Research Assistant - Entomology

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

As one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is proud to celebrate our achievement in creating a diverse, respectful, and positive workplace where all employees are valued and recognized for their unique qualities, ideas, voices and perspectives. We are dedicated to building and promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, representative of all Canadians regardless of race, ethnicity, colour, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socio-economic background or lived experience. By embracing diversity and inclusion, our department ensures broader discussions, better decisions, and a more positive workplace.

Duties

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the molecular laboratory, which operates as part of a collaborative collective. The research focus of the lab is on bee systematics. They will need to interact daily with students, visitors, and other employees, and they will assist in training students. They will follow various protocols for the production and sequencing of specific gene fragments, reduced complexity genomes, whole genomes, and other standard molecular protocols. They will manage and track large amounts of data and bioinformatically analyze large datasets or phylogenetic analyses. They will also assist in curating Aculeata in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes. They will assist with the photographing, databasing, and morphological identification and description of insect specimens. They will also assist with fieldwork and processing field samples. This work requires the handling of live bees.

Work environment

The Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes (CNC) of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is one of the five largest collections of its kind in the world. It contains about 18 million specimens and is housed at the Ottawa Research and Development Centre on the historical Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Ontario. The CNC is an active centre of scientific research and an invaluable national resource. It serves Canadian scientists who investigate problems in the fields of agriculture, biodiversity, genetics, biological control and various forms of integrated pest management and is part of an international network for other researchers, educators and policymakers.

Intent of the process

The immediate need is to staff one Indeterminate position located in the National Capital Region.

A pool of qualified and partially qualified candidates may be established and may be used to staff similar positions with various tenures as well as various linguistic requirements.

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:
ED1. A secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternatives.

The employer-approved alternatives to a secondary school diploma are a satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission test or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience. If you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. Click on the link below to contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC).

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:
E1. Experience tracking a large number of experimental samples in a laboratory.
E2. Experience, in a research context, preparing nucleic acids for sequencing using either Sanger or any next-generation or third-generation sequencing technologies.
E3. Experience editing and aligning large DNA sequence datasets for phylogenetic analyses.
E4. Experience working with an insect collection for scientific study.
E5. Experience sampling insects in the field.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE:
K1. Knowledge on conducting insect biodiversity research.
K2. Knowledge on conducting research in insect systematics.
K3. Knowledge of using next-generation sequencing theory and methods for systematics
K4. Knowledge of how to develop and adapt molecular protocols.
K5. Knowledge of bee taxonomy.

COMPETENCIES:
C1. Adaptability
C2. Problem Solving
C3. Teamwork
C4. Analytical Thinking
C5. Interactive communication

ABILITIES:
A1. Ability to identify insects under a micro-scope using taxonomic keys.

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

"WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE IN YOUR APPLICATION ALL THE ASSET CRITERIA THAT MAY APPLY TO YOU"

EDUCATION AS ASSET:
AED1. Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in entomology, molecular biology, biology, natural resources, agriculture, or discipline directly related to duties of the position or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.

Degree equivalency

ASSET AS EXPERIENCE :
AE1. Experience with the production of scientific presentations and publications.
AE2. Experience conducting research in insect taxonomy or systematics.
AE3. Experience performing bioinformatic analysis for high-throughput DNA or RNA sequencing datasets.
AE4. Experience collecting and processing bee samples for biodiversity research.
AE5. Experience identifying species via DNA barcoding.
AE6. Experience writing scripts in common programming languages.
AE7. Experience accessing and analyzing data on remote computer clusters.

Selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women

Information on employment equity

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada recognizes that the diversity of its employee 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 encourage women (especially in non-traditional occupations), Indigenous peoples (Aboriginal peoples), persons with disabilities, and members of visible minority groups to apply and declare themselves as part of one or more of the Employment Equity groups as selection may be limited to candidates belonging to one or more of the groups.

• Possession of a valid, Ontario G class driver’s license, or other provincial/territorial equivalency.
• Ability and willingness to work overtime.
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Ability and willingness to work with hazardous materials and equipment.
• Ability and willingness to do repetitive tasks.
• Ability and willingness to work outdoors under variable weather conditions.
• Ability and willingness to work for extended periods in field and laboratory environments.
• Ability and willingness to work with organisms that may cause allergies.
• Known allergies must be controlled through the use of personal protective equipment and/or medication and must not impinge upon the duties to be performed.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - • Willingness and ability to have flexible operational work hours.
• With proper safety precautions in place, willingness, and ability to work with hazardous laboratory chemicals and equipment, and willingness and ability to work with organisms that may cause allergies.
• Willingness and ability to work at a computer for extended periods.

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

ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

You must meet all essential qualifications 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.

Various assessment tools may be used, such as standardized tests, interviews, references, board member knowledge, etc.

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

A random or top-down selection of candidates may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

Appointment decisions may be based on one or more of the following criteria:

• Matching the individual's experience or qualifications (essential or asset) to the strengths and weaknesses of the work team.
• Matching the individual's experience or qualifications (essential or asset) to the specific duties of the position being staffed.
• Depth, breadth, and type of work-specific experience.
• Level/degree of one or more competencies/qualifications.

A test may be administered for essential and asset criteria.

An interview may be administered for essential and asset criteria.

Reference checks may be sought.

You must provide proof of your educational credentials.

Asset qualifications may be used in the determination of those to be given further consideration in the assessment process.

APPLICATION & CORRESPONDENCE INFORMATION

Applications submitted by email will not be accepted. You must apply on-line through www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/gc-jobs.html.

Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact the email referenced below under "Contact Information."

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.

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 emails from unknown users (some email systems block these types of emails).

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.