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

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.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate in THEIR SCREENING QUESTION RESPONSES and resume, how they meet the essential qualifications related to the required education, experience, and abilities. You must clearly demonstrate in answering the screening questions how you meet the education and experience factors listed in the essential qualifications, and provide specific examples. We cannot make any assumptions about your experience. Simply stating that you have the required qualifications or listing your current duties will not be sufficient. Instead, you must provide concrete and detailed examples that clearly explain where, when, and how you gained the experience. One effective method is using the STAR principles (Specific situation (S), Task (T), Actions taken (A), and Results (R)). No additional information will be sought beyond what you submit in your application. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possibly missing information. Failure to provide the above information may result in your application being rejected from the process.

Duties

The role of the Program Officer is to:
• Provide program information, advice, and guidance on program delivery to clients
• Plan, coordinate and deliver program administration services
• Prepare reports and data on activities

Work environment

The Public Health Agency of Canada has been created to deliver on the Government of Canada's commitment to help protect the health and safety of all Canadians. The Centre for Emergency Response’s focus is responding to public health emergencies.

The Centre for Emergency Response (CER) serves as a sustainable and scalable centre of public health emergency response expertise, with the ability to lead and recover from public health events and emergencies. The CER’s work enables the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) mandate to lead federal efforts, and mobilize pan-Canadian action, to prevent disease and injury and promote and protect national and international public health.

CER is responsible for:
• Managing the Health Portfolio Operation Centre (HPOC) – a centralized coordination hub and a single window for the Health Portfolio to triage and respond to public health events and emergencies.
• Mobilizing Incident Management Structures (IMS) – a dedicated structure to coordinate response to a specific public health event or emergency requiring greater use of Health Portfolio resources.
• Leading public health emergency response by coordinating a network of professional expertise to provide technical assessments, public health advice, and emergency management capabilities.
• Coordinating surge support to Canada’s provinces and territories.
• Serving as the programmatic lead for the Health Portfolio’s response to cyclical events and natural disasters.

Intent of the process

The immediate intent is to staff the following positions in the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Emergency Management Branch within the Centre for Emergency Response:

Two (2) bilingual imperative BBB positions on an indeterminate basis in Ottawa, ON.

Two (2) English Essential positions on a temporary basis until March 31, 2025 in Ottawa, ON, with the possibility of extension.

NOTE: Hybrid work within departmental guidelines is possible, which offers employees the opportunity to telework and work from the designated work location, subject to operational requirements. These positions will require an in-office presence for a minimum of two (2) days a week.

Employees at the same group and level or equivalent may be considered first for deployment.

A pool of qualified candidates (partially assessed) may be established and may be used to staff similar positions at this group and level with various language requirements. In addition, this process may be used for various tenures (acting appointments, assignment, deployment, indeterminate, specified period, secondment), locations, security requirements and conditions of employment within the Public Health Agency of Canada. As a result of the potential and possible use of the selection process and subsequent pool by hiring managers, we encourage all candidates seeking this type of opportunity to apply.

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:
The minimum standard is:
A secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternatives (see Note 1).

Note:
The employer-approved alternatives to a secondary school diploma are:
A satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma; or
An acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.
Candidates who already meet both of the following criteria must be accepted as meeting the secondary school diploma requirement:

Candidates who have achieved a satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma; and
Candidates who have been appointed or deployed for an indeterminate period to a position in the PM classification.
The opportunity to be assessed by at least one of the two employer-approved alternatives must be offered to candidates who have not previously met the secondary school diploma requirement.

Candidates who were appointed or deployed on an indeterminate basis using an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience meet the secondary school requirement for the PM classification only and must be reassessed for entry to other classifications on the basis of this alternative.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
EX1 - Experience in providing services to clients performing administrative services in an office environment.
EX2 - Experience in conducting research and synthesizing information in support of project management activities.
EX3 - Significant* experience using MS Suite, mainly Word, Excel, and Outlook.

*Significant experience is defined as the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with the performance of these activities normally acquired approximately over a two (2) year period.

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

Various language requirements
Bilingual imperative BBB/BBB, CBC/CBC
English essential
French essential

Information on language requirements

Abilities:
AB1 - Ability to communicate effectively orally.
AB2 - Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

Personal Suitability:
C1 - Demonstrating integrity and respect
C2 - Thinking things through
C3 - Working effectively with others
C4 - Showing initiative and being action-oriented

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

Asset Education:
AED1 - A post-secondary diploma or degree in public health.
AED2 - A post-secondary diploma or degree in emergency management.

Degree equivalency

Asset Experience:
AEX1 – Experience working in an emergency management environment.

Operational Requirements (depending on the position):
Willingness and ability to work overtime, as required.
Willingness and ability to travel, on occasion.

Conditions of employment

Security: Various - Reliability or Secret (dependent on position being 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

You are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of your choice (English or French). You are asked to indicate your preferred official language in your application.

Proof of education will be requested if you are considered for a position. Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at www.cicic.ca/

Persons with a disability preventing them from applying on-line should contact us at 1-800-645-5605.

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 during the assessment and/or selection of candidates.

Appointment decisions may be based on one or more of the following criteria:
i. Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the strengths and weaknesses of the work team.
ii. Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the specific duties of the position being staffed.
iii. Depth, breadth, type of work-specific experience.
iv. Level/degree of one or more competencies/qualifications.
v. v) The organizational need of restructuring/budgetary constraints

We would like to thank in advance those who have submitted a job application, but will only contact those people selected for the next phase in 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.