Duties
Reporting to the Director of History and Heritage, the Chief Historian provides strategic leadership for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) official history, research and archival programs.
The Chief Historian leads a growing team of more than twenty historians, archivists and library and information professionals. They are responsible for the planning, direction and delivery of major research, analysis, publication, advisory and public consultation activities related to Canada’s military history and operations.
Combining both scholarly and management expertise, the Chief Historian ensures the creation, preservation and accessibility of an authoritative historical record of Canada’s military activities. This includes oversight of official history publications, major research initiatives, and stewardship of a unique collection of military operational records.
The role provides expert advice to senior leaders on complex and sensitive issues related to military history and commemoration. They conceive and implement digital transformation initiatives to improve the accessibility, preservation and use of historical information in a rapidly changing information environment.
Work environment
Who are we❓
The Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) is mandated to preserve and communicate Canada’s military history, and foster pride in our military heritage. The Directorate is accountable for providing a coherent, horizontal perspective to, and strategic integration of, the management of programs and initiatives related to CAF history, dress, ceremonies, Group honours, museums, heritage, music and historic casualty identification. DHH maintains strategic-level collaborative networks and partnerships within DND/CAF, with the Office of the Chancellery (Rideau Hall), with Canadian Heritage, with Veterans Affairs, and with other government departments and institutions.
The Chief Historian leads a multidisciplinary team of professionals in an intellectually rigorous environment. The work involves managing multiple large-scale, multi-year projects and priorities, often in collaboration with other government departments, allied nations, academic institutions and external stakeholders.
This position requires the ability to balance academic excellence with strategic leadership, including setting direction, managing resources and guiding complex research programs that operate at the national and international level.
Work involves frequent interaction with senior officials and partners. It requires sound judgment, discretion, the ability to address sensitive or high-profile issues, and a willingness to act as a departmental spokesperson on history and heritage matters. Work is primarily conducted in an office setting, with opportunities for travel related to research, stakeholder engagement and international collaboration.
Together, DND and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) form the largest and most complex organization in Canada. DND's role is to provide services and support to the CAF in their operations and missions at home and abroad. DND and the CAF work side-by-side to fulfill the Government of Canada’s mission to defend Canada and Canadians and contribute to international peace, security, and stability efforts.
✨What do we offer?
At DND we foster a work environment where employees have opportunities to grow, learn, progress in their careers, and have job satisfaction over the long-term. You’ll enjoy:
✅ A career among a dynamic and dedicated team.
✅ Opportunities for advancement.
✅ A diverse, respectful, and inclusive work environment.
✅ A total benefits package including a competitive salary, health and dental insurance plans, pension plan and a variety of leave entitlements.
Intent of the process
The immediate need of this process is to fill one (1) Bilingual imperative CBC/CBC position on an indeterminate (permanent) basis in Ottawa, ON.
A pool of partially or essentially qualified candidates may be established through this process and used to staff identical or similar positions with various employment tenures (temporary and permanent), language profiles, operational requirements, and conditions of employment at the Department of National Defence.
Positions to be filled: 1
Important messages
Creating an environment where diverse perspectives are valued begins with self-declaration. Count yourself in and self-declare by identifying to which employment equity group(s) you belong. In order to self-declare, please ensure to indicate this by checking off the appropriate box within the online application as part of the Employment Equity section.
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How does this work?
✅ Step 1: Read the entire advertisement. Want to join our team? Let us know you’re interested! Click “ Online”
✅ Step 2: Tell us about yourself! Attach your resume and answer the screening questions in the online application.
✅ Step 3: We will carefully review all of your qualifications. If your talent matches one of our immediate or upcoming opportunities we may contact you for further information or assessment.
OTHER INFORMATION
- Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.
- Our organization will only accept on-line applications for this opportunity. Please click “ online” to submit your application. If there are limitations or special circumstances preventing you from submitting your application via the GC Jobs online portal, you must contact us and receive approval to via an alternate means PRIOR to the closing date.
- Depending on the position being staffed:
- Additional qualifications, operational requirements and/or conditions of employment may be required
- Varying degrees of breadth and depth of experience may be deemed essential
- Asset qualifications may be invoked as essential qualifications
- You may be contacted and asked to submit information or be further assessed
- Top down selection may be used during any stage of the selection process.
- Appointment decisions may be based on one or more of the following criteria:
- Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the strengths and weaknesses of the work team;
- Matching of the individual's experience or qualifications to the specific duties of the position being staffed;
- Depth, breadth, type of work-specific experience;
- Level/degree of one or more competencies/qualifications;
- Organizational Needs.
- Applicants who to this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages from unknown users.
- All information obtained throughout the selection process, from the time of application to close of process, may be used to evaluate the applicants. Your overall conduct and communications, including email correspondence, may be used in the assessment of qualifications and competencies.
- If, at any point in this process or upon qualifying in this process, your Values and Ethics do not align with that of the Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Code of Values and Ethics and Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector, you will be eliminated from further consideration in this process. See the Additional Links section.
- To ensure the integrity of the selection process, the content and questions of the assessment must remain confidential. Please do not discuss or share the assessment content with anyone, including other candidates. You must complete the assessment, including screening questions, by yourself, without the help of others, including the use of unapproved internet resources and artificial intelligence (such as ChatGPT or any other forms of artificial intelligence). Plagiarism and the use of artificial intelligence is strictly prohibited throughout the entire process and suspected non-compliance will be investigated. Any violation may result in potential consequences which could include your elimination from this selection process.
