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About the position
Duties
- Operation and successful maintenance of a commercial-scale honey bee operation.
- Monitoring for pests and diseases, and applying antibiotics and acaricides to honey bee colonies.
- Managing supplemental feeding and preparation of honey bee colonies for wintering.
- Maintaining of complete and accurate beekeeping records. Recording colony treatments, and field observations.
- Evaluation and sampling of honey bee colonies, following experimental protocols.
- Macroscopic and microscopic identification of bee pests and parasites.
- Performing laboratory bioassays with live honey bees, parasitic mites and bee pathogens.
- Queen breeding and queen evaluation.
- Pollen sorting and identification.
- Commercial-scale extraction of honey.
- Operation of farm machinery and heavy trucks.
- Building honey bee boxes, frames and other equipment.
- Cleaning equipment, extraction plant and vehicles.
- Participating in experimental protocol writing, data collection and analysis.
- Drafting reports, and participating in manuscript preparation.
- Other duties as assigned by Scientist.
Intent of the process
A pool of qualified and partially qualified candidates may be established and may be used to staff similar positions with various employment tenures.
In the event that an employee of the public service is qualified through this process, they may be considered for acting, deployment, indeterminate, assignment or secondment opportunities.
Positions to be filled
1
Important messages
As one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is proud to celebrate our achievement in creating a diverse, respectful, and positive workplace where all employees are valued and recognized for their unique qualities, ideas, voices and perspectives. We are dedicated to building and promoting a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, representative of all Canadians regardless of race, ethnicity, colour, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socio-economic background or lived experience. By embracing diversity and inclusion, our department ensures broader discussions, better decisions, and a more positive workplace. We also have various employee diversity networks dedicated to ensuring that our department continues to grow as an inclusive employer.
Conditions of employment
Conditions of Employment:
Reliability and Security: Reliability Status
Possession of a valid class 5 Alberta driver’s license or other provincial/territorial equivalency.
Ability and willingness to travel.
Ability and willingness to work overtime including evenings and weekends.
Ability and willingness to control allergies, through the use of personal protective equipment and/or medication without impinging on the duties to be performed.
Ability and willingness to work with chemical reagents used to treat honey bee diseases and mites.
Ability and willingness to work under various environmental and weather conditions.
Ability and willingness to tolerate honey bee stings.
Ability and willingness to lift heavy objects (filled honey supers) up to 23 kg.
Ability and willingness to work in a laboratory environment.
You need (essential for the job)
Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following
Education:
Degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in one of the following fields: Entomology, Agriculture, Biology, Animal Science or related program.
At a later stage in the selection process, you will be required to provide documentation verifying your educational credentials.
If you were educated outside of Canada, you must have your certificates and/or diplomas assessed against Canadian education standards. Click on the link below to contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials(CICIC).
Learn more about degree equivalency.
Experience:
Experience in commercial beekeeping, side-liner beekeeping, or maintenance of research apiaries.
Experience operating and maintaining beekeeping equipment, vehicles and honey extraction equipment.
Applied / assessed at a later date
Knowledge:
Knowledge of year-round management of honey bee colonies under Canadian prairie conditions.
Knowledge of honey bee queen breeding.
Knowledge of honey bee diseases, parasites and pests.
Competencies:
Adaptability
Concern for Safety
Interactive Communication
Problem Solving
Teamwork
Abilities:
Ability to use scientific instruments and tools.
Language requirements (essential for the job)
Applied / assessed at a later date
English essential - You are entitled to participate in the selection process in the official language of your choice.
Learn more about language requirements.
You may need (asset qualifications)
May be applied / assessed at a later date
Experience:
Experience working in a research laboratory.
Abilities:
Ability to perform queen rearing and queen breeding.
Ability to write technical reports and scientific manuscripts.
Supporting employment continuity by prioritizing AAFC employees impacted by workforce adjustment for job opportunities.
Our commitment
We're 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 contact the hiring organization below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.
Learn more about assessment accommodation.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population it serves. We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare if you belong to one of the designated employment equity groups when you apply.
Learn more about diversity and inclusion in the public service.
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada recognizes that the diversity of its employee population contributes to its strength and integrity. We are committed to achieving employment equity and developing a highly capable workforce that is representative of Canadian Society. We encourage women (especially in non-traditional occupations), Indigenous peoples (Aboriginal peoples), persons with disabilities, and members of visible minority groups to apply and declare themselves as part of one or more of the Employment Equity groups, as selection may be limited to candidates belonging to one or more of the groups.
Learn more about employment equity.
Preference
Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon. For positions located in Nunavut, qualified Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will be appointed first. For positions located in Yukon, qualified Yukon First Nations will be appointed first, followed by qualified Indigenous persons.
Learn more about preference to veterans.
How to apply
Learn more about applying for Government of Canada jobs.
Information you must provide
We'd like to thank all those who apply. However, only the people selected for further consideration will be contacted.
Apply