Expert Support Scientific Positions *CLOSING DATE EXTENDED*

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

Please clearly identify the stream(s) that you are applying for:
Stream A: Contaminated Sites
Stream B: Geochemistry/Mining
Stream C: Water Quality
Stream D: Air Quality

Duties

The anticipatory PC-02 positions are intermediate positions that provide "technical, scientific, regulatory or management advice, products and activities to internal and external stakeholders related to new or existing federal acts, regulations, environmental policies, programs, initiatives or projects”.

The anticipatory PC-03 positions to be staffed from the pool are senior positions responsible for the “development, implementation and delivery of an environmental program or environmental projects and provision of technical, scientific, regulatory and/or management advice to internal and external stakeholders.”

The anticipated positions in all 4 streams provide expertise, advice and recommendations in the areas of contaminated sites, geology, geochemistry, water quality or air quality effects. Work at both, the PC-02 and PC-03 level, is often fast paced and conducted under tight timelines. The work broadly involves reviewing project specific technical reports and documents to develop science-based advice and recommendations for internal and external stakeholders/clients. PC-03 positions include additional responsibility for program development, implementation and delivery.

The anticipatory positions are within the Expert Support group of the Environmental Protection Operations Directorate of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the Pacific & Yukon Region. The mandate of the Environmental Protection Operations Directorate includes program implementation in six core areas: environmental assessment, contaminated sites, environmental emergencies, marine programs, compliance promotion, and environmental effects monitoring.

Intent of the process

This is an anticipatory process, the purpose of which is to develop a pool of qualified candidates for positions at the PC-02 and PC-03 level at Environment and Climate Change Canada in Vancouver, BC and/or Whitehorse, YT.

The pool of qualified candidates established through this process may be used to staff similar positions within Environment and Climate Change Canada with various tenures (e.g. indeterminate, term, acting, assignment or secondment), various language requirements, various security requirements, various conditions of employment and for various locations.

Please note that your application will automatically be considered for both PC-02 and PC-03 level candidacy in the pool. Your score during the assessment process will determine which level of the pool you will be placed. Candidates must qualify in at least one stream to be included in the pool of qualified candidates. Within each stream candidates may be considered for anticipatory PC-03 or PC-02 positions: In order to be qualified for anticipatory PC-03 positions candidates must meet the relevant education and experience criteria and obtain a minimum score set for the PC-03 level in the assessments for knowledge, abilities and skills, and competencies. In order to be qualified for anticipatory PC-02 positions candidates must meet the relevant education and experience criteria and obtain a minimum score set for the PC-02 level in the assessments for knowledge, abilities and skills, and competencies. Education and Experience will only be evaluated through the information provided by the candidate in their application. Knowledge, abilities and skills, and competencies will be assessed through a written exam and an oral interview. Reference checks will be used to verify and supplement the information submitted by candidates.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

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 physics, geology, chemistry or some other science relevant to the position like biology, aquatic ecology, toxicology, earth science and geochemistry.

Note:
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:
All Streams
• Recent and direct experience* leading or working as part of technical or scientific working groups on environmental issues or projects.

Stream A: Contaminated Sites
• Recent and direct experience* writing or reviewing technical reports or providing scientific advice related to contaminated sites management, such as site assessment, risk assessment, remediation or risk management.

Stream B: Geochemistry/Mining
• Recent and direct experience* writing or reviewing technical reports or providing scientific advice related to impacts on water or sediments from exposing, moving, or modifying geologic materials, as part of mining or similar activities.

Stream C: Water Quality
• Recent and direct experience* writing or reviewing technical reports or providing scientific advice regarding water or sediment quality and related impacts on aquatic environments.

Stream D: Air Quality
• Recent and direct experience* writing or reviewing technical reports or providing scientific advice related to air quality monitoring, air quality modelling, or air pollutant emission inventories.

*Recent and direct experience is defined as the depth and breadth of the experience normally associated with having conducted a range of activities over a minimum period of four (4) years within the past ten (10) years for PC-03 positions and a minimum period of two (2) years within the past ten (10) years for PC-02 positions.

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

Education (Asset):
• Post-graduate degree (Master’s or Doctorate) from a recognized post-secondary institution, with acceptable specialization in a relevant field.

Degree equivalency

Experience (Asset):
• Experience liaising and collaborating with First Nations or Indigenous groups in the context of environmental initiatives or programs.
• Experience supervising or managing staff.
• Experience with federal, provincial, or territorial environmental assessment processes.
• Experience with cumulative effects studies or assessments.
• Experience working with the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP)
• Experience with metal leaching and acid rock drainage (ML/ARD).
• Experience with the federal or provincial Environmental Effects Monitoring Program.
• Experience related to one or several specific contaminants (e.g. selenium).
• Experience with air or water quality modelling.

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

Various language requirements
• Position to be staffed requires English essential
• Various language requirements based on position being staffed within ECCC

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
Stream A: Contaminated Sites
• Knowledge of contaminated sites management including site assessment, risk assessment, remediation, and risk management.

Stream B: Geochemistry/Mining
• Knowledge of principles and practices used to characterize, predict, and mitigate water quality impacts from exposing, moving, or modifying geologic materials during mining or other large-scale anthropogenic activities.

Stream C: Water Quality
• Knowledge of principles and practices used to monitor, evaluate, predict and mitigate effects to water quality and aquatic life from large-scale anthropogenic activities (e.g., mining, transportation or industrial projects)

Stream D: Air Quality
• Knowledge of principles and practices used to monitor, evaluate, predict and mitigate impacts to air quality from large-scale anthropogenic activities (e.g., mining, transportation or industrial projects).

Abilities and Skills (all streams):
• Ability to communicate effectively orally.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
• Ability to plan, organize and set priorities within tight timelines.

Personal Suitability (all streams):
• Effective interpersonal relationships
• Judgement
• Adaptability
• Leadership

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 having a skilled and diversified workforce representative of the population we serve. In support of achieving a representative workforce and our employment equity goals, depending on the specific position being staffed from this process, selection may be limited to qualified candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity designated groups: Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women.

Operational requirements:
• Possession of valid driver’s license
• Willingness to work occasional overtime
• Willingness to travel including to remote areas

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

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

It is your responsibility, as a candidate, to demonstrate clearly how you meet each of the essential and asset criteria for Education and Experience. Please note that it is not sufficient to simply state that the qualification is met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Rather you must provide concrete examples with dates and duration as to when these experiences were gained for each experience criterion. The information provided during the application process 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. Your answer should clearly identify your role and explain relevant responsibilities and/or actions that you took. Your resume may be used to confirm the information provided.

Asset qualifications could be used at the screening stage. Please ensure that your application and resume clearly indicate how you meet these qualifications. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or missing information. A lack of information may result in your application not being considered any further.

In order to manage the number of applications in the selection process, management may use top-down consideration of scores at various steps in the process, to determine the number of candidates who will be further considered in the process.

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.

In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, and there is a temporary need, he/she may be considered for acting, deployment, assignment or secondment opportunities.

A written examination may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

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

We intend to communicate with the candidates by email. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts emails from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). If you do not wish to receive results by email or if you change your email address during the process, it is your responsibility to inform us.

Candidates invited to an interview will be required to provide proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript (original documents only).

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.