Research Scientist

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

Everyone is welcome! Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is 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. We welcome diversity in all its forms, promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.
Please note that preference for hiring may be given to candidates self-identifying as members of the employment equity groups.

Screening questions have been built into the application process. Answers provided to the screening questions will be used to assess both education and experience. You must answer the screening questions in addition to providing a resume. For experience qualifications, your answers must include concrete examples that demonstrate how the experience was obtained. The onus is on the candidate to provide sufficient information in their answers. Additional information will not be solicited from the candidate. The resume will be used to validate the information provided through the screening questions.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is committed to having a skilled and diversified workforce representative of the population we serve. In support of our Engagement Strategy to achieve employment equity goals, consideration may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, Persons with a Disability, Visible Minorities and Women.

Work environment

As a leader on environmental issues, ECCC is mandated with ensuring that Canadians have a safe, clean, and sustainable environment today, tomorrow and well into the future! More now than ever. The Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate is hiring Research Scientists to lead applied wildlife and landscape research programs that support the conservation and protection of Canada’s natural environment. We offer a work environment that supports diversity, inclusion, and employment equity, while delivering innovative and collaborative research for conservation of Species at Risk, Migratory Birds, and their habitats.

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to staff three (3) Research Scientist positions in Delta (British Columbia), Dartmouth (Nova Scotia), and Ottawa (Ontario). Additional positions may be staffed across the country.

A pool of qualified candidates will be created to staff similar positions with various tenures (indeterminate, specified period, deployment, assignment, secondment, acting, acting extensions), security requirements, and language requirements and profiles within Environment and Climate Change Canada across the country.

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 an acceptable doctoral degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in a field of the natural sciences related to the duties of the position.

Scientific Productivity/Recognition:
Productivity or recognition is required for all positions in the Research Scientist sub-group (SE-RES) (Revised October 1, 1999).

Productivity or recognition includes developmental work leading to the issue of patents, copyrights, or the creation of improved varieties, functions, or designs, and/or recognition by the professional community of the research environment. It also refers to recognized achievement in the form of authorship and editorship of published or unpublished reports, books, papers, or other communications resulting from:

a) Research, experimental development, or tasking associated with operational equipment and problems;
b) Operational research and scientific analysis;
c) Planning, analysis and evaluation of Canadian and foreign programs in research and development.

Degree equivalency

Experience:

• Recent* and significant** experience in the design, planning and implementation of research programs related to wildlife or landscape ecology.
• Recent* and significant** experience in the analysis of ecological data.
• Recent* and significant** experience in writing and publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers in the field of wildlife or landscape ecology.

*Recent is defined as within the last 5 years.
** Significant is defined as approximately 3 years.

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

Various language requirements
Official Language Proficiency:
English Essential, French Essential, English or French Essential, Bilingual Imperative BBB/BBB, CBC/CBC, etc.

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
• Knowledge of current theory, research and analytical techniques in wildlife ecology, particularly in the areas of population ecology, movement ecology or community ecology.
• Knowledge of current theory and research in the areas of wildlife management and conservation biology.
• Knowledge of current conservation and management issues affecting migratory birds or Species at Risk in Canada.

Abilities/Skills:
• Ability to develop and maintain collaborative research relationships.
• Ability to effectively communicate orally.
• Ability to effectively communicate in writing.

Personal Suitabilities
• Effective interpersonal skills
• Leadership
• Judgement

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

• Experience in applying scientific results to policies or programs in wildlife management or conservation.
• Experience in writing research funding applications or proposals as principal investigator or co-investigator.
• Experience co-developing research with Indigenous peoples.
• Experience delivering science in partnership with end-users such as governments, non-governmental organizations, industry or other stakeholders.
• Experience in supervision.
• Experience in developing and using dynamic ecological modelling approaches such as individual-based, stochastic, landscape simulation, or spatially structured (state-space) models, and applying the models to wildlife or landscape questions.
• Experience in developing and using decision-science approaches and tools to inform wildlife or habitat conservation decision-making.
• Experience in conducting research on avian ecology.
• Experience in conducting research on the ecology of large mammals.
• Experience communicating scientific results to senior leaders, decision-makers, or the public.

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 our Engagement Strategy to achieve employment equity goals, consideration may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, Persons with a Disability, Visible Minorities and Women.

Operational Requirements:
• Willingness to undertake program travel by various modes of transportation (e.g., car, aircraft, boat).
• Willingness to work in adverse environmental conditions.
• Willingness to work irregular hours and on weekends on occasion.
• Willingness to work for extended periods of time in the field.
• For certain positions, willingness to obtain a Government of Canada Firearms Licence and willingness to handle and use firearms in the field.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Other operational requirements may apply depending on the position(s) to be staffed.

Conditions of employment

• Security Clearance: Reliability or secret, depending on the position to be staffed.
Security clearance: Those selected must meet and maintain the above condition of employment throughout their employment.

Depending on the requirements of the position(s) being staffed from this process, the following conditions of employment may apply:
• Successfully pass a medical evaluation from Health Canada prior to appointment, and then at specific intervals as required;
• Other condition(s) of employment may apply depending on the position(s) to be staffed.

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

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language(s) of their choice.

Proof of education will be requested and must be provided during the selection process. Candidates who are unable to provide proof that they meet this essential qualification as requested may be eliminated from the process.
Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicdi.ca.

All information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the applicants.

A variety of tools may be used in the assessment of candidates, such as: written test, situational exercise, oral interview, simulation, presentation, work samples, and/or reference checks.

Our intention is to communicate with candidates via email. Candidates who apply on this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and to make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). Failure to respond in a prescribed timeframe may result in elimination from this process. Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will only contact successful candidates.

Interested persons must meet each essential qualification to be appointed to the position. However, a person may be appointed to the position even though he/she does not meet any or all of the asset qualifications, operational requirements or organizational needs. However, meeting these criteria is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed.

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.