Research Scientist - Environmental Chemistry

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

IMPORTANT NOTE: All Research Scientist (SE-RES) appointments are incumbent based. Therefore, the level of the position is determined by the qualifications/accomplishments of the successful candidate as determined by a committee.

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.

Information to be provided in your application must include resume and a list of publications.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff an indeterminate position in Burlington, Ontario.

A pool of qualified candidates will be established from this process which may be used to staff similar positions within Environment and Climate Change with various tenures (e.g. indeterminate, specified period, deployment, assignment), with various language requirements, various security profiles, various locations, various conditions of employment depending on the position to be staffed.

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)

Essential 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, or the employer-approved alternative for the SE classification. (See Note 1).

Abilities / Skills

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, and/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:

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

Note:
The employer-approved alternative for the SE classification is an acceptable master’s or bachelor’s degree coupled with acceptable research, training and experience. The degree must be from a recognized post-secondary institution and in scientific fields and specialties related to the duties of the position. The training and experience must clearly demonstrate the ability to do personal research of doctoral degree calibre.

Degree equivalency

Essential Experience
E1. Recent* experience in collecting, compiling, critically assessing and interpreting scientific data and results by preparing first-authored scientific manuscripts relating to the environmental chemistry of aquatic contaminants for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals in the field of environmental sciences.

E2. Experience conceiving, planning and conducting chemical research, including the development of instrumental analytical methods for the identification, determination and characterization of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.

E3. Experience in communicating research results through presentations (both oral and posters).

E4. Experience collecting, compiling, critically assessing and interpreting data using mass spectrometers coupled to liquid or gas chromatography instrumentation.

* Recent = within the last seven (7) years. Note that special consideration may be given to applicants who experienced a significant career interruption or delay during this time period.

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS

AE-1. Experience collecting, compiling, critically assessing and interpreting data using high-resolution mass spectrometers coupled to liquid or gas chromatography instrumentation.

AE-2. Experience collecting, compiling, critically assessing and interpreting data from Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (2D-GC-ToF-MS) instrumentation.

AE-3. Experience in performing and analyzing high throughput chemical data, including non-targeted analyses of environmental samples by high resolution GC-MS and/or high resolution LC-MS.

AE-4. Experience in developing analytical methods (such as FTIR-microscopy or Raman microscopy) for the determination of microplastics or nanoplastics in the aquatic environment.

AE-5. Experience establishing collaborative relationships or partnerships with various stakeholders to conduct environmental studies or research.

AE-6. Experience in providing science-based advice to senior officials*** on scientific issues related to contaminant fate and behavior in aquatic ecosystems.

AE-7. Experience leading or contributing to the direction of multidisciplinary research teams in the environmental sciences.

AE-8. Experience in analytical method development relating to inorganic substances, including metals or rare earth elements, in aquatic matrices.

AE-9. Experience investigating the environmental fate or environmental behaviour or environmental effects of metals or rare earth elements.

***Senior official = Director or equivalent (empowered to take decisions related to financial and human resources).

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

English essential
English Essential (for the current position in Burlington, ON)

Information on language requirements

Knowledge

K1. Knowledge of ECCC priorities and programs that inform departmental activities pertaining to water and aquatic contaminants.

K2. Knowledge of contaminant issues including the environmental fate of contaminants in the aquatic environment.

K3. Knowledge of scientific research techniques employed in environmental studies pertaining to aquatic contaminants.

Ability
A1. Ability to develop, define, implement and deliver upon innovative, independent scientific funding proposals to support multidisciplinary research on contaminants of interest for ECCC.

A2. Ability to prioritize work and deliverables according to ECCC organizational needs.

A3. Ability to use conceptual thinking, creative and inductive reasoning to overcome obstacles and achieve results

A4. Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

A5. Ability to develop collaborative relationships in the context of scientific research

A6. Ability to supervise human resources and manage material and financial resources dedicated to projects

Personal Suitability

PS1. Demonstrate Integrity and Respect

PS2. Effective Interpersonal Skills

PS3. Thinking Things Through

PS4. Taking Initiative and Being Action-Oriented

PS5. Strategic Thinking

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

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, priority will be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Women, Indigenous People, Persons with a Disability, or Visible Minority.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability and willingness to work flexible hours according to the conditions outlined under the SE-RES group collective agreement.

Ability and willingness to manage and handle environmental samples and toxicants/solvents in a laboratory setting.

Ability and willingness to travel in remote areas as needed.

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

A written examination may be administered.

A situational exercise may be administered.

An interview may be administered.

Reference checks may be sought.

Important note: If you do not fully complete the screening questions as instructed, you may be screened out.

Asset qualifications could be used at the screening stage. Please ensure that your application clearly indicates how you meet these qualifications.

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/.

Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript (original documents only).

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

Only on-line applications will be accepted. All job applications must therefore be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System.

Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605 . PLEASE NOTE: For this selection process, our intention is to communicate with applicants by e-mail for screening/assessment purposes (including issuing screening results, and sending invitations for written tests and interviews).

Applicants can create a profile and a resume that can be used when applying for other processes without having to recreate a new application each time.
Applicants can modify their application/resume at any time BEFORE the closing date indicated on the Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) jobs advertisement.
Applicants can verify the status of their applications, at any time.
Applicants can be notified electronically of tests or interviews and results.
Applicants who apply to this selection process must include in their application a valid e-mail address and make sure this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.

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 appointment.

Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

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

The Public Service of Canada recognizes that the diversity of its employees' population contributes to its strength and integrity. We are committed to achieving employment equity and developing a highly capable workforce that is representative of Canadian Society. We therefore encourage women (especially in non-traditional occupations), Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minority groups to apply and declare themselves as part of one or more of the above mentioned Employment Equity Designated Groups.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

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.