Canada's natural resources sector — our forests, energy, minerals and metals, and landmass, as well as the related industries — is one of the most productive, high-tech sectors in the global economy.

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) plays a pivotal role in helping shape the enormous economic, social and environmental contributions of this sector. Through partnership and innovation, NRCan is working with Canadians to make wise use of our resources, contributing to a better quality of life today and tomorrow.

The following four objectives guide the department in developing and implementing initiatives to achieve this goal:

• creating and sharing knowledge for making balanced decisions about Canada's landmass and resources;
• positioning Canada's natural resources sector as a world leader in innovation;
• establishing Canada as a global model for resource stewardship and environmental responsibility; and
• fostering adaptable and sustainable communities.

We conduct science to generate and transfer ideas, knowledge and technologies. We build a knowledge infrastructure of Canada's land and resources. We promote Canada's international interests to meet our global commitments related to natural resources. We ensure that federal policies and regulations enhance the contribution of natural resources to Canada's economy, while protecting the environment and the health and safety of Canadians.

The diverse and growing team that makes up the department includes people with backgrounds in science and technology, economics, engineering, political science, communications, strategic planning, audit and evaluation, business, marketing and administration, among others.

Respect, honesty, equity, fairness and integrity are the basis of our relationship with Canadian citizens, our clients and each other. NRCan's Operating Principles define the business standards, beliefs and values of our organization and state what we are striving to achieve.

We value the commitment and dedication of the people who form our organization and we believe that:

Strong Leadership is Essential
We value leadership that provides a vision of the future and creates an environment of trust and respect. By example and involvement, leadership demonstrates a clear sense of direction, fosters teamwork, is accountable, and motivates and supports our organization in reaching its objectives.

People are Our Principal Strength
We work in a challenging and healthy environment that enables us to achieve our work goals and reach our full potential. We have the tools and opportunities to acquire the skills and expertise to perform our jobs, are encouraged to be innovative, and are recognized for our achievements.

Effective Planning Helps Us to Improve
We believe that planning is important in helping us to improve and in our ability to manage effectively and to measure our performance and the impact of our programs. Through continuous learning and improvement, measurement and evaluation, we deliver efficient and relevant programs that support government priorities and objectives and meet the needs of our clients and stakeholders.

Creativity and Innovation are Key to Our Future
We value and support creativity and innovation in the development of leading-edge science and technology, policies and programs, better practices and processes and improved service delivery. Creative thinking and innovative solutions help us meet the challenges we face.

The Canadian Public Interest is Paramount
We help our Minister, under law and the constitution, to serve the public good and enhance the economic, social and environmental well-being of Canada.

High Quality Service to Clients is Our Standard
We consult with our clients and stakeholders to ensure that we understand their needs and expectations, and that our programs are relevant and useful to them. In delivering the best value for the public funds entrusted to us, we seek excellence in delivering our products and services.

Effective Communication is a Shared Responsibility
We create an environment and provide the means for open, honest and transparent communication to encourage the sharing of timely information throughout our organization and with our clients and stakeholders.

Cooperation is the Foundation of Our Success
We believe cooperation is the foundation for meeting the challenges of the future. Through partnerships, teamwork and strategic alliances, we work together toward common goals both within and outside the organization.

At Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), achieving employment equity and diversity is considered to be the result of good management. It is good business and an essential characteristic of a workplace of choice.

NRCan is determined to recruit and retain qualified and competent people from various pools of talent, fully respect the merit principle and become a workplace of choice where the best people in Canada want to make their careers.

A workplace of choice is one that

• embraces employment equity and diversity;
• provides employees with meaningful, challenging work and opportunities to apply their skills and knowledge;
• encourages good working relationships between colleagues and managers;
• offers a work environment that is safe and healthy;
• respects individuals and their differing circumstances, including their need for balance between work and life; and
• provides employees with the tools they need to do their job, fair compensation, learning opportunities, and the means to realize their career aspirations.

In NRCan's approach to employment equity, diversity and becoming a workplace of choice, one consideration is preeminent — merit. Merit, applied fairly, equitably and transparently, is the best guarantor of a representative workforce.

The individuals who choose to make their careers at Natural Resources Canada make NRCan what it is. Members of groups designated in the Employment Equity Act (Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, visible minorities and women) are welcome to self-identify and participate in designated employee networks.

NRCan's credo — "respecting individual differences enriches us all"

The Department of Natural Resources (NRCan) was created on June 25, 1993 by merging the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources and the Department of Forestry.

As the predominant natural resource department of the federal government, NRCan has a mandate to promote the sustainable development and responsible use of Canada's mineral, energy and forestry resources, and to develop an understanding of Canada's landmass.

Natural Resources Canada employs approximately 4500 employees with offices across Canada. The department is organized into five sectors:

• Canadian Forest Service
• Energy Sector
• Earth Sciences Sector
• Minerals & Metals Sector
• Corporate Management Sector

CANADIAN FOREST SERVICE

The Canadian Forest Service (CFS) of Natural Resources Canada is the largest forest science organization in Canada. With a staff of more than 850, including award-winning scientists, the CFS is a world leader in forest science and plays a pivotal role in forest policy development in Canada and abroad. The mission of the Canadian Forest Service is "to promote the sustainable development of Canada's forests and competitiveness of the Canadian forest sector for the well-being of present and future generations of Canadians."

Activities

The Canadian Forest Service has, for the last century, provided the Canadian forest sector with leading-edge forest science and expertise. Through cooperation and partnerships with clients across Canada, the CFS offers

• innovative approaches to sustainable forest management practices;
• technologies and systems for collecting and integrating information; and
• scientific, technical and policy advice for national and international initiatives.

Canada is steward of 10 percent of the world's forests, and forestry is one of Canada's most important industries. One in every 16 Canadian jobs is in the wood and paper products industries or related industries. The CFS is committed to ensuring the future economic well-being and long-term sustainability of this strategic Canadian sector.

Our People

The Canadian Forest Service depends on the knowledge and creativity of a wide range of people. The diverse and growing team that makes up the Sector includes

• scientists and technologists from a wide range of specializations that include forestry, biology and entomology; and
• people with backgrounds in economics, communications, business, computer science and administration, among others.

Canadian Forest Service

ENERGY SECTOR

The Energy Sector of Natural Resources Canada enhances the economic and environmental well-being of Canada by fostering the sustainable development and use of the nation's energy resources to meet the present and future needs of Canadians. The mission of the Energy Sector is "A Better Energy Future for Canada."

The scope of the Energy Sector's responsibilities includes energy efficiency, oil and gas, electricity, uranium and nuclear energy, alternative transportation fuels and renewable energy. A key activity of the sector is addressing climate change.

Activities

The sector's activities focus on economic and policy analysis, technology innovation, policy development and programs in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable and alternative energy sources, hydrocarbons and nuclear energy. They include

• developing energy policy;
• analyzing industry and market trends;
• promoting energy efficiency and alternative and renewable sources of energy through a wide range of programs in the residential, transportation, commercial, institutional, community and industrial sectors; and
• performing laboratory-based energy science and technology activities and cost-sharing S&T with private, public sector and international partners.

Our People

The Energy Sector depends on the knowledge and creativity of a wide range of people. The diverse and growing team that makes up the Sector includes

• scientists;
• economists;
• engineers;
• architects;
• technologists; and
• specialists in political science, business, marketing, communications and computing science.

Energy Sector

EARTH SCIENCES SECTOR

As Canada's principal earth sciences agency, the mission of the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada is to "provide Canadians with timely and reliable geomatics and geoscience knowledge, products and services of the highest standards and in the most cost-effective manner possible."

The scope of the Sector's responsibilities is very broad and includes the impact of climate change, mapping groundwater resources and contributing toward the sustainable development of Canada's landmass and natural resources.

Activities

The Earth Sciences Sector is a predominantly science- and technology-based sector and includes the Geological Survey of Canada, Geomatics Canada, the Polar Continental Shelf Project, and the sector corporate services group. These groups

• are major contributors to a comprehensive geoscience knowledge base of Canada;
• provide a reliable system of surveys, maps, remotely sensed data and geographically referenced information describing the Canadian landmass;
• help Canada exercise its sovereignty over its Arctic regions by providing comprehensive, coordinated logistical support to northern scientific research programs; and
• provide advice and support to the sector staff on a broad range of corporate issues.

Our People

The Earth Sciences Sector depends on the knowledge and creativity of a wide range of people. The diverse and growing team that makes up the Sector includes

• geologists;
• scientists and technologists from a wide range of specializations;
• land surveyors;
• photographers;
• cartographers;
• administrators; and
• computer scientists.

Earth Sciences Sector

MINERALS AND METALS SECTOR

The Minerals and Metals Sector of Natural Resources Canada is the Government of Canada's primary source of scientific and technological knowledge, and policy advice, on Canada's mineral and metal resources, materials research, and explosives regulation and technology. The sector devotes a large portion of its resources to science and technology, and houses three of Canada's premier scientific research institutions that focus on mining and mineral sciences, materials technology and explosives.

Activities

• serves as the government lead in promoting the sustainable development and responsible use of Canada's mineral and metal resources;
• generates and disseminates knowledge on the Canadian minerals and metals industry;
• works with a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector, environmental groups, Aboriginal peoples, provincial and territorial governments, other federal departments and agencies, and international organizations;
• collaborates with and provides research services to governmental, institutional and industrial clients (from mining to manufacturing) for the development of new technology with economic, environmental and social benefits to Canadians; and
• administers the Canada Explosives Act and Regulations.

Our People

The Minerals and Metals Sector depends on the knowledge and creativity of a wide range of people. The diverse team that makes up the sector includes

• scientists, engineers and technologists from a wide range of specializations, including mining, biochemistry, materials research, metallurgy and environmental studies;
• economists and statisticians; and
• people with backgrounds in the humanities, computer science, geology and business studies, among others.

Minerals and Metals Sector

CORPORATE MANAGEMENT SECTOR

The Corporate Management Sector (CMS) is comprised of three Branches and one Division: Financial Management Branch, Human Resources and Security Management Branch, Information Management Branch and Real Property Management Division.

Our Vision

To be a leader in making NRCan a high performance organization.

Our Mandate

To provide NRCan with a systematic, directional and guiding approach to achieve its strategic and operational objectives through leadership in the areas of Finance, Human Resources, Health and Safety and Emergency Management, Information Management, Information Technology, Access to Information and Privacy, and Real Property through the following four roles:

1. Ensuring legislative, regulatory, and policy obligations are identified, understood and met.
2. Providing strategic, functional leadership and guidance.
3. Maintaining oversight and compliance monitoring and reporting.
4. Enhancing corporate decision-making and management practices in response to NRCan business needs.

In carrying out its mandate, CMS will:

• be a catalyst for functional, horizontal leadership and management
• be an advocate of good management practices and appropriate behaviours at all levels
• be an advocate and leader on risk management
• ensure alignment with the Management Accountability Framework elements
• be an agent of compliance
• promote responsible stewardship and sustainability of resources and assets
• be a liaison to Treasury Board Secretariat, Public Service Human Resource Management Agency, and other central agencies
• be an owner/investor of the corporate infrastructure

Corporate Management Sector

Employees of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) enjoy a rich array of benefits and flexible work arrangements that help them balance work and private life.

In addition to benefit plans, NRCan offers opportunities to enrich the working experience. NRCan has approximately 4500 employees with offices throughout Canada. Our Ottawa headquarters is located next to beautiful Dow's Lake and the world-famous Rideau Canal, with miles of bicycling and jogging paths, skating on the canal in the winter and boating in the summer. NRCan headquarters has a daycare centre and a gym.

Benefit plans available to NRCan/Government of Canada employees include:

• a 24-hour confidential employee-assistance program;
• the Public Service Pension Plan; and
• insurance plans, such as the Disability Insurance Plan, the Public Service Dental Care Plan, the Health Care Plan and the Public Service Management Insurance Plan.

Flexible work arrangements include:

• teleworking;
• variable work week;
• self-funded leave; and
• leave with income averaging.

NRCan and its unions work together to improve the quality of the department and the quality of life for all employees. The terms and conditions of employment relating to compensation, hours of work, employee benefits such as annual, sick and other types of leave, and general working conditions are covered by Collective Agreements that are negotiated between the Treasury Board of Canada and the various bargaining agents.

The following is a list of benefits and workplace advantages offered to employees of the federal Public Service. You can use this list when considering career options internal to the federal Public Service versus those in the private sector. This list will assist you in making a well informed decision about your career.

Note: The following benefits and workplace advantages are subject to the terms and conditions of employees' collective agreements and location of work.

The people who work at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) are its primary resource. The department invests in its employees by way of diverse employment opportunities, a range of career development programs and a continuous learning culture that encourages and enables people to learn on an ongoing basis. NRCan provides:

Career Assignment Program
This program helps individuals who have demonstrated executive potential to attain management and leadership experience, preparing them for the pre-executive and executive levels.

Career Development Workshops
These offer practical tools and processes to a design meaningful career path.

Departmental Assignment Program
This program can help you broaden your professional horizons through a variety of work experiences in the department and elsewhere in the federal Public Service.

Employee Assistance Program
Through private sector contract, NRCan employees have access to a completely confidential assistance program if/when needed. Whether it is for advice, support or counselling on issues related to work or personal life, the assistance program is available 24 hours a day.

Lunch and Learn Sessions
An ongoing program of learning opportunities that facilitates networking and the exchange of practical techniques to improve your professional skills.

Interchange Canada
A development program that involves the exchange of employees through assignments between the federal Public Service and a wide range of other organizations, including other levels of government and private sector companies here in Canada and internationally.

Management Trainee Program
This program provides potential management candidates with the opportunity to accelerate their careers. Current and future NRCan employees can participate if they have a university degree.

Mentoring
Share your experience and knowledge or learn from others through mentoring. NRCan actively encourages mentoring to help you acquire new skills with