Laboratory Attendant

Update: Change to closing date. Closing date: 24 March 2023 - 23:59, Pacific Time.

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

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.

HOW TO APPLY:
You will be required to answer screening questions to demonstrate how you meet the Essential Qualifications (Education and all Essential Experiences).

When answering the screening questions, it is not sufficient to say that you have the required qualifications or to list your current or past responsibilities. Rather, you must provide concrete examples of tasks you have accomplished with significant details to explain the WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and HOW you acquired each qualification.

For each experience criteria, please provide the following information:

1- Name of the department or organization where the experience was acquired;
2- Title of the position occupied, group and level and the period(s) in which you performed the functions (M-Y to M-Y);
3- Specific details of tasks or projects demonstrating how the experience was acquired (Situation/Challenge, Tasks, Action and Result).

Should your responses to the screening questions contain insufficient details to demonstrate that you meet the screening criteria, your application will not be given further consideration in this process. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Duties

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND WORKING CONDITIONS
Working in a laboratory and office environment:

- Must undertake and successfully complete the Laboratory Attendant understudy training program.

- Receives, inspects, catalogues, verifies, labels, and stores biological, chemical and physical evidentiary material submitted for all types of forensic analyses; maintains chain of custody of evidentiary material.

- Enters information from cases received into the Laboratory Information Management System in an accurate and timely manner, generates service requests, enters diary dates and priority level; links evidentiary materials to appropriate service requests based on forensic service required.

- Records observations of evidentiary materials received including leakages, spills, damaged and/or unsealed packages, unsafe shipping practices, unauthorized/mis- directed submissions, informs law enforcement investigators of such observations.

- Packages, ships, records, transfers internally and externally, audits and destroys biological, chemical and physical evidentiary materials; handles hazardous and bio- hazardous material in accordance with relevant procedures and in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations.

- Provides records management services; produces reports and transfer documentation of evidentiary material received and returned; processes non-evidentiary material requests (e.g. subpoenas) for police agencies and Crown counsel.

- Maintains evidence receipt area, and performs clean up of biological and chemical spills in accordance with health and safety regulations and protocols; orders office and laboratory supplies.

- Complies with disclosure requests by producing statement of involvement, chain of custody report, exhibit notes and case documentation; liaises with Crown counsels, court personnel and law enforcement investigators; presents testimony in court with respect to continuity and handling of evidentiary materials and standard practices, policies, and procedures.

Work environment

Working Conditions:
- The work involves exposure for extended periods of time on a daily basis to disagreeable or unpleasant material such as criminal case information (e.g. sexual assaults, attempted murders, crimes against children, vehicular accidents, robberies), graphic descriptions of major case investigations, and crime scene photos along with evidentiary material such as sexual assault exhibits, body organs from autopsies, body parts and tissue, blood and other body fluids, maggot and parasite infested articles, fire debris.

- The work involves the need to handle high pressure and conflicting priorities, including the immediate processing of evidentiary material from major investigations requiring prompt forensic analysis, and the preparation for and the giving of court testimony. There are ongoing pressures to complete the workload independently, in a timely manner, and in compliance with many policies, procedures, and federal regulations. There is a high workload volume with frequent interruptions, requiring task prioritization and concentration. Errors made in processing of evidentiary materials may have a significant negative impact on a criminal investigation.

- The work is conducted in a laboratory environment on a daily basis; the work involves exposure to dust, dirt, noxious odors, cold conditions (down to -30ºC) when handling, storing and retrieving evidentiary material from refrigerator and walk-in freezer storage facilities, wearing protective clothing (e.g. gloves, masks, laboratory coats/gowns, closed toe shoes) for a large percentage of the work day, handling all types of forensic exhibits including solvents, chemicals, biologically hazardous substances such as liquid blood and contaminated needles, risking potential exposure to contagions such as hepatitis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), handling and checking firearms to ensure they are "proven safe" for handling and examination by others, handling potentially explosive materials, handling knives and other sharp items, handling drugs and other agents of unknown toxicity, handling gasoline samples and other accelerants, pepper spray, other aerosols, paint samples and fire debris. Forensic exhibits are typically handled in a sealed state except for firearms, packages that are damaged/compromised, when destruction is required, etc.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff one English Essential position and two Bilingual Imperative BBB positions, all on an indeterminate basis in Ottawa.

A pool of candidates may be established and may be used to staff similar positions within the RCMP on an indeterminate or specified period (including term, acting, or assignment) basis, with various linguistic profiles and various RCMP security clearances.

Should a Civilian Member (CM) be found qualified and selected for appointment, the appointment will not result in a change of status to the Public Service (PS) category for the CM. Information regarding the CM appointment will be sent to all applicable candidates who are within the area of selection and participated in the advertised process.

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:
• Successful completion of secondary school education OR an employer-approved alternative.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Experience in performing general administrative duties, which may include responding to internal/external inquiries, processing incoming/outgoing mail, OR file creation and maintenance.
• Experience preparing general correspondence or reports.
• Experience providing operational records management utilizing manual or electronic procedures and systems.
• Experience using software applications (e.g. Email, Word Processing, Spreadsheet applications).

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

Education:
• Graduation with a degree in biology, biochemistry, chemistry or applicable forensic science-related area from a recognized post-secondary institution.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
• Experience working in a laboratory environment.

Operational Requirements:
• Overtime work may be required.
• Willingness and ability to work in a police environment, including exposure to unsettling and/or graphic material.
• Travel to court will be required.

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

Various language requirements
• English essential
• Bilingual imperative (BBB)

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
• Knowledge of laboratory practices in relation to exhibit handling.
• Knowledge of laboratory safety guidelines.
• Knowledge of operational records management.

Abilities and Skills:
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task a workload.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally.

Personal Suitability:
• Attention to Detail.
• Dependability.
• Flexibility.
• Showing initiative and being action oriented.
• Effective interpersonal skills.

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

Knowledge:
• Knowledge of the RCMP National Forensic Laboratory Services.

In support of achieving a representative workforce, consideration may be given to candidates who have self-identified as a member of one or more of the following designated groups: women, members of visible minorities, aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.

Conditions of employment

Within first 12 months of appointment:
• This position is comprised of an understudy training program. As part of the conditions of employment, the appointed candidate must successfully complete the understudy training program within the first 12 months of their appointment. Failure to meet this condition of employment will result in termination of employment or rejection on probation.

To be maintained throughout their employment after successfully completing the understudy program:
• Must be willing and able to testify in a court of law.
• Must be willing and able to work with dangerous goods.
• Must be willing and able to handle firearms.
• Must be willing and able to work in a wide variation of temperature (e.g. fridge and freezer areas).
• Must be willing and able to lift heavy objects weighing up to 32kg.
• Must possess a valid Class 5 driver’s license

RCMP Enhanced Reliability Status (ERS) 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

Other Information:
The mandatory understudy program consists of reading assignments, written essays, practical exercises, study tours, oral presentations, group discussions, case studies and if required, a mock trial . All of this training is taken under the supervision of a qualified Laboratory Attendant.

A written exam may be administered.
An interview may be administered.
Reference checks may be sought.
A simulation/situational exercise or role play may be administered.

Candidates must meet all essential qualifications to be appointed to a position. This will be determined through the use of various evaluation tools.

Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

You must provide proof of education credentials. If you obtained your degree outside Canada, it is your responsibility to demonstrate its equivalence, please take a look at the following link for more information: https://www.cicic.ca/

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.

Indeterminate employees at the same group and level, or equivalent may be considered for deployment, assignment/secondment prior to the assessment of other applicants.

Please identify clearly your substantive group and level and your employment status on your resume and/or application form.

If a qualified candidate has been selected and appointed on an indeterminate basis from the established pool, they will be removed from the pool. If a candidate is selected for a specified period (including term, acting, or assignment/secondment) appointment, they will remain in the pool for future offers.

Our means of communication with applicants is via e-mail. Please ensure to include a functional e-mail address, which will accept messages from unknown users (some e-mail systems block these types of e-mails). It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

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.