Duties
Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) Officers with the Canadian Coast Guard provide one of the first responses to vessels in distress. They oversee the safety of Canada’s waterways by listening for distress and safety calls, monitoring marine traffic to prevent accidents, making sure that vessels comply with Canadian laws, and by broadcasting maritime safety information, such as weather and navigational warnings.
The job is challenging, fast-paced and always interesting, but can be stressful and demanding. You speak with vessel captains and crews in all kinds of situations and are often the first contact in a marine emergency or crisis. During a marine emergency, you act as a go-between for Search and Rescue and the vessel in danger, and are often the voice those in danger look to for advice and comfort. You need to be able to multi-task and manage many issues at once.
It’s a 24/7 world and we provide service to the marine environment 365 days of the year. Activity on Canadian waters never stops and neither do we! Consequently, you must be willing to accept shift work and work weekends and holidays.
Work environment
We are currently looking for individuals to train to become Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) Officers to join our team!
- HOW THE MCTS TRAINING PROGRAM WORKS:
The program involves the following two phases:
Phase I: The MCTS Ab Initio 26‑ to 28‑week training course takes place at the Canadian Coast Guard Academy, located in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The course consists of theory, practical applications and simulations. Here you will learn the basics.
Phase II: On-the-job training takes place at a regionally appointed MCTS Centre. Working with an on-the-job Instructor, you will learn local geography, local and regional procedures while ing the national elements of Phase I training. The on-the-job varies according to MCTS Centre and can last from 3-12 months.
After successful completion of Phase II candidates are promoted to a Marine Communications and Traffic Services Officer.
Click here to get more information on the MCTS training program: https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/mcts-sctm/career-carriere-eng.html
Information on Phase I of the MCTS training program can be found at: http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/college/MCTS-training-formation-SCTM/index-eng.html
- IMPORTANT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (ISOLATED POSTS ONLY**):
- Successful candidates may be eligible for crown housing and relocation assistance of up to $5,000.
- Isolated Post Allowances (Northern Allowance) range from $9,378 to $64,605 annually based on location of residence and if the employee has dependents or is occupying crown housing.
- Vacation Travel Assistance will be provided for each eligible member of the household.
- Benefits for employees could include up to 3 weeks of vacation (to start), leave provisions for family-related responsibilities, medical and dental benefits, a pension plan and more!
Please note that rates and conditions above are subject to change. Please see the Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive for more information or to view the rates for other locations at http://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca/directive/ipgh-pile/index-eng.php and https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/topics/pension-plan.html
**Isolated post applies to positions in MCTS Centres located in:
Iqaluit, NU
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL
Port Aux Basques, NL
Intent of the process
The intent of this process is to create an inventory of candidates to draw from to staff vacancies in our Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centres across Canada.
The first applications could be collected from the inventory as early as April 1, 2026. The final pull of applicants will take place when the job advertisement officially closes. There may be additional pulls of applications in between for unexpected opportunities, but these are not planned in advance..
Important messages
When you to this selection process, you are not ing for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.
Candidates will be assessed on a continuous basis throughout the process. early to be considered for immediate vacancies.
❗Please note that candidates will only be assessed once, and re-applications to the inventory will not be considered.
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✅ 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 your qualifications. If your talent matches one of our immediate or upcoming opportunities, we may contact you for further information or assessment.
If you move to the next step of the hiring process, an invitation to write the MCTS Aptitude Test to evaluate your competency in skills associated with MCTS Officer duties (i.e. Arithmetic, Checking, Coding, Memory, and Spatial Ability).
If you meet the criteria of the MCTS Aptitude Test, you will move to the next step of the hiring process for further evaluations. This may include an interview, an exam, references, or other assessments. __________________________________________________________________________________
OTHER INFORMATION
- Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.
The poster may be provided in Inuktitut upon request.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. For more information, see: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/benefits-military/defence-ethics/policies-publications/code-value-ethics.html AND https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=25049
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ARE YOU IN NUNAVUT AND UNABLE TO ONLINE?
If you are unable to submit an application online, it can be dropped off in-person to the Iqaluit MCTS Centre at:
Attn of: Annie Verret
1063 Niuraivik Lane
Iqaluit, NU
X0A 3H0
Alternatively, you can by email to:
[email protected]
Please ensure to clearly quote the process number: 26-DND-EA-CCG-664692
- Secret security clearance
- Health Canada pre-placement evaluation*
- Willingness and ability to accept seasonal employment (Prescott, ON and Sarnia, ON and Iqaluit, NU).
- Willingness and ability to travel
- Willingness and ability to work shifts (i.e. 8 or 12 hours), including days, evenings and nights
- Willingness and ability to work holidays and weekends
- Strict adherence to the Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces Code of Values and Ethics, Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector, Directive on Conflict of Interest, and Defence Administrative Orders and Directives (DAOD) 7021-1, Conflict of Interest
Copy and paste these links in your browser for more information: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/benefits-military/defence-ethics/policies-publications/code-value-ethics.html AND
https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=25049 AND
https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=32627 AND
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/defence-administrative-orders-directives/7000-series/7021/7021-1-conflict-of-interest.html
- Health Canada pre-placement evaluations include hearing, vision and colour vision tests.
Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following
❗ Essential qualifications are qualifications that you must meet in order to be considered for the position. This means that when you , your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet the education and experience listed below.
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EDUCATION:
A secondary school diploma or employer-approved alternatives (see Note 1).
Note 1: The employer-approved alternatives to a secondary school diploma are:
- A satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma; or
- An acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience.
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Learn more about degree equivalency.
Applied / assessed at a later date
APTITUDE:
Competency in skills associated with MCTS Officer duties (ie. Arithmetic, Checking, Coding, Memory, and Spatial Ability). Note: this will be assessed using the MCTS Aptitude Test.
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ABILITIES:
- Ability to keyboard (30 wpm with 95% accuracy).
- Ability to communicate effectively orally.
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
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PERSONAL SUITABILITY:
- Working effectively with others
- Client Service Orientation
- Managing difficult situations
- Adaptability
- Judgement and decision making
- Initiative
- Demonstrating integrity and respect
May be applied / assessed at a later date
❗ Asset qualifications are qualifications that may be required for the position. If you possess any of the qualifications listed below, please clearly demonstrate how you meet the qualification in your application.
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EXPERIENCE:
- Experience in a marine environment (e.g. member of a Ship’s crew, Navigation officer, experience in Commercial fisheries, Sea cadets etc).
FOR POSITIONS IN THE ARCTIC ONLY:
- Experience living or working in the Arctic.
- Knowledge of environmental characteristics of the Nunavut Settlement Area.
- Ability to speak Inuktut.
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ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS:
- The Department of National Defence is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive team that reflects Canada's population. To achieve a representative workforce, selection may be based on qualified candidates self-declaring as belonging to one or more of the designated groups: Indigenous Peoples, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and women. We encourage you to indicate if you belong to any of the designated groups when you .
- As means to support our military families, consideration may first be given to the spouses or common-law partners of serving Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members.
- NUNAVUT LAND CLAIMS AGREEMENT INFORMATION:
Nunavut Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement (beneficiaries of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement) will be considered before other applicants (including persons with priority entitlement and Veterans) for positions in Iqaluit.
As part of its priority to advance reconciliation and renew Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is committed to hiring more Indigenous peoples into their workforce. Better representation within the public service of Canada’s fastest-growing demographic group will lead to more innovative and inclusive solutions to today’s complex challenges. Ultimately, this will improve government services for Canadians. Indigenous peoples are therefore encouraged to to this inventory and self-identify.
