Research Assistant - Climate Services - Research Assistant Program - Research Affiliate Program

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

Duties

The selected student will have the opportunity to be a member of an exciting organization within Environment and Climate Change Canada, which works to provide user-driven climate services and data, with the ultimate goal of helping Canadians to make climate-smart adaptation decisions leading to a more resilient Canada. Part of the CCCS work is dedicated to the evaluation of climate data and products and their dissemination via data portals, web applications, extraction tools and online tools for processing the data (see www.ClimateData.ca). Possible tasks include:

1.Evaluating the performance of multi-model ensembles and QA/QC of climate indices based on a large variety of variables (e.g. sea ice concentration, sea ice thickness, wind, snowfall, sea surface temperature).
2.Reviewing and updating ClimateData.ca content, particularly dataset and climate variable descriptions, sector module and learning zone content.
3.Working with the ClimateData.ca team to plan new/additional content and coordinate review processes.
4.Developing guidance materials and learning tools on using climate data for adaptation to climate change.
5.Execute customized climate data extractions for adaptation to climate change.

Work environment

The CCCS is an exciting organization within Environment and Climate Change Canada that has been established by the federal government to provide climate information and innovative decision-support tools to help build resilience to climate change in Canada. As a whole-of-government initiative, the CCCS aims to provide user-driven climate services based on authoritative climate data, with the ultimate goal of allowing Canadians to make climate-smart adaptation decisions leading to a more resilient Canada.
The student will also have the unique opportunity to participate in a collaborative effort between multiple federal government departments, other levels of government, and regional climate expert organizations.

Positions to be filled: 3

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter "Your cover letter should have a maximum of 2000 words. You must meet all ELIGIBILITY and 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. Candidates must use the eligibility, education and experience criteria as headers. Under each corresponding header, you must provide appropriate examples that illustrates how you meet the eligibility, education and experience factors. You must state clearly, if you are a Canadian citizen or have a valid working permit for Canada, if you are a Master's or PhD student having full-time student status for the entire period of the position, and where and when you obtained the education and the work experiences by identifying the employer(s) or organization(s) where you obtained the required experience factors, as well as concrete examples demonstrating your experiences. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application being rejected. Candidates must also demonstrate how they meet the ASSET (OTHER QUALIFICATIONS) by using the same format. For this part of the screening process, resumes will only be used as a secondary source to validate the essential experience listed in the cover letter."

Contact information for 2 references.

A list of the courses you have taken as well as any courses that you are taking now, or that you will be taking this academic year

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

EDUCATION
The student must be currently enrolled in a Master’s or Doctorate program in a recognized post-secondary institution in atmospheric science, climate science, or other related discipline in a Canadian University.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
In the context of student recruitment in the Federal Public Service, experience can be acquired through studies, work experience or volunteer activities
1.Experience in science writing, particularly explaining complex topics in plain language
2.Experience analyzing climate or meteorological datasets.
3.Experience with scientific programming (e.g. Python, R, or shell scripting, etc.).

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

English or French

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of significant climate change impacts Canada will experience

ABILITY
Ability to communicate (orally and in writing)

PERSONAL SUITABILITY
1.Team work
2.Initiative
3.Multitasking

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

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS EXPERIECE
1.Experience working with Linux/Unix
2.Experience in statistical analysis of outputs of global or regional climate models (GCMs or RCMs).
3.Experience using climate projections to generate climate change impact information for stakeholders.
4.Experience in working with indigenous communities

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

Qualifications may be evaluated by a wide range of tools and methods. Consequently, a written exam, an interview, reference checks or other evaluation methods may be sought in this process. Applicants need to make a reasonable effort to make themselves available for their evaluation at the appointed time. A passing grade will be established for all evaluated qualifications.

You must provide proof of your education credentials.

Candidates are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.


For this selection process, it is our intention to communicate with candidates via email for screening and assessment purposes. This will include communication of screening results and invitations to written tests and interviews. To that end, candidates must include a valid email address in their application. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that this address is functional and that it accepts messages from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). It is also the candidate’s responsibility to ensure accurate information is provided and updated as required.

We thank all applicants for their interest in our position(s). For the purpose of this staffing process, only candidates selected for further assessment will be contacted.
The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.
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

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.