Role Responsibilities

Join the Chief Firearms Office as a Firearms Officer and play a critical role in ensuring that firearms licensing, compliance, and community safety standards are met across the province.

Reporting to the Regional Operations Manager, you will provide operational services for the provincial delivery and management of the federal Firearms Act. The services provided enhance public safety through the responsible administration of firearm licensing, serving a wide variety of stakeholders.

You will be responsible for providing clear and concise advice on complex issues and making the final recommendation to the Chief Firearms Officer on the eligibility of the client. As part of the role, you will encourage compliance with corrective actions, investigate public safety concerns, resolve regulatory issues, and determine eligibility for firearms licensing, sale, transport and transfer. This will be achieved through a variety of activities, consultations, and communication with the firearms industry, including importers, exporters, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. You will also liaise with a wide range of organizations, such as club and range operators, individual firearms clients, law enforcement agencies, court officers and other government employees.

Some additional responsibilities include but not limited to are:

• Working in accordance with the Firearms Act, other related federal and provincial legislation and the Canadian Firearms Program. 
• Investigating and analyzing complex situations and making recommendations to approve or deny firearm licenses. 
• Advising the Regional Operations Manager on best approaches for establishing tracking, reporting and evaluation systems. 
• Responding to general and complex inquiries related to the Canadian Firearms Program. 
• Investigating and analyzing complex situations and making recommendations to approve or deny firearms licences to individuals and business (importers, exporters, wholesalers and retailers).
• Coordinating and conducting inspections of firearms businesses, shooting ranges and client residences for the purposes of complying with the Firearms Act and regulations.
• Independently conducting interviews to inform eligibility issues and make recommendations to the CFO for the approval, refusal or revocation of firearms licences.
• Outlining best practices for unique situations to facilitate consistent application of firearms licensing legislation, policy and operating procedures.
• Carrying out CFO policies, procedures and strategic priorities to effectively conduct investigations, analysis, prepare recommendations and provide information sessions.
• Contributing to tracking, reporting and evaluation systems for the operational cycle as directed by the Regional Operations Manager.
• At the request of the Regional Operations Manager, liaising, collaborating and participating on national working groups and committees in the development of standard operating procedures, policy guidelines and directives and by leading their implementation within Alberta.
• Responding to general and complex inquiries related to the Canadian Firearms Program, including specific questions related to the decisions and roles of Firearms Officers.
• Delivering and contributing to the development of public education programs to promote the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Canadian Firearms Program and its objectives and goals.  
• The position requires a high degree of discretion and confidentiality as well as the ability to work with complex situations under strict timelines.
  
  

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies:
https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

• Systems Thinking: You consider the inter-relationships among different aspects of an approach including how they relate to other programs or areas.
• Creative Problem Solving: You assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solution.
• Agility: You anticipate, assess, and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty and effectively work in a changing environment.
• Drive for Results: You identify underlying causes for success or lack of success which may or may not involve self and takes action to ensure future success.
• Develop Networks: You proactively build networks, connecting and building trust in relationships with different stakeholders.
• Build Collaborative Environments: You lead and contribute to the conditions and environments that allow people to work collaboratively and productively to achieve outcomes.
• Develop Self and Others: You reflect and understand your own and your direct reports’ areas of strengths and opportunities for development.

Qualifications

Required:

• University degree in a related field (Public Administration, Public Policy, etc.) 
• Two years of related experience (Firearms Agent, Policy Analyst, etc.) 
  
  

The following will be considered assets: 

• Working experience dealing with firearms safety principles and the role of firearms regulation in mitigating risk to individuals and the public.
• Working knowledge of the Firearms Act, Canadian Firearms Program, and Part III of the Criminal Code.
• Working experience applying risk-based decision making, consistent with legislative criteria (e.g., evaluating whether an individual poses a safety risk).
  
  

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of: 

• 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or 
• 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.
  
  

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level. 

Hours of work are Monday to Friday, 36.25 hours per week.

The successful candidate must hold a Restricted Possession and Acquisition License (R-PAL). Handling firearms is a requirement of this position. Information about obtaining a R-PAL can be found here: https://www.alberta.ca/get-a-firearms-licence.

The successful candidate will be required to complete Alberta Peace Officer Investigator training and be eligible to obtain a Peace Officer Appointment. They will also be required to obtain and maintain Peace Officer status (Alberta Peace Officer Level 2).

The successful candidate will also be required to obtain and maintain an Enhanced Reliable Security Clearance conducted by the RCMP.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in. 

Instructions for your Resume:

For Employment Experience:

• Please indicate duration of employment (month, year)
• Please specify employment status (i.e. casual, part-time or full-time)
• Ex: Youth Worker, Jan 2006 - June 2009, Part-time (three, 8 hour shifts/week)
  
  

For any Post-Secondary Education:

• Please specify your major and length of program
• Please specify the year you graduated
• Ex: Bachelor of Social Work, 4-year Degree (Graduated 2017)

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.