Headline: ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING OFFICER
Opportunity
As an Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, you
are a commissioned member of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch,
responsible for the maintenance and engineering support of all Army equipment, and of
the land-based equipment of the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force.
Overview
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) Officers lead the soldier technicians who
keep equipment in top condition, and work in every equipment life-cycle phase, from
design, evaluation and acquisition through in-service support to eventual disposal. You
may be employed in support of land and air operations, sometimes serving outside
Canada on operational missions or in exchange or liaison positions with allied forces.
Military equipment incorporates the full range of current technology, including thermal,
electro-optic and radar sensing and guidance devices; fourth-generation computer
hardware, firmware and software; and the most modern electronic, mechanical and
hydraulic systems. As a result, EME Officers can practise virtually any engineering
discipline. Your duties will involve command authority, technical staff responsibility and
specialized engineering knowledge.
You must be able to handle a broad range of duties, including labour relations with
unionized civilian employees; financial and contract administration; management of
automated information systems; and reliability engineering. Moreover, you must have a
detailed current knowledge of industrial safety.
You will lead troops in close support to Combat Arms units, and frequently be required to
perform many physical and mental tasks at once in adverse circumstances, including land
combat. You will work in all climates, environments and circumstances, from the
industry-like setting of a base or garrison to the discomforts and risks of service with an
operational Army unit, both on exercise in Canada and on overseas deployments that may
involve combat. To succeed, you need physical and mental strength and stamina;
resourcefulness, flexibility and initiative; methodical, efficient thought processes; cool,
mature judgement; and the ability to perform steadily under stress.
Appropriate training, environmental clothing and protective equipment are provided.
Support for your health, safety and morale is essential and readily available.
Pay and Benefits
Your pay in the Canadian Armed Forces is based on your occupation and rank. The
starting salary for a fully-trained Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer is
$51,000 per year; however, depending on previous experience and training the starting
salary may be higher. Regular promotions through the junior officer ranks take place
based on the completion of required training and on the length of service as an officer.
Once promoted to the rank of Captain your salary is approximately $73,000. To meet the
requirements of certain specialized appointments, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
Officers may be given opportunities for graduate education.
All service personnel, men and women, married or single, are paid on the same scale. As
a Regular Force member, you will also receive valuable opportunities for ongoing
education and training, as well as family and personal benefits supporting work-life
balance and a strong pension plan.
If you demonstrate the required ability, dedication and potential, you will receive
opportunities for career progression, promotion and advanced training.
Training and Advancement
As a Canadian Armed Forces member, you will receive continuous support to advance
your career, the chance to travel the world, and many other tangible services and benefits.
Your career in the Canadian Armed Forces starts with training, including several months
at facilities across Canada, followed by a period of obligatory service.
Phase 1: Basic Military Officer Qualification (14 weeks)
Following your successful application, you will be enrolled in the Canadian Armed
Forces and undertake the Basic Military Officer Qualification (BMOQ) at the Canadian
Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. You will learn
the principles of leadership, the regulations and customs of the service, basic weapons
handling and first aid. You will also take part in a rigorous program of sports and fitness
training. The BMOQ is instructed in English or in French and successful completion is a
prerequisite for further training.
After the BMOQ, you may attend a second language training course lasting from two to
twelve months, depending on your second language proficiency.
Phase 2: Common Army Phase
Build upon the leadership training you received during BMOQ and develop the skills
required of all Army officers, including more advanced weapons-handling, field-craft and
section-level tactics at the Infantry School at the Combat Training Centre at Canadian
Forces Base Gagetown, N.B. You will also continue the rigorous fitness training and
sports program.
Phase 3: Basic Military Occupational Training I
At the Infantry School at the Combat Training Centre in Gagetown, N.B., you will apply
the field skills you have learned to maintenance operations, and begin to apply your
engineering skills to military technology. Through classroom instruction and practical
work, you will learn the maintenance engineering requirements of combat and special-
purpose vehicles, land weapons, electronic and optronic sensors, and instrumentation and
communications systems. This phase also covers safe handling and storage of petroleum
products and ammunition.
Phase 4: Basic Military Occupational Training II
You will learn the tactical deployment of a Maintenance Company comprising about
200 soldier maintainers and 100 vehicles. This phase will also teach you to control and
plan the workload of a maintenance organization, and to handle unit-level personnel
administration.
Qualifications
A successful candidate must:
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Be a Canadian Citizen
Be 17 years of age (with parental or guardian consent if under 18) or older, except
Regular Officer Training Plan — Junior applications must be 16 or older
Meet Canadian Armed Forces medical standards
Successfully complete selection process, interview and examinations
Pass physical fitness tests
The Canadian military is one of the most highly trained and respected forces in the world.
Above all, the Canadian Armed Forces values strength of character and team
contributions. This means that regardless of your gender, religion or ethnicity, the
Canadian Armed Forces invites you to be a part of its team and to explore the
opportunities it has to offer.
The Canadian Armed Forces has also taken great strides in safeguarding the equality of
women. By adopting a “no exclusion policy,” it has become one of the only militaries in
the world to remove all barriers to full and equal service for all its members. This means
that women have the opportunity to work any job in the Canadian Armed Forces.
How to Apply
Direct Entry Officer
If you already have a university degree, the Canadian Armed Forces will decide if your
academic program matches the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the
required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military
officer qualification training are required before being assigned.
Join Us
Find out more about becoming a Canadian Armed Forces Electrical Mechanical
Engineering Officer, and see what other opportunities are available at FORCES.CA, call
1-800-856-8488 or visit your nearest Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre.
This position is also available in part-time employment. If interested, please visit
FORCES.CA for more information.
APPLY NOW