Government Program Officers
Job description
These individuals are involved in the administration and management of government institutions. They design government-specific activities (international relations, elections, courts, etc.).
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
Main tasks
- Advise politicians or diplomats on the consequences of a government’s decisions on other governments.
- Plan intergovernmental meetings and conferences with officials of other governments.
- Coordinate election logistics within a constituency, ensuring that electoral and voting procedures are followed.
- Coordinate administrative support services for legislative committees, inquiry commissions, or tribunals.
- Be part of a board or a tribunal.
- Plan logistics and ensure protocol for official visits by foreign political representatives and dignitaries.
- Explain foreign and domestic policies to governments and nationals of foreign countries.
- Represent the government abroad.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $26.00
- Median
- $37.50
- Maximum
- $51.28
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
- 54.6% Female
- 45.4% Male
- 54.6% Female
- 45.4% 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 9189% of jobs
-
NAICS 813% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54171% of jobs
-
NAICS 611% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6231% of jobs
-
Others5% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 9189% of jobs
-
NAICS 813% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54171% of jobs
-
NAICS 611% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6231% of jobs
-
Others5% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Accounting or accounting science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 86.6%
9.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 88.9%
7.4% of graduates pursue further studies
- HEC Montréal
- Concordia University
- 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
Business administration
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 84.1%
12.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 92%
3.1% of graduates pursue further studies
- HEC Montréal
- Bishop's University
- Concordia University
- 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
- TÉLUQ
Business management and administration
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 93%
1.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 93.3%
3.5% of graduates pursue further studies
- HEC Montréal
- Bishop's University
- Concordia University
- 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
Communications and journalism
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 75.8%
16.2% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 69.4%
21% of graduates pursue further studies
Economics
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 67%
26.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 84.2%
5.3% 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
History
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 34.3%
60.2% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 63%
33.3% of graduates pursue further studies
International business
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 84%
9.3% of graduates pursue further studies
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 74.2%
19.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Law
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 62.5%
32% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 87.8%
9.4% of graduates pursue further studies
Multidisciplinary (Humanities)
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 55.7%
38.6% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 60%
40% of graduates pursue further studies
Political science
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 38.4%
55.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 77.4%
16.9% of graduates pursue further studies
Public administration
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 50%
50% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 91.7%
5.8% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Entrance exam for foreign service officers.
Sometimes required
- A Bachelor’s degree is usually required.
- A Master’s degree is sometimes required.
- Several years of experience as a researcher, consultant, or program administrator may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Oral expression
- Active listening
- Information processing
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Written expression
- Service oriented
- Social perception
- Judgment and decision-making
- Solving complex problems
- Active learning
- Coordination
- Result evaluation
- Time management
- Negotiation
- Persuasion
Abilities
- Verbal skills
- Oral comprehension
- Speech clarity
- Written expression
- Written comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Awareness of issues
- Inductive reasoning
- Information organization
- Near vision
- Classification
- Selective attention
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to establish and maintain interpersonal relations
- Diplomacy
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Capacity to work in a team
- Rigour
- Sense of initiative
- Capacity for synthesis
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of laws and policies
- Knowledge of a foreign language
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work in an office
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Artistic
- People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
Official name of the NOC 41407
Program officers unique to government
Job titles
- Foreign service officer
- Diplomat
- Returning officer
- Deputy returning officer
- Government official
- Public inquiries officer
- House of commons committee officer
- Legislative committee officer
- Select committee officer
- Standing committee officer
- Standing or select committee officer
- Regional committee officer - government services
- Senate committee officer
- Legislative council officer
- Regional council officer
- Territorial council officer
- Official languages commission officer
- Labour relations commission officer
- Election commission officer
- Extraparliamentary commission officer
- Royal commission officer
- Task force officer
- House of commons officer
- Aboriginal land claims liaison officer
- Official languages promotion officer
- Federal and intergovernmental affairs research officer - government services
- Tribunal officer
- Tribunal officer - government services
- Intergovernmental affairs officer
- Federal-provincial relations officer
- Privy council office officer
- Office of the speaker of the house of commons officer
- Prime minister's office officer (federal government)
- Premier's office officer (provincial government)
- Intelligence analyst - security
- Attaché
- Second secretary - foreign service
- Protocol officer
- Elections officer
- Board member - government services
- Parole board member
- Health authority board member
- Refugee board member
- Tribunal member
- Intelligence officer - security
- First secretary - foreign service
- Tribunal chairperson
- Intelligence operator - canadian armed forces
- Intelligence operator - security
- Third secretary - foreign service
Skill type
Education, law and social, community and government services
Related occupations
- Administrative officers
- Border services, customs, and immigration officers
- Court clerks and related court services occupations
- Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts
- Executive assistants
- Government managers - education policy development and program administration
- Social policy researchers, consultants and program officers
Last update: January 29, 2026