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Reference number: RF-15140

About CSE

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is Canada’s agency responsible for foreign signals intelligence, cyber operations and cyber security. Learn more about our mission.

CSE is committed to fostering a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion. This isn’t just an ideal, it’s crucial to our mission. Find out about our workplace culture, including our diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Become part of our team and you’ll understand why CSE is the most important organization you’ve never heard of (YouTube).

Job summary

We are recruiting curious people from various backgrounds for the following roles:

• Computer Network Exploitation Analysts
• Network or Cyber Security Specialists

As a Computer Network Exploitation Analyst, you will be part of a collaborative team conducting online operations against foreign threats. Your tasks will include:

• Gaining access to networks of foreign targets
• Identifying and acquiring information from foreign networks
• Enabling exploitation and collection operations
• Conducting operations that degrade, disrupt, influence, respond to or interfere with threats to Canada

As a Network or Cyber Security Specialist, you will be part of a collaborative team managing systems and infrastructure. Your tasks will include:

• Designing, building, operating, or configuring systems and infrastructure with services such as networking, compute, storage, and tooling.
• Coordinating with internal teams to ensure system integration.

The work you’ll do is quite unique. There are certain aspects of these roles that you will not find anywhere else, that no other organization can offer. We require you to have a foundation of knowledge in computer networking and cyber security concepts, but we can offer you world-class training to supplement the mission-specific details you need to know.

Salary

To find out more about our salary scale, vacation allowances and benefits (health, dental and pension plans, etc.) visit the Compensation page on our website.

Area of selection

Open to Canadian citizens.

Location

The majority of our jobs are in Ottawa, Ontario. CSE has two accessible facilities. Flexible work arrangements, including telework for a portion of the work week, may be possible.

Conditions of employment

An Enhanced Top Secret (ETS) security clearance is a condition of employment that must be met before an offer can be made.

More information about our hiring and security processes can be found on our website.

Essential qualifications

In order to be considered, your cover letter must clearly explain how you meet the following education and experience requirements.

Education

You must have either one of the following:

• A university degree or college diploma in a field related to the position, such as (but not limited to) Computer Science, Engineering, Cybersecurity, Networking, Mathematics, etc., Or
• An acceptable combination* of education, training and/or experience.

Note: The educational program must be recognized in Canada, and you must be able to provide proof of education credentials. Students graduating within the next twelve months are eligible to apply.

* A high school diploma with at least 3-5 years of recent** experience in one or more of the areas listed below. Specific dates must be included in your application and references that can validate this information may be required during the recruitment process.

** For the purposes of this hiring process, “recent” is defined as experience having normally been acquired within the last five years.

Experience

• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Network administration
  • Cyber security
  • Network analysis

Note: Recent graduates should note that school projects may be considered as relevant experience.

Official language requirements

English essential

Competencies

The following technical, behavioural and leadership competencies will be assessed at a later date. You do not need to include information about them in your application.

Technical competencies

• Network Analysis
• Cyber Security

Behavioural competencies

• Accountability/autonomy
• Cognitive thinking skills

Leadership competencies

• Achieving results
• Collaboration

Assets

Assets are “nice-to-have” expertise and skills we’re interested in. Your application will not be discontinued if you do not meet or possess these qualifications. However, if you do have them, they may be used to identify which team you could best complement.

Please demonstrate on your application if you meet or possess the asset experience listed below.

Asset experience

• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Digital forensics
  • Network or security operation
  • Network traffic analysis
  • Software development
  • System administration
  • System integration
  • Vulnerability research or analysis

Asset language

Bilingual: Various language profiles such as: BBB/BBB, CBC/CBC

Operational requirements

Overtime and standby duty may be required.

How to apply

You may submit your candidacy online by selecting “Apply” at the top or bottom of this page.

If you cannot apply online or have a disability preventing you from applying online, please inform us by email at careers-carrieres@cse-cst.gc.ca prior to the closing date of this hiring process.

Important information

We ask you to not discuss your application with others (including on social media) besides your partner, or close family members - who should also be reminded about the need to be discreet.

Assessments of candidates are conducted in the official language of their choice.

To address CSE’s current representation gaps, priority may be given to persons who self-declare as belonging to one, or more, designated employment equity groups: women; Indigenous peoples, including First Nations who are status, or registered and non-status, or non-registered, Inuit and Métis; persons with disabilities, including people with a mental health condition and neurodivergent people; and persons from racial or ethnic groups.

Please note the Employment Equity Act, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities.

CSE offers an assessment process that will accommodate any reasonable measures you require to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Those measures are available to all candidates during our processes. Information you provide will be addressed confidentially.

The level of competence demonstrated in the various assessments will be used to determine your qualifications for the UNMA-07, UNMA-08, UNMA-09, or UNMA-10 level. Please note, most opportunities are at the UNMA-07 and UNMA-08 levels.

All communications with CSE relating to this process, including email messages and telephone conversations, may be used in the assessment of qualifications.

The intent of this process is to fill vacant positions at CSE. The process may also be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates which could be used to staff similar or identical positions with various tenures.

Due to the nature of CSE’s mandate certain roles may expose employees to content that is difficult to process. Mental health is a priority at CSE and if any personnel feel they require assistance to preserve their mental wellbeing, they have access to services, tools and other resources to help them in both their personal and professional lives.

Please note that in an effort to maintain balance between employee development and business needs, candidates who are hired at CSE must remain in their position for a minimum of twelve (12) months subject to operational requirements.

We thank you for your interest in CSE. However, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.