DND to hire up to 3,000 public servants from other departments

Department of National Defence launches major hiring initiative

The Department of National Defence (DND) is preparing to recruit up to 3,000 employees from other federal departments in the coming months. This expansion supports its plan to manage tens of billions of dollars in new funding.

Pathway to Mobility initiative

In collaboration with the Public Service Commission, DND has introduced the Pathway to Mobility initiative. This program enables federal public servants to voluntarily transfer to the department at their current job level in specified fields.

“DND is hiring an additional 2400–3000 employees this fiscal year with potential further growth into next fiscal year,” said department spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin in an email to the Ottawa Citizen.

Poulin confirmed that any current public service employee may apply for these at-level positions. The program is designed to attract talent from across government into roles critical to DND’s expanding mandate.

Targeted skill areas

Strong interest from public servants

“As of November 3, 2025, a total of 4,647 applicants applied to the Pathway to Mobility initiative to be considered for jobs at DND,” Poulin said.

This large response reflects continued interest among federal employees in contributing to national defence and security projects through internal mobility opportunities.

Author’s summary

DND’s Pathway to Mobility initiative seeks up to 3,000 new hires from within the federal public service, aiming to strengthen Canada's defence capacity while providing mobility opportunities for civil servants.

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Ottawa Citizen Ottawa Citizen — 2025-11-20

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