Senior Program Officer

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

The intent of this process is, in part, to respond to the Clerk of the Privy Council’s Call to Action for leaders in the Public Service to appoint, sponsor, support and recruit Indigenous candidates to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. This opportunity provides a step forward in creating a staff complement reflective of the peoples, communities, First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners we work with and for.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate IN THEIR COVER LETTER how they meet the education and experience criteria listed in the Essential Qualifications and Asset Qualifications if applicable. Please note that stating that the requirement has been met, and/or listing past or current responsibilities, does not represent adequate substantiation. Rather, you must provide concrete examples that clearly illustrate how you meet the requirement. Résumés may be used as a secondary source to validate the qualifications described; comments such as "refer to my attached resume" will not be accepted and may result in your application being rejected.

Your cover letter will be used to assess your ability to communicate in writing.

Work environment

Please be advised this process will be used to staff positions in the new department of Indigenous Services Canada. The creation of Indigenous Services Canada is an important development in our renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples. These structural changes will allow our government to work more effectively with Indigenous partners to provide services that improve people’s day-to-day quality of life.

OUR MISSION: In the spirit of reconciliation, we are committed to creating an inclusive, diverse and representative workforce of Indigenous peoples. We aim to contribute to making Canada a better place for all peoples, particularly, First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

WHY CHOOSE CIRNAC and ISC? We want to be an employer of choice for First Nations, Inuit or Métis peoples. To be effective and culturally competent in delivering our mandates, CIRNAC and ISC require your unique Indigenous knowledge and experience. Providing excellent services and programs requires an understanding of the priorities and aspirations of partner Indigenous communities in areas such as education, health, economic development, housing, community infrastructure and social support. Join a workplace committed to reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with an established branch in a new department and play a key role in the attainment of its priorities.

To learn more about Indigenous Services Canada, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/indigenous-services-canada.html

Intent of the process

The intent is to staff this position via the Aboriginal Peoples Employment Program, which aims to strategically increase Aboriginal representation within the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. As such, Organizational Needs may be applied and first consideration may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to Aboriginal peoples. (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-13.html).

For the purpose of staffing within the federal public service, the term Aboriginal is used, as per the Employment Equity Act, to define a North American Indigenous person as members of First Nations, Inuit or Métis. North American Indigenous people or members of First Nation include treaty, status or registered Indigenous people, as well as those non-status and non-registered. However, please note that the terms Aboriginal and Indigenous are used interchangeably within this job advertisement. Both terms include First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

The Self-declaration is completed as part of the job application under the “Employment Equity” tab and your affiliation as a member of First Nations, Inuit or Métis will be will be verified via an Affirmation Affiliation form to be provided later in the staffing process.

A pool of qualified candidates may be established and may be used to staff future vacancies on an indeterminate, term, and/or acting basis.

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

Education:
Graduation with a degree or diploma from a recognized university or educational institute in a field relevant to the work to be performed OR an acceptable combination of education, training and employment.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
1. Significant experience in providing advice or recommendations to management on policy, program or client service issues.
2. Significant experience in developing and or maintaining relationships with Indigenous communities and/or internal and external stakeholders or clients.
*Significant experience is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience that would normally be acquired over a period of 1 year or more)

Competencies:
1. Communication (oral)
2. Communication (written)
3. Demonstrating integrity and respect
4. Thinking things through
5. Showing initiative and being action-oriented
6. Working effectively with others
7. Dependability
8. Aboriginal Cultural Competency

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

Asset Experience:
• Significant experience* overseeing the delivery of services to a client group.
• Experience in budget management (i.e. management of program funding, expenditures, program allocations or forecasting).
• Experience in leading a working group OR managing a project or program.
• Experience supervising teams of employees.

*Significant experience is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience that would normally be acquired over a period of 1 year or more)

**Please note that experience leading a work group may be gained through showing leadership in a variety of settings, including but not limited to: participation in a project team, a volunteer-work setting, a committee, or school/university group assignments)

Organizational Needs:
Indigenous Services Canada is committed to having a skilled and diversified workforce representative of the population it serves. In support of our strategy to achieve our employment goals for Aboriginal peoples, preference may be given to candidates who, at the time of application indicate that they are an Aboriginal person (self-declaration). Indigenous/Aboriginal candidates must use the Affirmation of Aboriginal Affiliation Form (AAAF) If applied, preference will be given to Aboriginal (Indigenous) peoples only.

Indigenous Services Canada, First Nations and Inuit Heath Branch is committed to ensuring a fair and equitable representation and distribution of women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and visible minorities reflective of their representation in the Canadian workforce.

Conditions of employment

• Security Clearance: Reliability
• Mobility usually associated with a valid driver’s license
• Willingness and ability for travel is required. Varying requirements for travel depending on the position being staffed.
• Willingness and ability to work overtime, sometimes on short notice

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

Please ensure that your email address is on your application for correspondence.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.

Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email.)

All communication relating to this process, including email correspondence and telephone conversations, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

Based on the hiring division’s needs, additional essential qualifications, asset qualifications, organizational needs, operational requirements and/or conditions of employment may be identified and applied at any stage during the assessment and/or selection of candidates.

Candidates may be assessed using one or more of the following tools: standardized tests, written exam, interview, simulation exercise and reference checks.

Other sources of information (such as performance agreements, work samples, board member
knowledge, etc.) may be used to assess the criteria identified on the Statement of Merit Criteria.

Candidates must ensure that they are available for any testing or interviews required. Candidates from outside the federal public service who are invited to written exams and/or interviews will be responsible for travel and accommodation expenses.

Proof of education will be required. Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further
information at http://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.

A top down approach may be used to assess and/or appoint candidates.

Candidates must meet the essential qualifications and conditions of employment to be appointed to a position. Candidates may be required to meet the asset qualifications, the operational requirements and/or the organizational needs, depending on the requirements of the specific position being staffed.

Depending on the requirements of the position(s) being staffed from this process, for current or future vacancies, any or all of the asset qualifications, operational requirements, and organizational needs may be applied at the time of staffing.

Successful candidate(s) must meet and maintain the Conditions of Employment throughout their employment.

Candidates may be contacted and assessed against these criteria at any time during this process.

An assignment/secondment or an acting appointment is a temporary resourcing option. The approval of your substantive supervisor may/will be required before an offer can be made.

Candidates will be asked to provide proof of Canadian citizenship.

Should you be an employee of the public service, please identify clearly your substantive group and level, your employment status and your Personal Record Identifier (PRI) on your resume and/or CV.

If you do not respond to our communications we will interpret this as your withdrawal from the process.

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.