Bilingual Senior Librarian (Ottawa)

About CMHC

At CMHC, the work you do and the work we do together matters. We come to work every day with a common purpose: to realize a future where everyone in Canada has a home that they can afford and meets their needs.

Our people are second to none. We lean in with courage, band together as a community and try new things to make a lasting impact on housing from coast to coast to coast.

Join us and be part of a team that's committed to making a real difference and be part of something meaningful.

What’s in it for you

We’ve got the purpose, the people and the perks you need for a fulfilling career. Here’s what you get when you’re a contract employee:

• 3 weeks of accrued vacation.
• Annual individual performance bonus.
• Support in your personal and professional growth with training, mentorship and more – because when you thrive, we thrive.
• An inclusive workplace culture and environment with Employee Resource Groups and more.
• A hybrid work model that lets you balance working from home and nurturing in-person connections by coming into your region’s office at a minimum of 4 times a month.

About the role 

Join the Business Services Team, where you will support the daily operations of CMHC’s Housing Knowledge Centre, Canada’s largest housing research library. As the Bilingual Senior Librarian, you will provide timely, reliable, and authoritative Housing Knowledge Centre (HKC) services and information resources, ensuring that they meet CMHC research, policy, and business needs. You will also provide guidance to employees across the organization in the use of library resources and services and oversees the day-to-day operations and staff in the HKC, and ensure that the Housing Knowledge Centre is a leading source of housing information in Canada and is the exhaustive repository of all CMHC research and knowledge products. 

This is a temporary position of a duration of 24 months. 

What you’ll do: 

• Select, curate, manage, organize, preserve, and ensure access to the library’s collections and information resources for clients through the provision of collection, reference, and information services and manage copyright issues pertaining to the use of CMHC publications by third parties. 
• Engage with business lines to ensure strategic alignment between Housing Knowledge Centre resources and services and the objectives of the business lines and CMHC’s Strategic Objectives; solicit feedback from clients on enhancements to the HKC services; analyze clients concerns, complaints, and issues; recommend to the Manager, and implement enhancements or solutions. 
• Configure, design, and maintain the Housing Knowledge Centre microsite/SharePoint site and the content of the Housing Knowledge Centre page on the CMHC website, and develop strategies and implement plans to raise awareness of the services and resources available through the HKC. 
• Oversee the implementation, maintenance, design, and functionality of various technologies such as the library catalogue search interface and other reference systems and technology, ensuring clients can easily find and discover the information they need. 
• Respond to complex reference information requests from internal clients by defining information required and approach to be taken and resources to be researched, and prepare analysis and correspondence/response according to established standards and deadlines. 
• Regularly provide clients with the latest information published in the housing industry so that they may be alerted to and act upon trends and risks that can affect CMHC activities. 
• Provide advice and consulting services to CMHC employees on various aspects of information resources including the selection, digital storage and dissemination of information and provides guidance to internal and external clients in information retrieval resources and techniques for researching housing information. 
• Implement and maintain the company's Digital Asset Management System for image, video, and other digital assets, and keep current on latest innovations, system enhancements and best practices related to the development and management of reference and research services. 

What you should have: 

• A Postgraduate (Masters) degree in Library and Information Science. 
• A minimum of 5 years of experience working as a librarian in a research library. 
• Strong oral and written communication skills in both official languages (French and English). 
• An extensive experience conducting in-depth searches using print and online sources, and providing reference and information services. 
• An in-depth understanding of the technologies used to manage and provide access to information resources. 
• A demonstrated ability to keep abreast of industry innovations and technology trends. 
• A knowledge of library classification procedures and knowledge of cataloguing techniques and practices. 
• Strong interpersonal skills, strong ability to be a team player and lead teams, and the ability to train and motivate others to facilitate the achievement of project goals. 

It would be great if you also had: 

• A library and Information Technician Certificate would be considered.  
• An information management administrator certification or diploma and/or course work in information management. 
• A broad knowledge of the complex fields of housing, construction, community development, mortgage loan insurance and the information resources related to these fields. 
• A knowledge of CMHC’s history of policy, programs and housing-related research topics.  

Posting closing date: Note, the competition will remain active until filled.

Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion 

We’re committed to employment equity and encourage women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, veterans and persons of all races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities and expressions to apply. We also welcome applications from non-Canadians who are eligible to work in Canada.

CMHC is an inclusive workplace where diversity of thought – and of people – are recognized, valued, and considered essential to achieving our mission.

Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion 

What happens after you apply 

We know that applying for a new job can be both exciting and daunting, and we appreciate your effort. Learn more about our hiring process.  If you are selected for an interview or testing, please advise us if you require an accommodation.

If you applied before and you were not successful don’t worry – we're always posting new positions, so don’t hesitate to give it another shot. We’re excited to see what you bring to the table this time around!