Student Research Assistant

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

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

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

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

Duties

The candidate will: help facilitate workshops with knowledge holders from various Inuit communities across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago; transcribe and code audio recordings from various community workshops across the Arctic Archipelago; develop methods for weaving Inuit knowledge shared during workshops with available data from aerial surveys and radio-collars to model occurrence or habitat selection across different seasons for caribou, muskoxen, wolves and bears. The candidate will work with a broader team (including government and Indigenous partners) to ensure the models are ecological relevant and capture regional idiosyncrasies.
The candidate will be responsible for developing hypotheses and analyzing data to identify drivers of habitat use using available geospatial datasets and appropriate modelling and statistical tools.

Work environment

Research will be conducted at Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) National Wildlife Research Centre, in Ottawa, Ontario and McGill University’s Department of Natural Resource Sciences in Montreal (Québec). The work is part of a larger research initiative investigating the impacts of climate change on the habitat of Peary caribou, a species at risk undergoing population declines, including associated impacts to competitors and predators in the arctic landscape. The candidate will be co-supervised by ECCC Research Scientist, Dr. Cheryl A. Johnson, who specializes in research to inform evidence-based decision making for species at risk, and Dr. Murray Humphries, a McGill University professor specializing in research to better understand, predict and monitor environmental change impacts on northern wildlife and communities.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

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

Education:
The candidate must be currently enrolled in an MSc program in the department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill University.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
-Experience in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer software or imaging processing software (e.g. ESRI, ArcGIS suite, QGIS).
-Experience generating geospatial datasets using a variety of information sources (e.g. field data, Indigenous knowledge, historic documentation).
-Experience transcribing and coding audio recordings of expert knowledge shared at workshops in support of research or management.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Knowledge:
-Knowledge of general concepts of ecosystem conservation and species at risk.
-Knowledge of arctic ecosystems and impacts of climate change on wildlife species.
-Knowledge of principles of management of sensitive data and considerations for weaving knowledge systems in research and management applications.

Abilities:
-Ability to work collaboratively.
-Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Personal Suitability:
-Initiative

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

Operational Requirements:
-Willingness to travel.

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

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.