Farm Operations Supervisor

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Science and Technology Branch

Selection process number
26-AGR-QC-EA-STB-66577

Salary
$33.84 to $36.79 per hour-with C2 supervisory differential, 11%

Who can apply
Persons residing in Canada, and Canadian citizens and Permanent residents abroad.

• Work closely with researchers to plan and carry out experimental protocols.
• Advise on land allocation based on availability, historical data and scientific requirements.
• Prioritize, coordinate and assign tasks to subordinates according to scientific requirements and availability of labour and equipment.
• Direct and coordinate field activities (e.g., planting, maintenance, harvesting and irrigation of research plots and rotational land).
• Train employees and explain the work to them.
• Coordinate the use of equipment and labour with counterparts at other sites to optimise field work management and material utilisation.
• In collaboration with the team leader, give instructions on work safety and ensure compliance with safe work practices.
• Manage chemical, seed and fertiliser inventories; coordinate bulk purchases of pesticides, fertilisers and seeds; manage crop sales.
• Participate in field activities with subordinates when required.
• Communicate and collaborate with the maintenance services for building upkeep.
• Maintain up‑to‑date records of data on soils, crops, pesticide, fertilisers and agricultural chemicals for research plots and rotational lands.
• Evaluate employee performance.

Note that, for some of the above tasks, the supervisor can count on the participation of the team leader.

The Saint‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu Research and Development Centre (RDC), located in Quebec, is part of Agriculture and Agri‑Food Canada’s (AAFC) national network of research centres, which are distributed across all provinces in the country. It contributes to maintaining the competitiveness and sustainability of the Canadian agricultural sector by acquiring new knowledge and developing new technologies in the field of crop protection while adopting an approach focused on biovigilance and precision agriculture.

It has three experimental farms located in L'Acadie (near Saint‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu, J2Y 1C4), Sainte‑Clotilde (J0L 1W0) and Frelighsburg (J0J 1C0). These experimental farms support the 15 research and technology transfer teams at the Saint‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu RDC, as well as other research centres located across the country and national programmes such as the Pest Management Centre.

The immediate need is to staff one indeterminate position at the L'Acadie Experimental Farm (near Saint‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu). The intention is also to create a pool of qualified and/or partially qualified candidates to fill full‑time GL‑MAN‑09 positions on a temporary or permanent basis at one of the three experimental farms of the Saint‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu Research and Development Centre. The positions require full‑time on‑site presence.

In the event that a public service employee is deemed qualified and meets all the essential qualifications in this process, their application may be considered for an acting appointment, a deployment, an assignment or a secondment.

• Reliability Status security clearance.
• Valid Quebec Class 5 driver’s licence, or other provincial/territorial equivalent.
• Able and willing to travel.
• Able and willing to obtain a pesticide application certificate.
• Able and willing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as required.
• Able and willing to work in difficult environments (outdoors, cold, heat, dust, pollen, noise, etc.).
• Able and willing to tolerate the presence of irritants such as dust, pollen and spores. Known allergies must be controlled with PPE or medication so as not to interfere with the performance of job duties.
• Able and willing to work overtime, including evenings and weekends.
• Able and willing to carry out activities requiring physical effort, such as manual work of moderate to great difficulty requiring bending and lifting heavy objects (weighing up to 20 kg).

Education

• A secondary school diploma or an acceptable combination of training or experience in an…