Business Officer (Anticipatory)

Important messages

Do you believe in the future of British Columbia and have a passion to help it become an even greater place to live and work? Are you ready to join one of the most engaged and committed workforces in one of the most interesting departments in the federal public service?

Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) is the federal regional development agency focused on British Columbia’s evolving economy. We are looking for dynamic, action-oriented and client-centered team members to fill current and future vacancies in the Lower Mainland.

About PacifiCan: Pacific Economic Development Canada promotes the development of British Columbia’s economy and advances the interests of BC in national economic policy and program development and delivery. We are headquartered in Surrey and have offices in Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, Prince George and Ottawa.

PacifiCan’s work supports jobs and growth across BC using our knowledge and networks to facilitate economic development in communities through the following roles:

💼 Convenor: a trusted federal partner that understands local and regional circumstances and can make linkages within and outside of government to drive strategic investments and joint economic ventures.
💼 Pathfinder: connect entrepreneurs, economic development organizations and communities with federal programming and services to increase their participation in British Columbia's economy.
💼 Advisor: provide insights into regional economic issues to inform national policy and program decisions, and contribute to the development of regional engagement strategies and advice to the federal government.
💼 Investor: guide clients to access PacifiCan’s funding programs to capitalize on
strategic regional investment opportunities or identify other sources of funding to support economic growth, job creation, improved economic competitiveness and other related objectives.

Duties

A Business Officer’s job is challenging, wide-ranging and rewarding. In this role, you will help a range of client groups – including businesses, not-for-profit organizations, local governments and First Nations access federal economic development programs and services to solve their unique challenges. You will work closely with a broad range of interesting and engaged stakeholders and partners to advance economic development priorities in BC and support communities in achieving their economic goals.

We are currently recruiting for Business Officers in two (2) career streams.

Stream 1: Business Officer, Project Development
As a Business Officer in this career stream, you will be responsible for developing and managing a portfolio of projects and ensuring compliance with legal agreements.

Stream 2 : Business Officer, Client Active Care
In this role, you will administer funding agreements for economic development programs across BC. Specifically, you will work with clients to gather and analyze financial information to process advance payments and reimbursements for project costs. You will also interpret and apply financial policies and procedures to provide advice, guidance and information to clients in a client service environment.

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You are right for this type of role if you:
• understand British Columbia’s diverse and evolving economy;
• enjoy building relationships with clients;
• are endlessly curious and innovative; and
• are a strong communicator, eager to make a contribution as part of a team.

If that describes you, we encourage you to apply!

Work environment

PacifiCan is an innovative workplace that makes a difference in British Columbia. We care about our accomplishments as a team and about each other. We consistently rank as a top federal department to work for, and we are driven to be the best at what we do. We hire top talent and provide an employment experience that brings out the best in people. We are motivated by achieving great results for British Columbians and Canadians.

Why should you consider a career with PacifiCan? If you join our team, you will:
✔️Work with engaged people who support each other and love the work they do;
✔️Contribute to meaningful work that strengthens the economy and makes a difference in the lives of British Columbians and Canadians;
✔️Enjoy a culture of continuous learning and support for your professional development;
✔️Gain exposure to diverse economic sectors and issues of importance to the future economy;
✔️Enjoy flexible work arrangements;
✔️Work with modern tools and technology; and
✔️Work with an innovative leadership team that is passionate about hiring and developing talent, and achieving results.

As a result of our learnings over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pacifican has implemented a flexible, hybrid working model involving a minimum of two days a week in office, and maximum of three days a week of remote work. Successful candidates will be expected to report to the Pacifican office in Vancouver or Surrey. If you are appointed to a position, Pacifican will provide tools and/or equipment to support both in person and virtual/remote work.

PacifiCan offices are open environments with well-regulated air quality, ergonomic sit/stand workstations, and a combination of natural and fluorescent lighting. The physical demands of these positions include spending a significant amount of time working on a computer, and reading documents. This role will also involve meeting with stakeholders virtually by video and telephone, and in-person as COVID-19 public health measures allow. Please note, 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 process, please contact Carolyn Veitch by email at . Information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Intent of the process

This process will be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to staff positions of various tenures (including but not limited to term and indeterminate appointments, internal assignments, secondments, deployments, acting appointments, and casual work assignments). It may also be used to staff positions with various security requirements, language requirements and conditions of employment, and in any PacifiCan office location.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter

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

When you apply, you will be asked a series of screening questions based on the education and experience criteria below. When answering the screening questions, please provide:
► Concrete and detailed examples to demonstrate how you meet the qualifications;
► Where, when and how the experience was acquired.

Education:
• Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in a field relevant to the position or a combination of education, training and professional experience.

Degree equivalency

Stream 1 Business Officer – Project Development
Experience:
• Developing and sustaining collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, such as partners and clients.
• Developing or evaluating project proposals, applications for funding, or business plans;
• Reviewing, analyzing and interpreting financial statements to evaluate sustainability of businesses or not-for-profit organizations.
• Monitoring project activities or contractual agreements.
• Analyzing information and providing advice to management.

Stream 2 Business Officer – Client Active Care
Experience:
• Communicating with clients to obtain project/program related information to efficiently process claims for payment or amendments.
• Analyzing information, developing options, and providing recommendations.
• Applying policies, regulations or legislation related to funding programs to achieve program objectives.

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

Education:
• Graduation with a master’s degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with a specialization in Economics, Business, Finance, Public Administration or other field relevant to the position being staffed.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Engaging with and/or presenting to diverse stakeholder groups including businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and/or Indigenous communities;
• Delivering or developing initiatives through Grants and Contributions programs;
• Providing pathfinding advice/guidance to companies and organizations seeking funding support;
• Assessing applications for repayable funding/loans and/or monitoring a portfolio of repayable project/loans; and
• Using stakeholder management systems and software applications (e.g., PowerBI, Microsoft Dynamic CRM, Adobe Writer, Project Gateway).

Note: depth, breadth and scope of experience in any one or combination of the experience factors may be applied at any stage in the hiring process.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Criteria Common to Positions in Both Streams
Knowledge:
• Knowledge of the current economic and business trends, opportunities and challenges in British Columbia.

Competencies:
• Critical thinking and analysis
• Showing initiative and being action-oriented
• Demonstrating integrity and respect
• Communication (Oral and Written)
• Business acumen
• Working effectively with others

Abilities:
• Ability to integrate and synthesize information into strategic advice and recommendations.

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

Diversity and Inclusiveness (Organizational Needs):
• Pacific Economic Development Canada is committed to having an inclusive and diverse workforce that is representative of the population we serve. Consideration may be given to candidates who self-identify as belonging to one of the following employment equity groups: Indigenous peoples, persons with disability, visible minorities and women.

Operational Requirements:
• Willingness to travel as required.
• Willingness to work overtime on occasion as required.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status 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

Communication for this process will be sent via email. Applicants must check their email accounts frequently as there may be a deadline for responses. 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).

Depending on the number of applicants, the needs and/or Human Resources plans, volume management strategies such as random selection, top-down approach and/or establishing cut-off scores to determine who will continue in the staffing process, will be used for the purpose of managing applications.

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.

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.