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The Program Advisor, Operational Drills and Exercises is responsible for leading the development, conduct, and evaluation of dynamic (operations-based) exercises and drills that test and validate the readiness of the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) and its interoperability with partners.
• Design and lead complex, realistic operational drills and exercises, including live-force and force-on-force activities, grounded in realistic and credible threat information and aligned with the organizational exercise and evaluation program framework.
• Manage all phases of exercise delivery, including scenario design, planning conferences, operational coordination, safety oversight, logistics, exercise execution, debriefing, and after-action reporting.
• Apply structured project management methodologies, including the development of work breakdown structures, milestones, and timelines for all drill and exercise activities.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary and interagency teams, including exercise control cells, safety officers, role-players, adversary controllers, and technical support, ensuring operational cohesion and safe conduct throughout.
• Operate and manage tactical simulation systems and associated AAR tools, to enable data capture and performance analysis.
• Deliver exercise briefings and debriefings to various internal and external partners, including law enforcement and first responders.
• Develop and implement annual exercise plans, including performance testing schedules and evaluation methodologies.
• Provide subject-matter expertise on physical protection systems, operational readiness, critical incident response, and law enforcement integration during exercise planning and execution.
• Support internal operational performance assessments, offering operational insight into strengths, vulnerabilities, and improvement opportunities in protective and response capabilities.
The Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) is a separate and distinct organization not subject to the Public Service Employment Act. It has its own classification, compensation system, and staffing regime. Persons appointed to PPS continue to be part of the federal government and will receive the public service pension plan and public service insurance benefits plan.
What we offer:
• Paid Training
• Health, dental, and vision care insurance plans
• Public Service Pension Plan
• 35-hour standard work week
• Minimum 4 weeks of paid vacation
• Free on-site fitness facilities
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (GreenShield+)
• Flexible work schedules (minimum 2 days in the office per week)
• While this position is eligible for part-time telework, regular on-site presence is required
• Centrally located in downtown Ottawa
• Proximity to O-Train Parliament Station
The purpose of this recruitment and selection process is to establish a pool of qualified and/or partially qualified candidates for anticipatory needs of various tenures.
The pool may also be used in the future to staff similar positions within the PPS and for other organizations.
Positions to be filled: 1
Your résumé.
Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution* in a field related to the position or an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.
*The educational program must be from an accredited learning institution recognized in Canada. If you completed a program outside of Canada, you will be required to obtain proof of a Canadian equivalency at your expense from an accredited learning institution recognized in Canada.
EXPERIENCE:
E1 - Significant* experience leading complex, dynamic security exercises and drills in law enforcement, military, or security operations environments.
E2 - Experience with command-and-control structures, adversary pathway analysis, and performance validation frameworks.
E3 - Significant* experience in coordinating and leading multidisciplinary teams in high-pressure environments, including safety officers, planners, responders, and technical specialists.
E4 - Significant* experience in preparing and delivering briefings to operational audiences.
E5 - Experience report-writing with the ability to evaluate operational performance and identify improvement measures.
*Significant is defined as the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with having performed a broad range of complex activities related to this task, which are acquired on a full-time basis over five (5) years.
ASSETS:
AE1 - Experience in firearms safety, with demonstrated application in dynamic training or exercise environments.
AE2 - Experience in force-on-force simulation management, including coordination of live role-players, application of safety protocols, and oversight of engagement rules.
AE3 - Experience developing and implementing threat aligned scenarios or adversary-based testing activities within a security, law enforcement, or military context.
AE4 - Experience within a security environment, such as parliamentary precincts, diplomatic facilities, military operations, law enforcement agencies, or critical infrastructure protection.
AE5 - Experience in project management, exercise control, or tactical operations.
AE6 - Experience with force-on-force simulation tools and after-action systems, particularly Tactical Engagement Simulation Systems or similar.
Various language requirements
Preference will be given to bilingual candidates at the CBC/CBC level.
To help you decide if you should apply to a bilingual position, an optional self-assessment of your written expression and reading comprehension in your second official language is available for you to take before completing your application.
Try out the self-assessment tests for written expression and reading comprehension by visiting: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/second-language-testing-public-service/self-assessment-tests.html
Information on language requirements
KNOWLEDGE:
K1 - Knowledge of legislation, regulations, policies and practices related to security, policing, and emergency management including Firearms safety and use-of-force protocols.
K2 - Knowledge of discussion-based and/or operations-based drill and exercise design methodology, evaluation after-action review tools as well as root cause analysis.
K3 - Knowledge of operational security and physical protection principles/systems (physical, technical, and operational security), including deterrence, detection, delay, and response as applied in security and protection environments.
K4 - Knowledge of force on force, safety and risk mitigation practices specific to dynamic operational exercises involving simulation systems, armed personnel, role-players, and multi-agency response teams.
COMPETENCIES:
C1- Teamwork and Collaboration
C2 - Thinking Skills
C3 - Communication
C4 - Leadership
C5 - Client Service Orientation
ADDITIONAL COMPETENCIES:
C6 -Time Management
C7 - Facilitation
C8 - Integrity
C9 - Accountability
C10 - Professionalism
AK1 - Knowledge of physical security, firearms safety protocols (including semination, simulation, or FX-based scenarios), operational planning, and interagency response coordination.
You must be eligible to obtain both a Site Access Clearance and Top Secret Clearance. The process involves a background investigation that includes:
• a loyalty assessment;
• law enforcement verifications;
• credit and financial verifications;
• a security interview wherein questions may include (but not limited to), previous employment, online activities, financial situation, alcohol and/or drug use;
• personal references as well as previous employers will also be contacted as part of the security screening process.
You must also consent to complete a personal history questionnaire, be fingerprinted, and be photographed.
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 visit PPS web site under Careers > Opportunities or at https://pps.parl.ca/ for guides that will help you prepare your application and for an interview.
We will only accept online applications received through the GC Employment website.
We encourage veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces to self-identify when applying to our job opportunities.
All communication (screening, assessments, invitations, results) with applicants will be done by e-mail. Ensure that the e-mail address provided is valid, always functional and accepts messages from unknown users.
To submit your online application, you will first need to create an account on the GC Jobs website. Once your account is created, return to the job poster, and select the button "Apply Online" below. Candidates who are unable to apply online must contact the person listed below prior to the closing date.
It is your responsibility, as a candidate, to clearly demonstrate how you meet each qualification (education, experience, and assets) by answering the screening questions in the online application. You must provide concrete specific examples to illustrate how you meet each criterion identified in the questions. Your answers must include where and how you obtained the required experience, as well as the period(s) in which you performed the functions of the position(s). Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or missing information.
Candidates 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.
Various assessment tools may be used to evaluate candidates during the selection process.
Depending on the number of applicants, volume management strategies MAY BE USED for the purpose of managing applications.
Candidates must meet the essential qualifications, including the linguistic requirement to be appointed to a position.
We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.