High Performance Computing Analyst

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 Government of Canada is committed to building a skilled workforce that is representative of Canada's diversity, which includes the recruitment of Canadian Veterans and releasing Canadian Armed Forces personnel: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-servicecommission/jobs/services/publicservice-jobs/canadian-armed-forcesmembers-veterans.html

We encourage applicants to identify any abilities, competencies, and/or experiences acquired through employment with the Canadian Armed Forces where applicable.

Duties

Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service is recruiting to fill several Physical Scientist (PC) positions in various locations across Canada. These positions will support a new, multi-year program to enhance Canada’s forest systems information technologies for improved forest monitoring and reporting, working in collaboration with Canada’s provinces and territories and Environment and Climate Change Canada. Come join our vibrant team of foresters, technical experts, and researchers to help deliver this exciting program within a diverse and inclusive work environment.  

The anticipatory PC-03 positions are senior positions responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of high-performance computing resources that researchers, scientists and software developers can utilize for their data processing, models, and simulations. The positions will also provide guidance and support to scientists in the fields of high-performance computing and parallel computing.

Work environment

The new Forest Systems Information and Technologies program announced in Budget 2023 is an investment in core operations to improve Canadian Forest Service (CFS) capacity on national forest monitoring data and reporting to improve information on forest carbon and forest integrity, and support Canada’s actions for sustainability, leveraging the federal government’s existing role in developing and sharing nimble, responsive, accurate, verified and climate change-informed forest and carbon data for all of Canada’s forests. It will increase transparency and accessibility of forest monitoring, greenhouse gas estimation, accounting and reporting information.  
  
This new program will use traditional ground-based forest measurements combined with satellite and airborne remote sensing and state of the art computing approaches to produce enhanced, scientifically credible, high-resolution forest assessment data, maps, and reports.

These new positions will have an emphasis on high performance computing, including developing algorithms and programs that leverage parallel processes, working with scientists to optimize scientific models and simulations for high performance computing and to run, maintain and administer hybrid high performance computing environments.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to fill two (2) positions - one is located at the Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria, British Columbia and has an English Essential linguistic profile requirement. The other position is located at the Laurentian Forestry Centre in Quebec City, Quebec with a bilingual (imperative BBB/BBB) linguistic profile requirement.

A pool of candidates will be established and may be used to staff similar positions within Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service with various tenures including indeterminate or specified period (term, acting or assignment/secondment at level, or term within a Sunset Program) with various linguistic profiles and various locations

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)

Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution, with acceptable specialization in physics, geology, chemistry or some other science relevant to the position such as Computer Science or Computer Engineering.

Degree equivalency

Experience in scientific computing.
Experience in the design and programming of applications in a Linux environment using C.
Experience installing and maintaining applications in a Linux environment.
Experience in the use of high-performance computing infrastructures (such as parallel computing, cloud, cluster computing).
Experience with containerization technologies e.g.: LXC, Docker, Kubernetes, or Podman.

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

Various language requirements

Information on language requirements

Knowledge of High-Performance Computing on public or hybrid cloud environments.
Knowledge of parallel programming practices.
Knowledge of software engineering practices such as object-oriented design and modeling, software testing methods and project documentation.
Knowledge of Linux system administration.
Knowledge of computer networking.

Ability to analyze problems and to prepare and evaluate alternative solutions.
Ability to provide scientific and technical subject matter advice.
Ability to write and maintain software systems in high-level languages (e.g. Java, C, SQL).
Ability to configure, build and install applications in a Linux environment.
Ability to develop and maintain complex software systems to be deployed on high performance computing systems (cloud, cluster/grid).
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Team Player
Initiative
Flexibility
Judgement

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

Graduation with a Master’s degree from a recognized post-secondary institution, in Computer Science or Computer Engineering with a specialty in high performance computing.

Degree equivalency

Experience with the development of models or simulations on a High-Performance Computing environment.
Experience administrating an OpenStack environment.
Experience with IAAS Infrastructure as a Service and SAAS Software as a Service.
Experience deploying and administering Ansible Openstack.
Experience developing large complicated natural resources models/simulations.
Experience with cloud infrastructures and orchestration of cloud resources.
Experience working on a multidisciplinary team including research scientists providing scientific and technical subject matter advice.

Knowledge of security of Web services and related trends and technologies.
Knowledge of relational databases (e.g. PostgreSQL).
Knowledge of Non-Relational Databases (e,g, MongoDB).
Knowledge of virtualizations and provisioning technologies.
Knowledge of Big Data analysis.
Knowledge of Machine Learning.

Natural Resources Canada is committed to establishing and maintaining a representative workforce. This organizational need may be identified as part of the appointment decision. In such cases, qualified candidates who self-declare as members of a visible minority group, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities or women could be considered in priority.

*Note to Candidates: Operational requirements may vary depending on the position being staffed.
The work requires long periods of sustained attention to a computer screen.
Willingness to work occasional overtime.
Willingness to occasionally travel.
Ability to lift 50lbs (computer workstation) onto a desk.

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

Tips for Applicants: It is your responsibility as a candidate to demonstrate clearly how you meet each of the essential and asset criteria for Education and Experience. Please note that it is not sufficient to simply state that the qualification is met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Rather you must provide concrete examples with dates and duration as to when these experiences were gained for each experience criterion. The information provided during the application process must enable the Selection Board Members to understand HOW (clear explanation of duties), WHEN and for HOW LONG (date and length of time in months or years), and WHERE (employer and geographic location) the experience was acquired. Your answer should clearly identify your role and explain relevant responsibilities and/or actions that you took. ''Please refer to C.V.'' or similar statements will not be accepted as a valid response. Your resume may be used to confirm the information provided. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information.

Asset qualifications could be used at the screening or assessment stage. Please ensure that your application and resume clearly indicate how you meet these qualifications. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or missing information. A lack of information may result in your application not being considered any further.

Candidates with foreign credentials will need to provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/

In order to manage the number of applications in the selection process, management may use top-down consideration of scores at various steps in the process, to determine the number of candidates who will be further considered in the process.

Persons are entitled to participate in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, and there is a temporary need, he/she may be considered for acting, deployment, assignment or secondment opportunities.

A written examination will be administered.

An interview will be administered.

References checks will be conducted.

We intend to communicate with the candidates by email. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts emails 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.

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.