Science Consultants and Program Officers
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Job description
These individuals conduct research, draft reports, and provide consultation. They administer programs that affect different aspects of an organization. They also work at the local, regional, and national levels. This group includes, among others, ergonomists, industrial hygienists, and researchers. It also includes patent, technology transfer, program, and science policy officers. These individuals are self-employed or work for:
- The public service
- Educational institutions
- Research organizations
- Consulting firms
- Environmental and conservation organizations
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
Ergonomists
- Research the physical, social, and psychological relationships between people.
- Advise on the equipment used by staff and their work environment.
- Ensure that the design, spatial organization, and operation of the equipment available to personnel contribute to their safety, productivity, and comfort.
Industrial or Occupational Hygienists
- Study, assess, and control physical, chemical, and biological hazards and stress in the workplace.
- Propose changes to the environment and work methods.
- Inform staff, managers, and employers on ways to reduce the risk of injury or illness.
- Provide training on safe work practices, as required.
- Participate in contingency planning.
- Testify in court.
- Conduct surveys and communicate findings at conferences or in scientific publications.
Patent Agents
- Advise clients on the laws in force and on the possibility of patenting inventions.
- Conduct searches and prepare applications for patents.
- Represent clients before the Patent Office.
Technology Transfer Officers
- Transfer and integrate new technologies to commercial and industrial applications.
- Ensure the protection of intellectual property of researchers and developers.
Science Policy and Program Officers
- Conduct research and provide advice on different areas (civil protection, natural resources, agriculture, etc.).
- Design or administer programs related to these areas.
- Raise public awareness on various issues, such as the use of natural resources and the environment.
Environmental Analysts
- Develop, carry out, and coordinate studies and research in the social or economic sciences related to the field of the environment.
- Provide expertise and coordinate the integration of social or economic aspects applied to the environment or agricultural environment.
- Assess the social or economic effects of projects subject to various environmental assessment procedures.
- Work with a multidisciplinary team of analysts.
- Propose improvements to developers.
- Formulate and justify recommendations on the acceptability of projects.
- Provide advice in the application of regulations in the field of the environment, land use planning, and urbanism.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to supervisory or management positions.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $27.86
- Median
- $43.90
- Maximum
- $66.15
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 50% Female
- 50% Male
- 50% Female
- 50% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 9138% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 541716% of jobs
-
NAICS 5413, 54148% of jobs
-
NAICS 816% of jobs
-
NAICS 225% of jobs
-
Others27% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 9138% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 541716% of jobs
-
NAICS 5413, 54148% of jobs
-
NAICS 816% of jobs
-
NAICS 225% of jobs
-
Others27% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Biochemistry
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 35%
60.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 48.4%
41.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Biological sciences, biology or plant biology
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 31.7%
64.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 79.2%
16.9% of graduates pursue further studies
- Bishop's University
- Concordia University
- Université de Montréal
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
- Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Université Laval
- McGill University
- Institut national de recherche scientifique
Chemical engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 82.4%
14.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 72%
24% of graduates pursue further studies
Chemistry
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 31.7%
62.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 66.7%
30.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Earth science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 58.3%
41.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 100%
Environment (environmental quality and pollution)
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 45.9%
48% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 84.9%
7.5% of graduates pursue further studies
- Bishop's University
- Concordia University
- Université de Montréal
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
- Université du Québec en Outaouais
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université du Québec à Rimouski
- Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
- Université Laval
- McGill University
Exercise science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 49.7%
42.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 64.2%
29.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Geography
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 44.8%
48.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 68.4%
28.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Hydrology and water sciences
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 75%
25% of graduates pursue further studies
Industrial and administrative engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 82.4%
11% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 89.8%
6.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Mechanical engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 80.8%
14.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 78.4%
18.2% of graduates pursue further studies
Natural resources or renewable resources
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 75%
25% of graduates pursue further studies
Physics engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 42.9%
53.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 30.8%
61.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Physics or physical sciences
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 22.5%
74.6% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 56.5%
41.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
Ergonomists
- Certification by the Canadian College for the Certification of Professional Ergonomists (CCCPE) to use the title of Professional Ergonomist.
Patent Agents
- One year of experience in the field of patents.
- Successful completion of the Commissioner’s patent examination.
Sometimes required
- A Master’s degree in a scientific field may be required.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification may be required to work on sustainable building designs and the development of green technologies.
Ergonomists
- Membership in the Association of Canadian Ergonomists (ACE) or the Association professionnelle des ergonomes du Québec (APEQ [Quebec Association of Professional Ergonomists]) may be required.
Industrial Hygienists
- Certification from the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists or the Conseil d'accréditation en hygiène industrielle du Québec (Quebec Accreditation Board of Industrial Hygienists) may be required.
Patent Agents
- Registration in the directory of Patent Agents may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Active listening
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Written expression
- Oral expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- Information processing
- Mathematics
- Result evaluation
- Time management
- Solving complex problems
- Active learning
- System analysis
- Systems evaluation
- Operation analysis
- Coordination
- Learning strategies
- Monitoring operations
- Negotiation
- Service oriented
- Persuasion
- Science
Abilities
- Awareness of issues
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Written expression
- Basic numeracy
- Deductive reasoning
- Information organization
- Mathematical reasoning
- Near vision
- Inductive reasoning
- Classification
- Processing flexibility
- Speech recognition
- Speech clarity
- Distance vision
- Idea generation
- Perception speed
- Selective attention
- Control accuracy
- Hand-arm stability
- Originality
Knowledge and attributes
- Critical thinking
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to adapt
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Knowledge of customer and personalized services
- Capacity to work in a team
- Respect standards and regulations
- Creativity
- Desire to upgrade one’s competencies
- Open-mindedness
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work with numbers
- Create, design
- Carry out research
- Assist and advise
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
Official name of the NOC 41400
Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers
Job titles
- Ergonomist
- Industrial hygienist
- Patent agent
- Natural and applied sciences program officer
- Technology transfer officer
- Registered patent agent
- Occupational hygiene officer
- Sustainability officer
- Waste reduction and recycling officer
- Energy program officer
- Waste reduction education program officer
- Fisheries program officer
- Emergency management analyst
- Agricultural association analyst
- Environmental impact analyst
- Transportation safety analyst
- Work site analyst
- Natural resources policy analyst
- Natural and applied sciences policy analyst
- Energy policy analyst
- Transportation program analyst
- Fisheries analyst
- Environmental project manager
- Patent searcher
- Natural and applied sciences researcher
- Sustainability advisor
- Environmental advisor (except engineer)
- Natural and applied sciences policy advisor
- Scientific consultant
- Sustainability consultant
- Environmental consultant (except engineer)
- Ergonomics consultant
- Waste diversion consultant
- Natural and applied sciences consultant
- Environmental education consultant
- Regional recycling and waste reduction program coordinator
- Sustainability program coordinator
- Waste management program coordinator
- Waste diversion program coordinator
- Recycling program coordinator
- Municipal recycling program coordinator
- Waste reduction program coordinator
- Program coordinator - environmental organization
- Solid waste program coordinator
- Industrial waste reduction program coordinator
- Environmental program coordinator
- Recycling coordinator - residuals management
- Certified ergonomist
- Interface ergonomist
- Multimedia ergonomist
- Solid waste program manager
- Environmental program manager
- Waste diversion program manager
- Occupational hygienist
- Registered occupational hygienist
- Certified industrial hygienist
- Agricultural issues lobbyist
- Environmental issues lobbyist
- Bioscience officers - canadian armed forces
- Emergency preparedness planner
- Disaster emergency response planner
- Natural resources planner
- Communications policy researcher
- Sustainability specialist
- Ergonomics specialist
- Environmental program development supervisor
- Work site auditor
Skill type
Education, law and social, community and government services
Related occupations
- Aerospace engineers
- Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists
- Architecture and science managers
- Biologists and related scientists
- Chemical engineers
- Chemists
- Civil engineers
- Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
- Electrical and electronics engineers
- Forestry professionals
- Geological engineers
- Geoscientists and oceanographers
- Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
- Industrial and manufacturing engineers
- Mechanical engineers
- Metallurgical and materials engineers
- Meteorologists and climatologists
- Mining engineers
- Other professional engineers
- Other professional occupations in physical sciences
- Petroleum engineers
- Physicists and astronomers
Last update: January 29, 2026