Research Officer, Fire Safety

Your Challenge

Great Minds. One Goal. Canada's Success.

Help bring research to life and drive your career forward with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Canada’s largest research and technology organization. 
 
We are looking for a Research Officer (RO), Fire Safety with high calibre research capabilities and expertise in applying fire science and engineering to modern fire safety challenges , to support our Construction Research Centre. The RO would be someone who shares our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Respect and Creativity.
 
One of the major initiatives that this position will support is the Construction Research Centre’s “Platform to Decarbonize the Construction Sector at Scale” to accelerate and scale up new technologies to help transition the Canadian construction sector towards decarbonization and contribute to the emerging low-carbon economy. It will also establish new codes, standards, specifications, and guidelines to position the sector to help Canada achieve its 2050 greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon reduction targets. These investments will help spur the growth of Canada’s clean technology sector and help achieve Canada’s international commitments to reduce GHG emissions.
 
As a Research Officer, you will work as a member of the Advanced Construction Practice and Fire Safety (ACPFS) Unit, interacting with a multi-disciplinary team of research and technical officers in world-class facilities.  You will collaborate internally with colleagues in other NRC research units as well as externally with a broad range of stakeholders in the construction industry.
 
Responsibilities include:
 

• Developing proposals for new research initiatives, client-focused projects, probabilistic and reliability-based models, and innovative technologies and methodologies to minimize the destructive impact of fire on life safety, the built environment, and the economy. 
• Supporting and contributing to the development of NRC and CRC research priorities.
• Providing scientific evidence to support the development of building codes, regulations, design guidelines, and technical standards.
• Providing input into the overall direction and research priorities of the ACPFS Unit within the context of the Research Centre business plan

Screening Criteria

Applicants must demonstrate within the content of their application that they meet the following screening criteria in order to be given further consideration as candidates:

Education

PhD in engineering, science, architecture or a relevant area of expertise is preferred. 

An equivalent combination of a related PhD or Master’s degree in engineering, with significant relevant experience may be considered.
 

For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad, please see Degree equivalency

Experience

• Significant experience in fire science and engineering, including experience in applying analytical and computational methods in developing or optimizing solutions to various fire safety challenges in the built environment, as well as  evaluating structural fire behaviour.
   
• Significant experience in the full spectrum of research activities including identification of research needs, proposal writing, project management, fire experiments, data production and analysis, written reports, presentations and impactful scientific publications.
   
• Significant experience in experimental design and analysis, including data collection and analysis, and ensuring data quality.

The following assets will be considered: 
 

• Experience in applying and/or developing building and fire codes, including developing alternative solutions.
• Experience in fire risk assessment and fire risk mitigation. 
• Experience in business development, marketing activities, and/or the development of partnerships and collaborations.
• Experience in working in multi-disciplinary teams.
   

**Significant experience: 2–6 years’ experience
 

Condition of Employment

Reliability Status

Language Requirements

English 

Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests

Assessment Criteria

Candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

Technical Competencies

• Knowledge of fire safety engineering, structural fire resistance, fire science (including fire dynamics), fire protection and mitigation strategies and systems.  
   
• Knowledge of analytical and computational fire modelling and life safety assesement techniques.
   
• Knowledge of techniques for designing and conducting experiments (bench-scale to full-scale) to investigate fire behaviour.  
   
• Knowledge of project management principles and practices.
   

Behavioural Competencies

Competency Profile(s)

For this position, the NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile:  Research
 

View all competency profiles

Compensation

This position is classified as a Research Officer (RO), a group that is unique to the NRC. Candidates are remunerated based on their expertise, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience relative to the requirements of the level. The salary scale for this group is vast, from $62,071 to $175,466 per annum, which permits for employees of all levels from new graduates to world renowned experts to be fairly compensated for their contributions.

NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of competitive benefits including comprehensive health and dental plans, pension and insurance plans, vacation and other leave entitlements.

The NRC Advantage

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the Government of Canada's largest research organization supporting industrial innovation, the advancement of knowledge and technology development. We collaborate with over 70 colleges, universities and hospitals annually, work with 800 companies on their projects, and provide advice or funding to over 8000 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) each year.
 
We bring together the brightest minds to deliver tangible impacts on the lives of Canadians and people around the world. And now, we want to partner with you.  Let your expertise and inspirations make an impact by joining the NRC.
 
At the NRC Employee wellness matters. We offer flexible work schedules as well as part-time work to help employees maintain work-life balance. We are one of the few federal organizations that close our offices during the December holiday season.  We offer professional learning and development opportunities such as conferences, workshops, and a suite of mentorship, award and recognition programs. Diversity enables creativity and innovation. Fostering a diverse, inclusive, welcoming and supportive workplace is important to us, and contributes to a more inclusive Canadian innovation system. We welcome all qualified applicants and encourage you to complete the employment equity self-declaration questions during the job application process. Please let us know of any accommodation measures required to help you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Please note that the information you provide will be treated confidentially. 
 
Help us solve problems for Canada. Grow your career with us today!

Notes

• Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with the NRC's directives.
• A pre-qualified list may be established for similar positions for a one year period.
• Preference will be given to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada. Please include citizenship information in your application.
• The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
• We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.