Resource Management Officer II (Fire)/Fire Management 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

📌 Northern Allowances (rates and conditions subject to change and vary depending on number of dependents):
▻ Isolated Post Allowances: Approximately $13,022/year to $29,078/year
▻ Vacation Travel Assistance: approximately $2,000 per year for each eligible member of the household

📢 We Also Offer:
▻ Housing: Federal government housing may be available
▻ Relocation Assistance: Applicants may be eligible for relocation assistance and may wish to review the Relocation Directive: https://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/d6/en
▻ Training, Development & Education Opportunities: Multi-year career development plans which include opportunities for education assistance funding and training opportunities
▻ Pension & Benefits: Advantageous pension regime and health benefits. For more information, see: https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/topics/pension-plan.html
▻ Flexible Work Arrangements: Relative to operational requirements, possibility of flexible hours and compressed work weeks

In accordance with the Ndahecho Gondié Gháádé Agreement, preference may be given to persons who are:
a) Nahʔą Dehé Dene
b) Dehcho Dene

Preference may also be given to First Nation or Métis applicants of Acho Dene Koe First Nation, or Kaska Dena.

Duties

The Resource Management Officer II (Fire) will be responsible for coordinating the Fire Program for Nahanni and Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserves (NNPR and NaNPR respectively), in collaboration with the Visitor Safety and Fire Operations Coordinator and Wood Buffalo National Park and Parks Canada National Fire Teams.

🔔Position-specific duties include:
• finalizing the NNPR/NaNPR Fire Management Plan;
• deployment onto incidents across the country, as part of the National Incident Management Team;
• monitoring satellite imagery for new fires as well as expansions and status of existing fires in NNPR/NaNPR;
• updating the fire weather and national fire database;
• preparing wildlife analyses and briefing parks management teams on fire status/risk throughout fire season;
• conducting monitoring flights on fires near Values-at-Risk;
• developing and maintaining good relationships with partners and stakeholders;
• writing and distributing Fire Information Updates to community members, staff, and stakeholders; and
• maintaining fire cache equipment in Fort Simpson and in the Park.
The Resource Management Officer II (Fire) will also participate in broader duties as a member of the NNPR and NaNPR Resource Conservation Teams. These include both in-office work and backcountry fieldwork.

🔔Activities in the office may include:
• purchasing, preparing, and assembling equipment;
• assisting with Visitor Safety programs by acting as Duty Officer and assisting with incident responses;
• reviewing and processing regulatory documents (e.g. license and permit applications);
• planning field projects;
• reviewing and analyzing data and other information sources;
• developing protocols;
• mentoring Resource Management Technicians;
• entering and organizing data, and performing quality control verification;
• maintaining and updating records, technical logs, files, inventories, and databases;
• conducting impact assessment screenings;
• providing input on Resource Conservation programs and documents; and
• contributing to visitor experience, including community outreach.

🔔Activities in the field may include:
• setting up camps and contributing to field camp life;
• collecting data and samples in the field;
• using tools and scientific monitoring equipment; and
• interacting with park visitors & harvesters.

Work environment

With their combined boundaries totaling nearly 35,000 km2, Nahanni and Nááts’ihch’oh National Park Reserves) protect approximately 86% of the Nahʔą Dehé (South Nahanni River) watershed in the Northwest Territories and are located in the traditional territories of the Dehcho and Sahtu Dene. The park reserves are remote and mountainous, and home to species including grizzly bear, wolverine, Dall’s sheep, mountain goats, and woodland caribou. They also offer spectacular paddling, climbing, and hiking opportunities.

The headquarters for the position are located in the Village of Fort Simpson. Fort Simpson (Lı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ – ‘place where rivers come together’) is located at the confluence of the Liard and Mackenzie Rivers. It has a population of around 1,200 people, predominantly Dehcho Dene and Métis. Fort Simpson is an isolated community, accessible year-round by air, by ferry in the summer and by ice road in the winter. The summers have average high temperatures in the low 20s while winter temperatures are in the low -20s. Summers have long days with almost perpetual daylight. The winter offers opportunities for aurora viewing and cross-country skiing. Amenities in town include a general store, post office, bank, gas station, elementary and high schools, library, gymnasium, fitness centre, arena (seasonal), swimming pool (seasonal), hotels, airport, RCMP detachment, health centre.

The Resource Management Officer II (Fire) is primarily an office-based position. However, the successful candidate will be assigned to one of four National Incident Management Teams, each of which is on standby for 10 days on rotation throughout the summer for deployment onto major incidents across the country as required. There will also be opportunities to participate in field work in the park reserves. There are limited facilities or infrastructure in the parks, so field work will involve overnight camping. The park reserves are primarily fly-in, so the Resource Management Officer II must be comfortable flying in small aircraft (float planes and helicopters). Some locations within the parks are accessible by boat or truck, and trips may also involve accessing sites via hiking, canoe, or all-terrain vehicle, requiring a reasonable level of fitness. The successful candidate must be willing to work shift work during the fire operational season, including work on holidays, evenings and weekends. Shift work will include multi-day trips into remote areas, Duty Officer shifts and on-call hours, and potentially responding to incidents in the parks.

Parks Canada is a federal government agency responsible for the protection and presentation of Canada’s outstanding natural and cultural resources through a system of national parks, national marine conservation areas and national historic sites in all regions of Canada.

Intent of the process

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES: Resource Management Officer II (Fire)/Fire Management Officer (EG-04)
• Fulltime, indeterminate (1 FTE) – Position located in Fort Simpson, NT.

This inventory could also be used to staff other Resource Management Officer II (Fire) positions within the Southwest Northwest Territories Field Unit with various employment tenures and work locations that will vary depending on the needs of the positions being staffed.

This process will be used to create a pool of qualified candidates to staff similar positions with various tenures, security levels or linguistic profiles in same or other parts of the country.

**Additional positions to be staffed may be located within Parks Canada Field Units across Canada and with National Office business units. A list of possible locations will be sent only to those candidates screened and will be asked to identify work locations in which they are prepared to work. Note that the identified locations will assist in the placement of qualified candidates.**

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

Contact information for 3 references.

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

🎓EDUCATION
Graduation with a diploma or certificate with specialization in environmental and/or natural sciences (e.g. forest management, geomatics, biology, ecology)
OR
A degree from a recognized university with specialization in environmental and/or natural sciences (e.g. forest management, geomatics, biology, ecology)
OR
An acceptable combination of education, training and experience in a field related to the position.

Degree equivalency

📢EXPERIENCE
1. Experience preparing technical/scientific reports, plans, protocols, presentations, web site information, public presentation or displays;
2. Recent experience traveling and working in the field in remote backcountry environments;
3. Relevant experience in one (1) or more roles as Fire Crew/Strike Team/Task Force Leader or Unit Leader within Operations, Logistics or Planning Sections.

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

English essential

Information on language requirements

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

📌EXPERIENCE
• Experience with wildfire management planning, including planning activities related to wildfire risk reduction and/or prescribed fire;
• Experience with GIS (ESRI ArcGIS) and FGX;
• Recent and relevant experience performing various fire line duties;
• Experience working in northern Canada.

📌KNOWLEDGE
• Knowledge of the Fire Weather Index (FWI) and Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) systems, including assumptions and application within wildfire management;
• Knowledge of Nahanni and Nááts'įhch'oh National Park Reserves’ vegetation types and weather conditions;
• Knowledge of specialized technical and scientific equipment operation and maintenance requirements;
• Knowledge of environmental and natural sciences theories and principles.

📍In accordance with Article 10.5 of the Ndahecho Gondié Gháádé Agreement, in addition to core competencies, Parks Canada will give special consideration to the following criteria:
• knowledge of Nahʔą Dehé Dene and Dehcho Dene culture, communities, society, and economy;
• knowledge of the co-operative management arrangements for the Park;
• fluency in Dene Zhatié;
• knowledge of the environmental characteristics of the Park and its surrounding area; and
• relevant Northern experience.

📌ABILITIES
• Ability to manipulate and analyze spatial and non-spatial data using various media and software;
• Ability to follow procedures and protocol, and adapt as required to meet unexpected conditions (such as unexpected weather, challenging backcountry environments, terrain/waterway, etc.);
• Ability to conduct and coordinate field work in active management and monitoring projects;
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with Indigenous governments and co-operative management partners, colleagues, networks, external partners and stakeholders;
• Ability to mentor or train others on basic wildfire management subject areas.

📌PERSONAL SUITABILITY
• Exercises sound judgment;
• Makes things happen;
• Personally connects with others;
• Communicates effectively.

📍Parks Canada is committed to the principles of diversity and employment equity under the Employment Equity Act, and strives to ensure that our workforce reflects the diverse nature of Canadian society. We encourage women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of a visible minority group to self-identify in their cover letter.

📌OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• Willingness to wear a Parks Canada uniform and prescribed protective equipment
• Willingness to work and/or travel in varied terrain, weather conditions, isolated locations and by various means of transportation
• Willingness to work shift work, irregular hours, overtime (up to 14 hour days), weekends and/or statutory holidays and provincial/territorial holidays, when required, (primarily during the fire season (May to September), when fire danger is high or fires are occurring, occasionally for up to 19 days in a row when on fire deployments)
• Willingness and capacity to travel (planned trips of 2-5 days in duration, approximately once every 2-3 months, and occasionally up to 19 days for wildland fire deployments during the fire season)
• Willingness to obtain certifications as required for the position, such as ICS.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

• Valid class 5 driver’s license
• Will be required to undergo and pass pre-placement and periodic medical assessments
• When position is located in area classed as isolated and remote, a pre-employment medical examination of an individual and his/her dependents may be required
• Work Capacity Fitness Testing Standard for Parks Canada Wildland Fire personnel - Moderate level Fitness test (Field Pack Test) (3.22 km with a 25 lb backpack, in 30 minutes or less)
• Maintain Wilderness First Aid (40 hr) and CPR/AED certification.

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

Please submit your completed application, including all of the above-mentioned documentation. Failure to do so may result in your application being rejected.

Tips for applicants:
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GW7P3g9hhI for application tips
• Please provide complete and thorough details of your education and experience.
• Do not assume that the screening board has any previous knowledge of your background, qualifications, or work history. You must be specific and provide concrete examples/details for each Experience element, as applications will be screened only on the information provided.
• Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being screened out of the competition.

Written test(s) may be administered.
Interviews will be conducted.
Reference checks will be conducted.
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.

The Parks Canada Agency is established as a separate employer in the Federal Public Service under the Financial Administration Act. Persons appointed to the Agency continue to be part of the Public Service. The Parks Canada Agency operates under its own human resources framework outside of the Public Service Employment Act and in line with values of fairness, competence and respect, and its operating principles.

In accordance with paragraph 8(2)(a) of the Privacy Act, information or material, whether provided directly by the candidate or otherwise obtained by the selection board, used during the selection process for the purpose of assessing a candidate may be used as part of the selection review and recourse processes. Such relevant information may be provided to third parties, such as other candidates or their representatives, who have a legitimate reason to be aware of that information.
Persons who have a priority entitlement as defined by the Parks Canada Agency Priority Policy and Guidelines will be considered first.

Persons who have received pay in lieu of unfulfilled surplus period, a Transition Support Measure (TSM) or an Educational Allowance and are re-appointed to the Parks Canada Agency are required to reimburse an amount corresponding to the period from the effective date of such reappointment or hiring, to the end of the original period for which the TSM and education allowance was paid. Please contact Vina Turner, Human Resources Manager if you are one of these individuals to find out how this applies to your particular situation.

Persons who are in receipt of a Canadian Government Public Service pension and are considering this employment opportunity with the Parks Canada Agency, should contact the PWGSC Public Service Pension Centre (1-800-561-7930) in order to determine the impact of an appointment on their pension benefit entitlements.

Preference will be given to any modern day veteran who was honourably released from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) after at least three years of service and is not already an indeterminate public servant. This preference applies for five years following release from the CAF.

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

Contact information