Competition # : 42159

Department: Environment and Climate Change

Location: Sydney, Port Hawkesbury, Antigonish, or Pictou

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: 6/14/2024 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change\'s https://www.novascotia.ca/nse/ role is to protect the environment and human health through regulatory excellence, conservation, partnership, and promotion. To achieve this, we strive to develop legislation, regulations and policies, process notifications, applications, and approvals for regulated activities based on sound scientific knowledge and expertise.

Our goal is to educate, inspect and enforce to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations. We also proactively respond to environmental, conservation, animal, and human health risks and work to develop programs and deliver services to enhance protection in these areas.

About Our Opportunity

The Hydrogeologist provides independently or in conjunction with other employees, a wide variety of professional hydrological, geological, geochemical, and geotechnical services required for provincial water resources development, investigation, and protection programs. These programs are designed to achieve the efficient protection, use and regulation of provincial water resources to support the environmental and economic development priorities of the province. The position requires extensive contact in a regulatory context with professional and technical staff within the department as well as in other departments, governments, industries, and the general public.

Primary Accountabilities

Within a typical day, you will:
Provide advice to professional and technical staff on the adequacy of existing or proposed engineering controls to mitigate or prevent adverse effects to water resources.
Provide technical support to compliance staff if non-compliance and/or adverse effects occur.
The incumbent must have excellent writing, record-keeping, and strong interpersonal skills to communicate and work in a regulatory context with a variety of groups both internal and external to government
Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor of Science in Geology or Engineering with specialization in hydrogeology. Professional Geoscientist licensed in Nova Scotia or another jurisdiction in Canada, with at least two years of experience. The successful candidate will possess broad knowledge of geotechnical engineering, geology, hydrology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, water resources evaluation procedures, and water resources protection requirements, with specialization in one or more of these disciplines. They will be able to foresee potential problems associated with various water uses and industrial and municipal development proposals and waste disposal schemes which may impact water resources, and to ensure that the technical feasibility of the site, development alternatives and design of environmental controls to protect water resources are being adequately addressed at an early stage.

They will be able to ensure that groundwater and surface water quality and quantity monitoring networks are well-designed to ensure detection of any adverse effects, and that monitoring results are adequately evaluated relative to water quality and quantity objectives for the protection of human and ecological health.

Experience and formal graduate training in modern quantitative and qualitative aspects of water resources management, environmental protection and mining would be considered a strong asset. Familiarity with the Nova Scotia Environment Act, Regulations and policies relating to water resources development and protection would be an asset. The candidate must be willing to seek out opportunities to develop additional technical expertise which may be required to complete assigned duties through available professional development opportunities, self-directed study, and liaison with other subject matter experts.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and Union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension, General Illness (Short and Long Term), Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Click here to learn more about our various benefits offering and eligibility criteria.

Working Conditions

Flexible work locations and hours (normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day).
Opportunity for an earned day off every third week under the flexible work plan.
Minimal work travel within the Province.
Minimal to no overtime expected, but if required, you are compensated for it.

Additional Information

This is a permanent position and the successful candidate can reside in either Sydney, Port Hawkesbury, Antigonish, or Pictou.

What We Offer

Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
Engaging workplace. Our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in. We have forward-thinking policies and strategies.
Countless Career Paths.
Department Specific Flexible working schedules.

Pay Grade: PR 07 - PR 16

Salary Range: $1,994.99 - $3,489.63 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement:
Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If applying from outside a government office, employees must apply correctly via this link:

Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued.

External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Competitions@novascotia.ca.