Specification Writer, NMS

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The NMS team at the Construction Research Centre is looking for a Specification Writer to support our Construction Research Centre. The Specification Writer would be someone who shares our core values of Integrity Excellence Respect and Creativity.

As part of the NMS team the Specification Writer will contribute to the ongoing development enhancement and publication of Canadas National Master Construction Specification (NMS). a cornerstone resource for architects engineers and construction professionals across the country.

The NMS is a comprehensive template system used to develop design and construction specifications for the Canadian built environment including buildings and infrastructure. It contains more than 17000 pages of technical content organized into over 850 documents. The NMS is widely adopted by the Government of Canada as well as provincial territorial and broader publicsector organizations to support the efficient creation of consistent highquality project specifications.

The incumbent will work closely with NMS technical advisors English editors and administrators to ensure the accuracy consistency and quality of NMS documents. They will apply expertise in specification writing building science and construction documentation to produce and maintain highquality master specifications that reflect the latest codes standards and industry best practices.

Key Activities:

• Write edit and review NMS master specifications for accuracy clarity and adherence to NRCs quality and formatting standards.

• Perform quality assurance reviews.

• Collaborate with technical advisors English editors and translators to integrate updates from codes standards and research findings.

• Maintain consistency with NMS conventions including MasterFormat UniFormat and SectionFormat.

• Analyze feedback from users industry partners and regulatory stakeholders to improve NMS documents.

• Participate in the continuous improvement of workflows metadata management and content validation in NMS publication cycles.

• Mentor junior team members on specification writing principles and NMS guidelines.

• Contribute to the development of new documents to address emerging best practices climate resiliency and sustainability practices.

• Support publication activities in collaboration with the NMS Specification Administrator and the Production and Marketing (P&M) team.

• Perform data entry of NMS documents into an XML database as required.

Applicants must demonstrate within the content of their application that they meet the following screening criteria in order to be given further consideration as candidates:

Diploma or degree in Architectural/Civil Building Science Technology or a related field.

Certification as a Construction Specifications Canada Registered Specification Writer (RSW) or Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA) Certified Specification Practitioner (CSP); or Construction Specification Institute Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) or Construction Document Technologist (CDT) would be considered an asset.

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad please seeDegree equivalency

• Significant experience writing editing and reviewing construction specifications as part of regular professional duties.

• Demonstrated knowledge of specification formats such as MasterFormat UniFormat and SectionFormat.

• Experience coordinating interdisciplinary input from architects engineers and other technical specialists.

• Experience preparing and maintaining master construction specifications would be considered an asset.

• Demonstrated knowledge in construction contract administration would be considered an asset.

• Experience using digital collaboration tools (e.g. SharePoint Teamwork) and content management systems for technical publication cycles would be considered an asset.

• Experience with sustainable design or construction sustainability certification programs (e.g. LEED WELL) would be considered an asset.

Reliability Status

For a Reliability Status verification of background information over a period of 5 years is required.

English Bilingual preferred BBB/BBB

Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests

Candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Ability to write edit and review construction specifications for technical accuracy readability and compliance with established standards and codes.

• Ability to identify the impact of changes in standards codes technology or industry practices on specifications.

• Broad technical knowledge across architectural and engineering disciplines relevant to building design and construction.

• Working knowledge of contract law principles as they apply to construction procurement and project delivery.

• Strong understanding of specification language construction terminology construction law and English grammar.

• Working knowledge of construction specification writing style formatting and classification systems (MasterFormat SectionFormat PageFormat and UniFormat).

• Proficient in MS Office Suite including Outlook Word Excel OneNote Teams and PowerPoint.

For this position the NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile(s): Technology Support

View all competency profiles

From $83435to $107838per annum.

In addition the incumbent who meets the language requirements will receive the Bilingualism Bonus of $800 per year.

NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of competitive benefits including a robust pension plan comprehensive health and dental coverage disability and life insurance office closure at the end of December and additional supports to enhance your well-being throughout your career and beyond.

• In 2026 the NRC was chosen as one of Canadas Top Employers for Young People a National Capital Region Top Employer and Forbes Canadas Best Employer.
• Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with the NRCs directives.
• A pre-qualified list may be established for similar positions for a one-year period.
• In order to ensure a prompt and efficient processing of applications candidates are encouraged to provide along with their résumé a detailed covering letter explaining how they meet each of the requirements of this position (education experience language requirements) by providing concrete addition the candidate is encouraged to describe in detail when where and how he/she gained the experience.
• Preference will be given to Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada. Please include citizenship information in your application.
• The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
• We thank all those who apply however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.