Opportunity
Do you find it rewarding to help others? Do you enjoy a dynamic workplace with opportunities to travel? A Human Resources Administrator in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) may be the right fit for you! Human Resources Administrators provide administrative and general human resources support to all military activities.
No previous work experience or career-related skills are required.
Overview
As a Human Resources Administrator, your primary duties include:
- Human resource administration and services
- Administration of pay and allowances
- Managing automated pay systems and information management systems
- Maintenance of personnel records
To be eligible to apply to the CAF, you must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada
- Be at least 18 years old (17 years old with parental consent), except:
- For the paid education programs you may be 16 years old (with parental consent)
- For the Primary Reserve you may be 16 years old (with parental consent) and must be enrolled as a full-time student
- Have completed at least Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Quebec (some jobs need higher levels of education)
Work Environment
Human Resources Administrators are employed at all CAF bases in Canada, on ships, and overseas in support of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, or Royal Canadian Air Force operations. They may also serve in special operation units, medical organizations, recruiting offices, schools, reserve units, NATO/UN positions, and other specialized units. Further opportunities are available with embassies in countries where Canada has a military attaché.
If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.
Basic Military Qualification
The first stage of training is the Basic Military Qualification course, or Basic Training, held at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, or through various training establishments across Canada from Esquimalt, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. One main goal of this course is to ensure all recruits maintain the CAF physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding but achievable.
Human Resources Administrator Training
Upon graduation from BMQ, Human Resources Administrators are posted, when possible, to the unit they selected during the first weeks of BMQ. Over approximately the next 6 months, they will be learning in the workplace about:
- Process correspondence
- Creating a Unit Personnel File
- Creating a Pay File
- Creating a Leave Record
- Process a Posting
- Process Payroll accuracy
- Process Leave
- Process a Rank Change
- Process a Member’s Terms of Service
- Processing Medals, Honours and Awards
- Process Leave
- Modify a Marital Status
- Modify a Dependent
Available Specialty Training
Human Resources Administrators may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and on-the-job training for topics like:
- Recruiting Administration
- Release Administration
- Deployed Operations
- Compliance and Verification
Available Advanced Training
As they progress in their career, Human Resources Administrators who demonstrate the required ability and potential may be offered advanced training. Available courses include:
- Policy, Compensation and Benefits Analysis
- Civilian Personnel Management
- Military Personnel Management
Required Education
The minimum required education to apply for this position is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Quebec, including:
- Grade 10 Applied Math (Math 416 or CST 4 in Quebec)
- English or French at Grade 10 or Secondaire IV level
Foreign education may be accepted.
Direct Entry Plan
No previous work experience or career-related skills are required. A recruiter can help you decide if your interests and attributes fit. If you already have a university or college diploma, the CAF will decide if your academic program matches the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the necessary on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training is required before being assigned.
Join the CAF
To learn more about becoming a Human Resources Administrator, visit www.forces.ca, talk to a recruiter at a centre near you or call 1-800-856-8488.
Explore over 100 different career opportunities at www.forces.ca/en/careers.
Job Type: Permanent
