Research Scientist

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

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 special accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is a separate employer and is not subject to the Public Service Employment Act.

The CFIA considers applications from individuals who have legal status to work in Canada and does not give preference to Canadian citizens.

We will only accept applications received through the GC Jobs website, therefore you must submit your application by clicking on “Apply online” in this advertisement. Persons who are unable to apply online must use the “Contact information” below, prior to the closing date, to request specialized accommodation.

Duties

The position requires scientific innovation and leadership in the area of plant virology. The candidate will work with an integrated team of researchers to develop tools for the detection and identification of plant viruses and viroids of regulatory importance and potential invasive virus and viroid species. They will work with stakeholders from academia, government, and industry, applying their expertise to help resolve challenges associated with their respective area of expertise.

The successful candidate will participate in, plan, organize, coordinate and lead the development of technologies to research plant viruses and viroids that are significant from a Canadian regulatory standpoint. These technologies may include: bioassay, serological assay, conventional and real-time PCR and RT-PCR, and high throughput sequencing.

The candidate will generate hypotheses with other professionals and conduct independent studies to test these hypotheses to characterize viral and viroid pathogens and to develop and validate diagnostic procedures; will train staff, students, and other parties in the procedures or methods used or under development in the laboratory.

The candidate will provide senior managers, scientists and other professionals with information to facilitate decision-making in terms of regulations; analyze and evaluate data and reports; publish scientific articles in peer reviewed journals; communicate research data and information to the scientific community and the industry.

The candidate is expected to manage multiple projects in a multidisciplinary setting requiring collaboration with other scientific teams. They will be expected to seek internal and external funding and collaborators to support the research program and to effectively manage resources to achieve the desired outcomes.

Work environment

We offer a bilingual, science-based environment, with excellent benefits, flexible hours, opportunities for advancement, an emphasis on learning and development, and a high level of employee satisfaction. Join a workforce that’s as diverse as the people it serves. You can find some more great reasons to join us on our website: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/cfia-jobs/top-10-reasons-to-join-us/eng/1299859095075/1299859142835

Intent of the process

The intent of this process is to staff one (1) Research Scientist position.

A pool of qualified candidates may be established. This pool may be used to staff positions with similar qualifications, with various conditions of employment and/or various tenures including term appointments, indeterminate appointments, acting appointments and/or assignments.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

Contact information for 2 references.

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

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.

ESSENTIAL EDUCATION

EEd1: Graduation with an acceptable doctoral degree from a recognized university in a field of natural sciences with a specialization related to the duties of the position including:
• Plant Virology
• Plant Pathology
• Genomics

Applicants submitting education credentials from a non-Canadian institution are responsible for obtaining certification that these credentials are the equivalent of the Canadian education level required for the position.

Please refer to the link below for more information.

Degree equivalency

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

EE1: Experience in planning and conducting research projects.

EE2: Experience in working with a team of researchers and technical support staff.

EE3: Experience in Productivity/Recognition*: Refers to recognized achievement in the form of authorship and editorship of published or unpublished papers, reports, review articles, books/book chapters, or other communications resulting from:
a) Research, experimental development, disease diagnosis or tasking associated with operational equipment and problems; OR
b) Development and validation of diagnostic procedures that are used for the detection/identification of plant viruses and viroids; OR
c) Operational research and scientific analysis; OR
d) Planning, analysis and evaluation of Canadian and foreign programs in research and regulatory testing development.
*Productivity/Recognition also includes developmental work leading to the issue of patents, copyrights, or designs, standard diagnostic methods/protocols, and/or recognition by the professional community of the research environment.

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

English essential
Official languages proficiency will not be assessed for entry to the pool. Candidates entered in the pool will have an opportunity for assessment of their official languages proficiency if and when they are considered for an appointment.

Information on language requirements

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE

EK1: Knowledge of the principles of plant virus and viroid taxonomy especially relating to agricultural, horticultural, and ornamental plant diseases.

EK2: Knowledge of current principles, techniques and procedures used in molecular biology especially relating to the characterization, detection and identification of plant viruses and viroids.

EK3: Knowledge of conventional assays for the propagation, isolation, identification and characterization of plant viruses and viroids.

EK4: Knowledge of molecular and genomic data analysis including sequence manipulation and analysis (Sanger and the high throughput sequencing), genomics and bioinformatics.

EK5: Knowledge of the transmission of plant viruses and viroids and the integrated approaches for managing diseases caused by virus and viroid pathogens.

ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES

EC1: Judgement
EC2: Initiative
EC3: Autonomy
EC4: Effective Interpersonal skills
EC5: Flexibility
EC6: Collaboration
EC7: Effective Communications (Oral & Written)

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

ASSET EXPERIENCE

AEx1: Research and working experience in the propagation, isolation, detection and characterization of plant virus and viroid species and strains, evidenced in peer-reviewed/other recognized publications.

AEx2: Experience in developing, evaluating and validating biological, molecular and genomic technologies for the diagnosis of plant pathogenic microorganisms, evidenced in peer-reviewed/other recognized publications.

AEx3: Experience in the diagnosis and management of plant diseases induced by viruses, viroids and other plant pathogenic organisms, evidenced in peer-reviewed/other recognized publications.

AEX4: Experience in basic methods that are used for the research of plant viruses, viroids and other plant pathogens, evidenced in peer-reviewed/other recognized publications.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - Applicants who have not lived in Canada for the past five (or ten, depending on security level) years may be required to submit a police certificate from each country in which they have lived for six months or more during this period, as well as other documentation required for the security screening process. Failure to submit this documentation if requested will eliminate the application from further consideration.

The following conditions of employment are required for an appointment:
• Adherence to the CFIA Code of Conduct.
• Adherence to the CFIA Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Policy.
• Compliance with the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector.
• Legal status to accept employment for the entire period of employment.

Any of the following conditions of employment may be required for an appointment:
• Willing and available to travel, as required.
• Willing and available to work irregular hours (e.g., days, nights, weekends, statutory holidays).
• To use in the prescribed circumstances and manner all prescribed safety materials, equipment, devices and clothing.
• To use prescribed and provided respiratory equipment that meets the respiratory program requirements; to undergo fit testing (e.g. may need to be clean-shaven, depending on the respirator design).
• Willing and able to work in environmentally challenging or physically demanding conditions and with pathogens in high security laboratory biocontainment or with potential allergens.

Other information

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency 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.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/gc-jobs/employment-equity.html

Personal information is obtained for the purpose of determining an individual’s competence and suitability for employment. If a staffing complaint questions this determination, please be advised that relevant personal information you will provide in the course of this staffing process may be disclosed to substantiate the staffing decision.

Please ensure that you read ALL points listed below, as this section contains important information about the application process. Failure to read these notes and follow these instructions could result in your application missing required information which may result in your application being eliminated from this staffing process.

You are entitled to participate in the staffing process in the official language of your choice.

For this staffing process, the CFIA will communicate with you by email. You must provide a valid email address to which you wish to receive communication regarding this staffing process. You must ensure that you check your email account including spam, promotion or other folders regularly as there may be a deadline for responses. If you respond past the deadline you risk being removed from the staffing process.

Applicants who are screened in to this staffing process will be sent further information by email regarding what to expect during subsequent phases of this staffing process.

Depending on the number of applicants, CFIA's needs and CFIA HR plans, volume management strategies such as, but not limited to, top-down approach, cut-off scores, random selection and/or assessment may be used for the purpose of managing applications/candidates. Should a volume management strategy be used, communication regarding the application of the strategy will be provided to those candidates who are impacted.

During the application or assessment process both cheating and plagiarism are considered forms of misconduct and are not permitted. Any person found cheating, including those who help others to cheat, may be subject to removal from the staffing process.

A current copy of your resume may be used as another source to confirm the education and experience you will be asked to describe in the screening questions. It may also be reviewed by prospective hiring managers at the appointment stage.

For more information on how to apply to a CFIA staffing process, please visit: https://inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/job-opportunities/how-to-apply/eng/1340676915348/1340679107182

You will be asked to provide proof of your education credentials later in the staffing process.

Your ability to communicate effectively in writing will be assessed via the application.

Various assessment tools may be used in this staffing process such as: standardized tests, reference checks, written tests, an interview, etc.

All written and verbal communication obtained throughout the staffing process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the candidate.

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

Contact information