Research Officer

Construction
Ottawa - Ontario

RO

These are continuing positions.

Background

Working with clients and partners, the National Research Council Canada provides strategic research, innovation support, scientific and technical services to develop and deploy solutions to meet Canada's current and future industrial and societal needs. Guided by our core values of impact, accountability, leadership, integrity and collaboration, NRC is a dynamic and vibrant organization that, in its ongoing evolution, is seeking two (2) Research Officers.

Your challenge

The primary responsibility of the RO is to support the goals of NRC and the Portfolio through research of international caliber and the development and application of advanced technologies. The RO works in a team environment with researchers and technical experts in world-class facilities. Activities also include the development of proposals for new research initiatives, project management, and providing service to NRC clients.  The RO provides input into the overall direction and research priorities for the program area within the context of the Portfolio business plan.

As part of a multi-disciplinary team developing and deploying technical solutions for construction sector clients, the incumbents will support and conduct research activities dealing with the following areas:

Evaluation and control of sounds in buildings.  This includes the development and use of advanced techniques to characterize and predict sound fields in rooms, and sounds transmitted into rooms.  Activities include the application of acoustical measurements and calculations to assess or predict physical and/or subjective response to sound in residential and commercial buildings. (Candidates apply to 145-13-0078_A)

Control of sound transmission in multi-unit buildings, with emphasis on buildings employing light-weight structural members.  Research activities focus on characterizing the vibro-acoustic performance of multi-unit construction, relating this performance to key construction details, modifying the design details to achieve enhanced performance for airborne and impact sound insulation. (Candidates apply to 145-13-0078_B)

Transferring research findings to industry and stakeholders is also an important responsibility of these positions.
 

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 Physical Science or Engineering, or related discipline, with a specialization in acoustics. 

Candidates having a Master’s degree and relevant work experience in research or technology development will also be considered.

Experience

- Experience in the full spectrum of research activities including identification of research requirements, proposal writing, project management, and reporting through written documentation, presentations and publishing.

- Experience in experimental design and analysis including data collection and analysis, overseeing data production, and ensuring data quality.

- Experience in working in multi-disciplinary teams.

- Experience in conducting research activities dealing with the evaluation and control of sound transmission in buildings

- Experience using measurement systems and analysis techniques to characterize sound fields and sound transmission.

- Experience in the prediction or rating of physical or subjective response to sound.

- Some experience in business development, marketing activities, and/or the development of partnerships and collaborations would be an asset

- Experience working with standards, specifications, or building codes dealing with acoustical performance of buildings would be an asset.

- Experience measuring or predicting flanking sound transmission using standardized approaches such as ISO 10848 and/or ISO 15712 would be an asset.

 

 

Condition of employment

• Reliability Status

Language requirements

English

Assessment criteria

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

Technical competencies:

For 145-13-0078_A

Advanced knowledge of both physical acoustics and acoustical signal analysis is essential.

Solid knowledge of the relationship between human perception and the physical attributes of sound, including basic knowledge of common criteria and rating systems for building acoustics.

Ability to design and use electro-acoustic instrumentation systems to measure, control, and characterize sound fields in buildings.

Basic knowledge of interrelation of acoustical performance of buildings with multidisciplinary performance aspects such as fire, thermal, ventilation.

For 145-13-0078_B

Advanced knowledge of physical acoustics, including sound transmission in light-weight framed buildings.

Solid knowledge of the physical attributes of sound, including basic knowledge of common criteria and rating systems for building acoustics.

Solid knowledge of measurement instrumentation and methods to characterize flanking transmission, for example:
- Measurement of structure borne damping using the power injection method
- Measurement of radiation efficiency
- Measurement of structural intensity using a scanning laser vibrometer
- Measurement of wavenumbers

Solid knowledge of methods for the prediction of flanking sound transmission, for example:
- Measurement and combination of partial sound transmission paths using ISO 10848
- Modelling flanking transmission using statistical energy analysis, and ISO 15712

Behavioural competencies:

Creative Thinking – Level 2
Networking – Level 2
Communication – Level 2
Continuous Professional Learning – Level 2
Results Orientation – Level 2
Teamwork – Level 2
 

For this position, NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile(s):  | Research

View all competency profiles.

Relocation

Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with NRC's directives.

Salary range

These positions are classified as a Research Officer (RO), a group that is unique to the NRC. The RO group uses a person-based classification system instead of the more common duties-based classification system. Candidates are remunerated based on their expertise, skill, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience. The salary scale for this group is vast, from $38,921 to $114,275 per annum, which permits for employees of all levels from new graduates to world renowned experts to be fairly compensated for their contributions. In addition, an incumbent occupying a position within the RO Groups is currently entitled to receive a terminable allowance of $8,000 per year.

Closing date

10/03/2013 (15 days)

Applications will be accepted until 23:59 Eastern Time