Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) for Indigenous Peoples

APPLICATIONS OPEN FROM: November 12 until December 10 (11:59 P.M. EST), 2024 

Reference number: DFO24D-019302-000003

Selection process number: RPL-RLP 2024-2025 Indigenous-Autochtones

Looking for a rewarding career in the federal public service? The Government of Canada is seeking people with diverse backgrounds who can create positive change and make meaningful contributions to the federal public service. By becoming a policy leader, through the Recruitment of Policy Leaders Program, you can help develop government policies to address today’s most pressing challenges.

Policy leaders work in a variety of areas such as:

·       Climate change;

·       Criminal justice;

·       Digital economy:

·       Food security;

·       Foreign policy;

·       Health;

·       International trade;

·       National security; and

·       Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

As a policy leader, you will:

• Work as a mid-level or senior-level policy analyst
• Propose creative and innovative solutions to advancing Canadian public policy;
• Participate in meaningful work with real-world impacts; 
• Innovate, collaborate, and challenge the status quo;
• Advise senior officials in a constantly changing environment;
• Shape your career path based on your interests and expertise; and
• Join a network of passionate and motivated alumni policy leaders.

The RPL program is intended to establish a pool of assessed individuals from which hiring managers from various Government of Canada departments can actively recruit. 

This program also provides candidates: 

• Accessto opportunities in various specializations across multiple departments, agencies and other Government of Canada employers across the nation;
• Mentorship and support from program alumni;
• Training, development possibilities, and career advancement;
• Work-life balance through a flexible work environment; and
• Excellent benefits and competitive salaries.

Representation matters!

Creating an environment where diverse perspectives are valued begins with self-declaration. Count yourself in and self-declare by identifying which employment equity group(s) you belong to. To learn more about self-declaration, visit the website “Self-declaring for Government of Canada jobs”.

This campaign is open to persons who self-declare as Indigenous Peoples.The Recruitment of Policy Leaders offers two additional advertisements to apply:

• Applicants who self-declare as persons with disabilities can apply from November 12 to December 10, 2024

Applicants must only apply once. Candidates from all three application periods will be assessed together, using the same assessment process.

Many positions are in the National Capital Region; however, the location and work arrangement can vary depending on the hiring department. Please note that most departments follow the Treasury Board Secretariat’s common hybrid work model. Accommodations and exception measures are available and assessed on a case-by-case basis.  

We are committed to providing an inclusive, accessible and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. The Personnel Psychology Centre has assessed the Recruitment of Policy Leaders process to ensure it is free of bias and barriers. If you encounter any issues while completing your questionnaire or assessments on the VidCruiter platform, please contact us. Accessible documents in Word format can be downloaded at each stage in the process, and other formats are available upon request by contacting us.

We also encourage you to share any feedback about accessibility challenges during the recruitment process using the Fisheries and Oceans Accessibility feedback form. After submitting your application, you will be invited to provide optional feedback about to the Recruitment of Policy Leaders program. Your input is invaluable and helps us improve our commitment to accessibility, ensuring an inclusive experience for all applicants.

Throughout this process, you will need to provide information on your skills, experiences, achievements and behaviours. You can use examples from past work experiences, community involvement/volunteering, achievements, research or studies to complete your responses.

To be included in the pool, you must successfully demonstrate each competency and complete each assessment stage:

1. Screening Questionnaire

• Assessing:

• Education: Master's degree or doctorate, in any discipline, obtained by December 31, 2025, from a recognized university OR Degree in any discipline AND a law degree, both obtained by December 31, 2025, from a recognized university;
• Policy-relevant experience;
• Leadership or initiative; and
• Research achievements.

• Time allocation: This assessment should take approximately 5-6 hours to complete.

2. Written exam

• Assessing:

• Analytical thinking and judgement;
• Creativity; and
• Effective communication.

• Time allocation: To be provided later.

3. Interview

• Assessing:

• Adaptability;
• Action orientation;
• Knowledge of Canadian public policy;
• Effective communication; and
• Analytical thinking and judgment.

• Time allocation: To be provided later.

4. Reference Checks

• Assessing:

• Effective interpersonal relations;
• Ethics and values; and
• Initiative and leadership.

• Time allocation: To be provided later.

5. Second Language Evaluations: positions may have various linguistic requirements (unilingual French or English or bilingual French and English)

• Assessing:

• Candidates who are successful in the process and who confirm an interest for bilingual positions will be invited to complete testing in their second official language.

• Time allocation: To be provided later.

6. Security Screening

• Security requirements depend on the position. Candidates will be required to meet security requirements (ranging from Reliability status to Top Secret clearance) according to the position.

Additional competencies or specific experience may be required by the hiring manager.

To select the candidates who advance at each stage of the assessment process, a top-down approach may be used, or selection may be limited to candidates who self-declare as a member of one of the following Employment Equity groups: Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, or visible minorities.

Your application must be submitted via the VidCruiter platform.

We suggest you go through the entire application in "Preview Mode", to find out what is expected of you. Important note: if you accidently complete your application in "Preview Mode" your answers will not be saved. We strongly encourage you to prepare your answers in a Word document before saving them in the application.

All email communications and assessments will be completed using the VidCruiter platform. By submitting your screening questionnaire, you agree that your assessment results and personal information may be shared with hiring managers in the federal public service.

Accommodations are available to all candidates at any point in the process. The intent of accommodations is to provide a solution that best fits your needs to help you succeed while ensuring the integrity of the process. They are assessed on a case-by-case basis and in no way does requesting an accommodation impact your status.

Accommodations can be established to help you submit your application and/or better support you to complete your assessments which may include but are not limited to: additional time, presenting information in a different way, changing the colors, fonts, etc.

If you require an accommodation or require assistance due to unreliable internet connection, you’re having difficulties with the platform or have any questions, please send us an email. Accommodations should be requested as early in the process as possible to avoid delays with your application. Once your email has been received, we will ensure adjustments or alternative measures are in place to better support you.

All information received during this process, including accommodations, will be kept confidential.

Link to how to request assessment accommodations.

For all questions regarding the RPL program, please send us an email.