like its workforce to be reflective of the population it serves. Therefore, we encourage candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a member of one of these groups.

Give yourself the best chance to succeed! As the objective of this process is to assess qualifications needed for the position(s) to be staffed, let us know if you have a functional limitation/ disability, which may affect your performance. For example, contact us if you need assistance in completing and submitting your application. Should you then proceed to the next assessment stage, such as an exam or interview, we will send you an e-mail with additional information on the assessment format so that you can determine if you may require an accommodation (such as a different test format, an adaptive technology, or additional time). Assessment accommodations are designed to remove the obstacles without altering the criteria being assessed so candidates with functional limitations can fully demonstrate their abilities.

You may also review jobs open to the public through INFOTEL at 1-800-645-5605. The INFOTEL number for persons using a TTY/TDD is 1-800-532-9397.

Health Canada welcomes applications from Veterans. We recognize your contribution to Canadians and would like to offer you the opportunity to continue your career in an environment where multi-talented employees with diverse skills are appreciated and supported.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency are dedicated to building an inclusive workforce that comprises individuals who have an array of identities, abilities, background, culture, skills, perspectives, and experiences that are representative of Canada’s current and evolving population. We are passionate about fostering a workplace where all people feel welcome, can reach their full potential, and contribute their unique perspectives and experience to the success of the team.

BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO WORK
We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex (including gender identity and/or expression), national origin, sexual orientation, civil union or relationship status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other status protected under federal law.

***VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: It is the responsibility of the candidate to clearly outline that they meet each of the screening criteria (i.e., Education and Experience Qualifications) by RESPONDING TO THE SCREENING QUESTIONS IN THE ONLINE APPLICATION. Please note that it is not sufficient to only state that the requirement is met or to provide a listing of current responsibilities, rather, the candidate must provide concrete examples that illustrate how they meet the requirement. Lack of EXAMPLES and DETAILS may result in your application being rejected, as the Assessment Board will have insufficient information to determine whether or not you meet the qualifications.

Duties

• Provision of management and coordination services for delivery of programs of scientific data.
• Preparation of communication plans and responses to Access to Information and Privacy request.
• Provision of authoritative scientific and/or regulatory advice, interpretative guidance, and recommendations to stakeholders, senior management, other federal departments/agencies, academia and/or the public.
• Management of financial resources which encompass the establishment of short and long-term financial plans and forecasting budgets and resource allocation for the unit/division.
• Management of multi-disciplinary human resources,
• Negotiates resources for projects and/or research proposals with various internal/external partners and recommends resource allocations within/across other organizations.
• Manages and directs the activities of a multi-disciplinary unit
• Support the advancement of scientific knowledge and validation of new and emerging
methodologies in health research for scientific risk assessment

Work environment

The Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch’s (HECSB) mission is to help Canadians to maintain and improve their health by promoting healthy and safe living, working and recreational environments and by reducing the harm caused by environmental contaminants, and unsafe consumer and industrial products.

Safe Environment Directorate
The Safe Environments Directorate (SED) falls within HECSB and is working hard to promote healthy living, working and recreational environments by identifying and assessing health risks posed by environmental factors (specifically chemicals, drinking water, air quality, microbes, emerging technologies and development projects).

Environmental and radiation health science directorate (ERHSD)
The Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau of ERHSD conducts research, monitoring, surveillance, and emergency management that advance policy, regulatory decisions, and public health by generating scientific evidence of environmental exposures and associated health impact applicable to all Canadians.

Intent of the process

A pool of fully and/or partially qualified candidates may be established through this process to staff identical or similar positions, within Health Canada with various tenures (Term, indeterminate, secondment, assignment, deployment, acting).

Positions to be filled: 3

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

Education:
• Graduation with a degree 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, such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, health science, environmental science, epidemiology, toxicology or pharmacology.

The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and must have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Experience in preparing and providing strategic scientific advice* to management.
• Experience in consulting or liaising with multiple stakeholders (i.e. internal to the Government of Canada or external stakeholders such as provincial governments and municipalities).
• Significant experience** in a) research or b) risk assessment or c) science related activities related to environmental impacts on human health.

*Strategic scientific advice is science based advice that influences the goals, aims or direction of a program or the means of achieving them.
** Significant experience is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience that would normally be associated with having performed a broad range of activities related to this task, and be acquired over a minimum period of approximately three (3) years.

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

Various language requirements
Bilingual imperative BBB/BBB, CBC/CBC

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
• Knowledge of the principles of risk management as it relates to environmental contaminants and human health.
• Knowledge of principles of assessing risks to human health from chemicals or air pollutants.

Competencies:
• Management Excellence (Action Management, People Management)
• Engagement
• Strategic Thinking: Evaluation of scientific data to create and communicate defensible recommendations.

Abilities
• Ability to provide scientific leadership in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Personal Suitability
• Judgment
• Initiative
• Respectful of diversity

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

Asset Education:
• Graduation with a Master’s or Doctoral degree 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, such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, health science, environmental science, epidemiology, toxicology or pharmacology.

Degree equivalency

Asset Experience: (After a partially assessed pool has been established, candidates will be asked to provide information relating to the following)
• Significant experience** in applying science to support environmental health based policies, regulations or public engagement.
• Significant** experience in evaluating mammalian toxicology data.
• Significant** experience in the planning and development of innovative research projects and evaluation of data from new approach methodologies (e.g. non-animal test methods, emerging technologies) to be used for screening and assessment of chemicals.
• Experience in applying environmental models or other predictive tools that generate information to be used in risk assessments or health impact assessments of environmental chemicals.
• Experience in implementing program planning and/or evaluation.
• Experience in conducting risk assessments on air pollutants.
• Significant** experience in conducting human health risk assessments on chemicals in products, food, or other environmental media.
• Experience in the evaluation of human exposure to environmental contaminants via airborne exposure route.
• Experience conducting human biomonitoring studies or evaluating human biomonitoring data.
• Experience evaluating scientific research proposals as part of a formal process.
** Significant experience is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience that would normally be associated with having performed a broad range of activities related to this task, be acquired over a minimum period of approximately three (3) years.

Organizational Need
• In support of achieving a diversified workforce, consideration may be given to candidates self-declaring as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, Persons with disabilities, Members of visible minorities, and Women.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• Willingness and ability to work overtime.
• Willingness and ability to travel

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance

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

Please note that depending on the number of applicants and current and future needs and, we may apply asset criteria and/or a ranking order (top/down approach) to determine who will proceed at any stage of the of the process.

Various methods of assessment may be administered (written exam, interview, references, etc.).

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

Proof of citizenship or Permanent Residence will be required.

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.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

Proof of education will be required which includes diploma(s) and transcript(s). 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.

All candidates that apply to this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and ensure that this address is functional at all times and that it accepts messages from unknown users. Failure to do so may result in important messages not being received. Communication for this process will be conducted via the e-mail address provided in your application. It is your responsibility to ensure that you check for messages regularly.

All communication relating to this process, including email correspondence and telephone conversations, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

An assignment/secondment or an acting appointment is a temporary resourcing option. The approval of your substantive supervisor may/will be required before an offer can be made.

If you are an employee of the Public Service, please include your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) in your application, clearly indicate your SUBSTANTIVE GROUP AND LEVEL and your EMPLOYMENT STATUS (indeterminate, determinate, casual, agency, contract, etc.). Note: If you are hired for a determinate period of time, please indicate the start and end date of your current employment. Proof of your employment tenure will be required, upon request.

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.