Plant Health Scientist - Edmonton, Canada - Government of Alberta

Government of Alberta

Verified Company

Edmonton, Canada

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

beBee Recruiter

Description

Job Information:

Job Requisition ID: 50394

Ministry:
Agriculture and Irrigation

Location:
Edmonton

Full or Part-Time:
Full Time

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week

Regular/Temporary:
Ongoing

Scope:
Open Competition

Closing Date:
November 30, 2023

Classification:
Subsidiary 02B 3625 Scientific 2

Salary:
$2,881.03 to $3,776.62 bi-weekly ($75,194 to $98,569/year)

Role Responsibilities:

Join our dynamic team as a Plant Health Scientist, where you'll play a crucial role in safeguarding Alberta's diverse crop industry.

As a key member of the Crop Assurance and Alberta Plant Health Lab programs, you'll be responsible for diagnosing, monitoring, and surveilling plant health to support Alberta's complex agricultural sector.

This includes developing and standardizing innovative diagnostic techniques for plant viral, bacterial diseases, and nematodes, as well as overseeing the Alberta Seed Potato Repository to ensure pathogen-free specimens.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead diagnostic testing on plant samples for viruses, bacteria, and nematodes.
Design and implement monitoring and surveillance activities for Alberta's field and horticultural crops.
Develop, optimize, and standardize PCRbased protocols for diagnosing plant diseases.
Conduct comprehensive data analysis and report findings.
Oversee the Alberta Seed Potato Repository, ensuring diseasefree seed stock.
Supervise and manage the Plant Health Lab Technologist and the Seed Potato Repository Lead.

Competencies:

Strong problemsolving skills.
Demonstrated leadership and supervisory abilities.
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
Ability to work independently and make impactful decisions.

Qualifications:

Minimum Requirements for this Role:
-
Ph.
D. (Plant Pathology, Plant Science, Biology, Agronomy, or related);
plus 2 years of relevant experience.

Equivalencies may be considered._

Further Requirements for this Role:

Laboratory experience in plant diagnostic techniques and molecular identification methods.
Experience with DNA extraction and PCR/qPCR.
Statistical analysis, report, and manuscript writing skills.
Leadership and coaching skills.
Valid Class 5 Alberta Driver's License.

Assets:

Supervisory experience in a lab setting.
Experience with viruses, bacteria, and nematodes.
Primer design skills for PCR, qPCR, and LAMP.
Knowledge in tissue culture and maintenance of nuclear material.

Notes:

Travel and overtime may occasionally be required.

What the GoA has to offer to prospective employees:

Working for the Alberta Public Service:
Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP):
Alberta Public Service Benefit Information:
Leadership and mentorship programs
Professional learning and development:
Positive workplace culture and worklife balance
Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreements
Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool:

APS Competencies:

Competencies are behaviours 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:

Agility in Adapting to New Challenges:Essential for quickly responding to evolving plant health issues and environmental changes.

-
Drive for Achieving High-Quality Results: Critical for ensuring accurate diagnostics and effective plant disease management.
-
Building Collaborative Environments: Vital for successful interdisciplinary teamwork, enhancing problem-solving and innovation.
-
Developing Self and Others Towards Continuous Improvement:Key to maintaining up-to-date expertise and enhancing team capabilities in plant health science.

How To Apply

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience, and relevant examples of required competencies.

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.