Senior Policy Advisor - Indigenous Issues

Update: The closing date has been amended to 2022-12-12.

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

The information provided must enable the Selection Board Members to understand HOW (clear explanation of duties), WHEN and for HOW LONG (date and length of time in months or years), and WHERE (employer and geographic location) the experience was acquired. You will be asked to provide this information during the application process.

Your resume may be used to confirm the information provided. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or missing information. A lack of information may result in your application not being considered any further.

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

This is a process targeting members of the following employment equity group, therefore we will only proceed with those that self-declared as indigenous.

Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous Peoples are people who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis.

Candidates will be required to sign the Affirmation of Indigenous Identity Form (AIIF). The Affirmation of Indigenous Identity Form is an affirmation for individuals who are proposed for appointment and have voluntarily self-declared as an Indigenous person. It is an Appointment Policy requirement, and it must be signed prior to appointment.

In order to self-declare, please ensure to check off the appropriate box within the online application under the Employment Equity section. To learn more about self-declaring, we encourage you to consult the following website: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/opportunities/government/self-declaring-because-we-care.html

ONLY APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED ON-LINE USING THE 'APPLY ON-LINE' BUTTON ABOVE WILL BE CONSIDERED.

Duties

Key Role of Position

The role of this position will be to lead on Indigenous relationship building, and provide strategy and policy analysis in Ontario Region (CWS-OR). The candidate will provide input and advice to all CWS programs on engagement and consultation, negotiations, and funding programs that support the conservation mandate of CWS-OR. The position is a senior member of an Indigenous Engagement Team that supports the region to implement the Government of Canada’s nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples, support reconciliation and advance self-determination. The position will be supported by a Program Officer.

Work environment

The Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) is looking for a collaborative leader who is interested in advancing Indigenous relationships to join our team. We are motivated by the opportunity to transform federal processes so that they respect the Government of Canada’s nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples, support reconciliation and advance self-determination. We offer a work environment that strives for excellence and is enriched by diversity.

Intent of the process

To staff one (1) English essential position in Toronto, ON for a term position until March 31, 2026.

Anticipatory: A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used to staff identical or similar positions with various language requirements, tenures (temporary or indeterminate), operational requirements, conditions of employment and security requirements within Environment and Climate Change Canada at the following location: Toronto, ON

In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, they may be considered for acting, deployment, assignment or secondment opportunities.

Positions to be filled: 1

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 with acceptable specialization in economics, sociology or statistics.

Note: Candidates must always have a degree. The courses for the specialization must be acceptable and may have been taken at a recognized post-secondary institution, but not necessarily within a degree program in the required specialization. The specialization may also be obtained through an acceptable combination of education, training, and/or experience.

Degree equivalency

Experience
• EX1: Experience conducting engagement (relationship-building) or formal (legal) consultation activities with First Nations, Inuit, or Metis organizations, communities, or governments.
• EX2: Experience working with First Nations, Inuit, or Metis organizations, communities, or governments.
• EX3: Experience providing policy advice or recommendations to management, clients or advisory committees.
• EX4: Experience contributing to or drafting a variety of documents such as policy papers, position papers, background papers, or briefing notes.
• EX5: Experience in program evaluation or program delivery or program management, or program coordination.

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

Asset Qualifications - Education
• AED1: Graduation from a recognized post-secondary institution, with Bachelor's Degree in Indigenous Studies or other relevant subject area such as biology or ecology.

Degree equivalency

Asset qualifications - Experience
• AEX1: Significant* experience engaging and consulting with Indigenous peoples in Ontario
• AEX2: Significant* experience working with First Nations, Inuit, or Metis organizations, communities, or governments in Ontario
• AEX3: Experience in the best practices of working with Indigenous traditional knowledge
• AEX4: Experience working for an indigenous organization, such as community government or service delivery organization
• AEX5: Experience in the field of habitat or wildlife conservation in Ontario

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge
• K1: Knowledge of the roles of the federal/ provincial / territorial / Indigenous governments, and non-government organizations with respect to wildlife conservation.
• K2: Knowledge of Canada’s policies or laws affecting Indigenous peoples.

Abilities
• A1: Ability to communicate effectively in writing
• A2: Ability to communicate effectively orally
• A3: Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines

Personal suitability
• PS1: Working effectively with others
• PS2: Showing Initiative and being action-oriented
• PS3: Thinking things through
• PS4: Demonstrating integrity and respect

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

Organizational needs
Environment and Climate Change Canada is committed to building a skilled and diversified workforce representative of the Canadians who we serve. In support of achieving departmental representation, selection may be limited to candidates self-identifying as belonging to the following Employment Equity group: Indigenous peoples.

Information on employment equity

Operational requirements
• Willing and able to travel in Canada; this could include travel to remote locations and by small boats or small aircraft
• Willing and able to work overtime, irregular hours and weekends on occasion and often on short notice

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

A valid driver’s license

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

***The Competencies of Written Communication will be assessed throughout the screening questions.

The manager may choose to apply the asset criteria at any time. A written examination, an interview and/or a reference check may be part of the candidates' assessment.

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.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. 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).

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

A pass mark will be established for each qualification. However, achieving the pass mark is not a guarantee of an appointment or that candidates will advance to the next stages of the assessment process. A cut-off score (in other words, establishing a higher threshold than the pass mark and selecting only the candidates who meet this threshold) and a top-down approach (in other words, establishing a maximum number of candidates who can proceed to the next assessment stage) may be used at any step if there is a sufficient number of candidates to meet immediate and anticipated staffing needs.

Depending on the requirements of the position(s) being staffed from this process, for current or future vacancies, any or all of the asset qualifications, operational requirements, and organizational needs may be applied at the time of staffing. Candidates may be contacted and assessed against these criteria at any time during this process.

If you are already working for the Public Service, please clearly identify your substantive group and level, your employment status, and PRI on your resume / application.

Candidates will be required to submit a copy of their education documentation. 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/.

Providing false or misleading information on the Affirmation of Indigenous Identity Form may result in rejection of the application and/or corrective action such as revocation of the appointment, following an investigation by the Public Service Commission of Canada or its delegate.

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.