Oil Sands Monitoring Aquatic Ecology Team Lead

Role Responsibilities

The Aquatic Ecology Team Lead position is accountable for safe and effective delivery of monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, with a specialization in aquatic ecosystems under the Oil Sands Monitoring (OSM) Program delivered by the Oil Sands Monitoring Branch.

A key aspect of this role is to function in a team lead role to provide leadership and guidance to a small team to achieve the strategic goals of the OSM Program and Branch direction. Further, the position is responsible for leading and guiding the development and delivery of long-term monitoring programs, as well as design and implementation of focused studies related to aquatic systems. This role ensures that the OSM Program and its partners and stakeholders, including the Government of Alberta, receive scientifically credible and relevant information needed to responsibly manage Alberta's watersheds, specifically aquatic biota, in the face of increasing pressure from industrial development, a growing population, climate change, and other pressures. This position may also contribute to water monitoring programs under the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas.

Key outcomes of this position are: generating scientific ideas and approaches to be pursued by scientists within OSM, the Government of Alberta, and nationally; providing expert advice on scientific program and project design; leading large-scale, multi-year scientific programs that bridge scientific disciplines; and publishing scientific findings on the condition of the environment across media. The Aquatic Ecology Team Lead will be regularly invited to present at scientific meetings and conferences, publish peer-reviewed papers, and provide expert advice to OSM leadership on the cumulative impacts of human activity on aquatic ecosystems.

This position is for a recognized scientific expert in this field of research at national and international level.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 
•    Leading the review, development and continuous improvement of long-term aquatic biota monitoring programs as well as focused studies that address major issues of concern to the OSM Program and the Government of Alberta. 
•    Completing multi-year research and monitoring plans that are driven by scientific questions to assess the condition of Alberta's aquatic ecosystems. Plans also include scientific evaluations of the impacts of human activities and ecological drivers such as climate change.
•    Ensuring long-term aquatic biota monitoring programs and focused research studies are delivered in a safe and effective manner. The end result is safe and timely completion of deliverables within the available budget.
•    Developing, leading and actively participating in the analyses and completion of scientifically credible environmental data evaluation and reporting that meet project plan commitments and legislated reporting requirements. The end results are OSM technical reports, synthesis reports, contributions to the State of the Environment reports and peer-reviewed papers in international journals.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

How Competencies will apply to this role:

Systems Thinking: Ensuring integration between aquatic biota monitoring and research programs and other environmental monitoring and research programs in OSM.

Creative Problem Solving: Working with leadership, scientists and staff in OSM to ensure innovative, scientifically credible research and monitoring protocols are conceived and deployed in OSM's aquatic biota monitoring and science programs.

Drive for Results: Leading primary and collaborative writing of standard and non-standard reporting products communicating major observations and conclusions of long-term monitoring and focused research activities on the condition, status and trends of Alberta's aquatic biota including but not limited to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Build Collaborative Environments: Collaborating with OSM scientists, field monitoring technologists and other collaborators in all phases of monitoring and research programs, from conception to delivery and reporting.

Develop Self and Others: Leading a team and overseeing their scientific work outcomes and products. Leading the team in developing a culture of scientific excellence in research and monitoring design.

Qualifications

Required: 
•    Ph.D. in a scientific field related to aquatic ecosystems in more than one of the following areas: aquatic biomonitoring, aquatic chemistry, aquatic ecology, hydrology, statistics, sediment transport and fate, limnology and water resources.
•    Minimum of two (2) years post-doctoral related work experience in the design and implementation of aquatic biota monitoring and research programs.
•    Demonstrated record of primary and collaboratively authored publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals commensurate with established peers with a similar level of experience (for example, Associate Professors at Canadian academic institutions).
•    Demonstrated expertise in Aquatic ecosystem science.

Equivalencies considered: 
•    Master’s degree in a related field plus 4 years related experience.
•    University graduation in a related field, plus 6 years related experience.

This position requires the following skills and abilities: 
•    Demonstrated leadership skills, innovative and creative thinking, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
•    Strong data analysis, modelling and interpretation skills.
•    Strong scientific writing skills, project management and program planning skills.
•    Strong communication and interpersonal skills to develop and deliver understandable scientific information to key stakeholders, the scientific community, public audiences, and senior executives in government.
•    Ability to build and maintain effective and productive working relationships, including with Indigenous communities, various internal and external researchers, post-secondary institutions graduate students, researchers, and specialized scientists.  
•    Ability to successfully manage multiple projects, meet timelines and work under pressure.
•    Ability to identify, anticipate, and analyze complex issues.
•    Ability to synthesize findings to identify risks, possible actions and where possible, solutions.

Qualifications (cont'd)

Assets:
Extensive knowledge and experience in the following areas:
•    Aquatic ecosystem science.
•    Advanced statistical analyses of large environmental data sets (using software such as R and others) including data from EPA's monitoring and/or research programs and relevant programs or studies performed by others in Alberta and elsewhere.
•    Application of appropriate models or other means to predict local, regional and cumulative impacts of a broad range of development and related activities at play in the oil sands region and Alberta as a whole.
•    New and emerging methods related to assessing the status and trends in Alberta's watersheds.
•    Current and emerging provincial and national watershed priorities.
•    Relevant partnerships with academic and industrial research communities, relevant government and non-government agencies, etc.
•    Alberta's acts, regulations and policies and frameworks related to water resources.

Preference will be given to candidates who are recognized scientific experts in their fields of research at the national level and regularly collaborates with peers in academia through the supervision of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and through appointment as adjunct faculty at one or more post-secondary institutions.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

•    This competition is for 1 permanent full time position located in Calgary.
•    Monday – Friday, 7.25 hours per day / 36.25 hours per week.

About Your Work Environment:
You will be expected to manage high demand tasks and competing work priorities in a fast paced dynamic environment, while leading a team of scientific professionals. 

Applicants are required to include a COVER LETTER with clear and concise specific examples that demonstrate how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements and competencies.

Instructions for your Resume:
For Employment Experience:
Please indicate duration of employment (month, year).
Please specify employment status (i.e. casual, part-time or full-time).
Ex: Youth Worker, Jan 2006 - June 2009, Part-time (three, 8 hour shifts/week).

For any Post-Secondary Education:
Please specify your major and length of program.
Please specify the year you graduated.
Ex: Bachelor of Social Work, 4-year Degree (Graduated 2017).

Any costs associated with obtaining required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what the GoA has to offer to prospective employees.
•    Working for the Alberta Public Service – https://www.alberta.ca/advantages- working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
•    Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) – https://www.pspp.ca.
•    Alberta Public Service Benefit Information –  https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
•    Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-human-resource-directives.
•    Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool - https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
•    Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
•    Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreements.
•    Leadership and mentorship programs.