MSc student - Research Affiliate Program

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

To be considered for Research Affiliate Program (RAP) work opportunities,
you must meet the following criteria:

Be recognized as having full-time student status by the post-secondary academic institution at which you are currently enrolled or pending approval of acceptance (proof will be required).

Be the minimum age to work in the province or territory where the job is located.
Must be able to report to work in person in the National Capital Region (Ottawa, ON).

The student will be expected to work approximately 20-35 hours per week and be willing to commit to the research project for a period of about 18 to 20 months. The candidate's RAP research activities must be aligned with their Masters Program that is being conducted to fulfill degree requirements at a recognized post-secondary institution.

Health Canada is committed to increasing representation of Black employees and other racialized groups, Indigenous People, women and persons with disabilities. Health Canada would like its workforce to be reflective of the population it serves. Therefore, we encourage candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a member of one of these groups.

Give yourself the best chance to succeed! As the objective of this process is to assess qualifications needed for the position(s) to be staffed, let us know if you have a functional limitation/disability, which may affect your performance. For example, contact us if you need assistance in completing and submitting your application. Should you then proceed to the next assessment stage, such as an exam or interview, we will send you an e-mail with additional information on the assessment format so that you can determine if you may require an accommodation (such as a different test format, an adaptive technology, or additional time). Assessment accommodations are designed to remove the obstacles without altering the criteria being assessed so candidates with functional limitations can fully demonstrate their abilities.

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.

Health Canada welcomes applications from Veterans. We recognize your contribution to Canadians and would like to offer you the opportunity to continue your career in an environment where multi-talented employees with diverse skills are appreciated and supported.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME.
Health Canada is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce with a diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds that represents Canada now and in the future. 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.

BRING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO WORK
We encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of race, colour, religion, sex (including gender identity and/or expression), national origin, sexual orientation, civil union or relationship status, disability, age, parental status, military service, or other status protected under federal law.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR RESPONSES TO THE COVER LETTER AND YOUR RESUME WILL EVALUATE YOUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY IN WRITING.

Duties

Duties may include:
Microbiological assays involving the growth and enumeration of bacteria.
Handling containment level 2 bacterial pathogens.
Assisting with method optimization where necessary.
Maintaining a detailed record of methods used and results achieved.
Performing nucleic acid extraction, polymerase chain reaction and data analysis.
Analysis of whole genome sequencing data.
Assisting in the interpretation of results.
Assisting in the preparation of manuscripts for publication.
Attending and presenting results at conferences/meetings (pending funding).
Ensuring compliance with containment level 2 and lab safety standards.

Work environment

The Bureau of Microbial Hazards works to minimize public health risks from the consumption of foods contaminated with bacterial, parasitic, viral and prion-disease agents.

The Microbiology Research Division, part of the Bureau of Microbial Hazards, provides scientific data and expert scientific advice to support the development of federal policies, guidelines and standards, and regulations to ensure the microbial safety of the Canadian food supply.

The Genomics Research and Development Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRDI AMR) One Health project will use microbiological techniques and genomics to monitor the occurrence and spread of AMR genes, and AMR organisms in environmental, animal, food, and clinical settings. Specifically, this project will focus on transmission of AMR genes between foodborne bacteria and the identification of factors leading to the mobilization of AMR genes.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff one Student position. English Essential.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter "Outline your suitability for the position and your research interests. Please note that this will be used to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in writing."

Eligibility

You are eligible for this program if you meet these 3 requirements:

•You are a full-time student in a post-secondary institution
•You are enrolled (or pending approval of acceptance) in an academic program that requires research as part of your curriculum
•You meet the minimum age required in the province/territory of work

This includes students with physical or emotional disabilities deemed to have full-time status by their academic institution. Adult students registered in education and retraining programs at the secondary level may also be eligible for student employment programs. See our site for additional details.

Contact information for 2 references.

A list of the courses you have taken as well as any courses that you are taking now, or that you will be taking this academic year

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

Education:
EEd1 - Completed a Bachelor’s Degree (BSc) in microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or related fields.

The student must be currently enrolled* in a Masters (MSc) program at a Canadian university, with a specialization in food microbiology.

*Be recognized as having full-time student status by the post-secondary academic institution at which you are currently enrolled or pending approval of acceptance. Proof of enrollment will be required prior to start date.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
EEx1 - Experience working in a research laboratory setting;
EEx2 - Experience providing support/assistance in technical and logistical planning;
EEx3 - Experience in utilizing new and existing methodologies in support of various scientific projects;
EEx4 - Experience in using molecular biology techniques;
EEx5 - Experience in working with Biosafety Level 2 bacterial pathogens.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
EK1 - Knowledge of maintenance procedures and operation of laboratory equipment;
EK2 - Knowledge of the methods used in conducting laboratory testing and evaluation;
EK3 - Knowledge of laboratory safety guidelines;
EK4 - Knowledge of basic microbiology, molecular biology and genomics.

Abilities:
EA1 - Ability to communicate effectively in writing;
EA2 - Ability to communicate effectively orally;
EA3 - Ability to work effectively in a team;
EA4 - Ability to work with minimal supervision.

Personal Suitabilities:
PS1 - Respectful of diversity

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

AEx1 - Experience with aseptic technique;
AEx2 - Experience planning and executing laboratory experiments.

AAb1- Ability to perform nucleic acid extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Organizational need:
In support of achieving a diversified workforce, consideration may be given to candidates self-declaring as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, Persons with disabilities, Members of visible minorities, and Women.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - Each student hired through the Research Affiliate Program (RAP) must meet the security requirements of the position as a condition of employment.

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

Things that will be required:

A cover letter "outlining your suitability for the position and your research interests". Please note that this will be used to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Your proof of education (degree) and a copy of your transcript for your completed Bachelor’s Degree (BSc) in microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology or related field.

Reference checks - PLEASE PROVIDE TWO REFERENCES with your application. Please make sure your reference can speak to the examples you provide in support of essential and asset experience factors as well as ability and personal suitability criteria.

A list of the courses you have taken as well as any courses that you are taking now, or that you will be taking this academic year.

You must meet all essential qualifications in order to be appointed to the position. Other qualifications may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed. Some essential and other qualifications will be assessed through your application. It is your responsibility to provide appropriate examples that illustrate how you meet each qualification. Failing to do so could result in your application being rejected.

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.

For this process, emails are the most efficient way to communicate with you. Candidates who apply to this selection process must include an email address that accepts email 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.

Please note that candidates are responsible for submitting their application by the closing date in order to be considered. ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE THROUGH THE PSRS SYSTEM. No applications will be accepted once the deadline has passed. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possibly missing information.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The PSRS system will time out after 60 minutes of inactivity which may result in your inability to save your work or loss of data. It is recommended that you draft ALL RESPONSES in another document on your PC which may be saved (e.g. in MS Word or WordPerfect) and copy/paste into the PSRS system when completed. HEALTH CANADA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SYSTEM PROBLEMS WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF DATA AND/OR INCOMPLETE OR NON SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS.

Please note that volume management strategies, such as random selection, top-down approach, invoking any asset(s) and/or cut-off scores, MAY be used at any point in the staffing process for the purpose of managing volumes of applications/candidates.

Preference

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.