Description

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Human Rights and Social Development Division has a vision for just, equitable and resilient Pacific societies and it aims to achieve this by advancing human rights, equality and social inclusion for all Pacific people, grounded in cultural values and principles.The work of this Division includes work previously undertaken by the Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) in the area of human rights and the Social Development Programme (SDP) in the areas of gender equality and social inclusion, culture and youth development.

In line with its vision, the work of the Division will encompass the following focal areas:

• Objective 1: Pacific institutions are strong, transparent, and responsive for upholding and promoting human rights and implementing inclusive, gender sensitive and culturally respectful development.
• Objective 2: Pacific Civil Society understand and can advocate for their rights and uphold cultural values.
• Objective 3: Pacific culture is protected, preserved, and promoted and culturally relevant and appropriate knowledge and systems are integrated across all work.
• Objective 4: All PSC programs and operations are grounded in people centered approaches and consider the rights and cultural values of diverse groups including women, children, youth and persons with disabilities.
• Objective 5: HRSD Division teams work collectively, coherently, and efficiently and to a high standard to achieve shared success for Pacific societies.

The USD 20 million donor-funded ‘Promoting Just, Engaged, Civic-minded and Transparent Governance in the Pacific Project’ (‘PROJECT Governance’) is a flexible and adaptive implementing mechanism that will strengthen the practice of sound, just, and responsive governance in the region. PROJECT Governance is anchored by the commitments made by the Pacific Island Forum leaders in the 2000 Biketawa Declaration and reaffirmed in the 2018 Boe Declaration.

The role – Project Coordinator – Promoting Just, Engaged, Civic-minded and Transparent Governance in the Pacific will be responsible for the overall leadership of the ‘Promoting Just, Engaged, Civic-minded and Transparent Governance in the Pacific’ (‘PROJECT Governance’) project, providing technical, programming and strategic direction and high-level implementation oversight, to ensure the anticipated results and objectives of the project are achieved. The role will also manage and develop direct reports.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Project delivery and management including staff supervision and management

• Lead the design and delivery of PROJECT Governance, including implementation planning and monitoring, problem solving, managing budget execution, donor contract compliance, and donor narrative and financial reporting as per contract and compliance rules from donor.
• Oversees implementation of the communications and visibility strategy for PROJECT Governance, including the development of communications materials.
• Coordinate and communicate across PROJECT Governance partners and stakeholders and other governance-related programmes to ensure effective management of project-related issues and complementarity and, to the extent possible, collaborate with other governance-related programmes/projects.
• Ensure donor narrative and financial reports are of high quality and completed in a timely manner.

Strategic planning, policy and programming advice

• Lead strategic advice with respect to planning, policies and programming for PROJECT Governance.
• Contribute to national, sub-regional, regional and international planning, policies, programming and institutions that support PROJECT Governance.

Stakeholder engagement, networking and coordination

• Liaise with the Donor Agreement Officer (AO), Agreement Officer’s Representative (COR), and staff or consultants.
• Represent HRSD and PROJECT Governance at national, regional and international forums.
• Share information on progress and outcomes of PROJECT Governance with key stakeholders.
• Establish, strengthen and support partnerships that advance PROJECT Governance objectives at national, regional and international levels.

Technical assistance and support to mainstream a people-centred approach to development

• Lead the implementation of a people-centred approach to PROJECT Governance.
• Provide high-level technical advice and assistance to PROJECT Governance partners to adopt and apply SPC’s people-centered approach to development.
• Work with other Advisers and the Social Innovation and Knowledge Management team to develop ideas and concepts for the advancement of a people-centred approach in the region.

For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.

Key selection criteria

Qualifications:

• A master's degree in public administration, economics, business, law, social sciences or a related field.

Technical expertise:

• At least 10 years of project management experience.
• Expertise in supporting democratic governance reforms.
• Extensive experience working with counterparts at various levels of government and the non-government sector in managing international development assistance projects.
• Strong technical expertise, good management skills, and excellent communication skills.
• Leading teams located and working across multiple locations.

Language skills:

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written).

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness:

• Ability to work in a multicultural, inclusive and equitable environment.

Salary, terms and conditions

• Contract Duration – Until 2 May 2026 – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.
• Remuneration – The Project Coordinator – Promoting Just, Engaged, Civic-minded and Transparent Governance in the Pacific is a band 12 position in SPC’s 2024 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 3,565‒4,456 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately FJD 10,623–13,279 (USD 4,741–5,927; EUR 4,419–5,524). An offer of appointment for an initial contract will normally be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews. Remuneration of expatriate SPC staff members is not subject to income tax in Fiji; Fiji nationals employed by SPC in Fiji will be subject to income tax.
• Benefits for international employees based in Fiji – SPC provides a housing allowance of FJD 1,350–3,000 per month. Establishment and repatriation grant, removal expenses, airfares, home leave travel, health and life and disability insurances and education allowances are available for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Employees are entitled to 25 working days of annual leave per annum and other types of leave, and access to SPC’s Provident Fund (contributing 8% of salary, to which SPC adds a matching contribution).
• Languages – SPC’s working languages are English and French.
• Recruitment principles– SPC’s recruitment is based on merit and fairness, and candidates are competing in a selection process that is fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory. SPC is an equal-opportunity employer, and is committed to cultural and gender diversity, including bilingualism, and will seek to attract and appoint candidates who respect these values. Due attention is given to gender equity and the maintenance of strong representation from Pacific Island professionals. If two interviewed candidates are ranked equal by the selection panel, preference will be given to the Pacific Islander. Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s Privacy Policy.

Application procedure

Job Reference: JM000719.

Applicants must apply online via the 'Apply Now' button.

Hard copies of applications will not be accepted.

For your application to be considered, you must provide us with:

• an updated resume with contact details for three professional referees
• a cover letter detailing your skills, experience and interest in this position
• responses to all screening questions

Your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at shortlisting stage if all the above documents are not provided. Applicants should not attach copies of qualifications or letters of reference. Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

For international staff in Fiji, only one foreign national per family can be employed with an entity operating in Fiji at any one given time. SPC may assist on a case-by-case basis with submissions to Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their consideration and final approval. SPC cannot and does not make any guarantee whatsoever of approval for such applications to Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and where an application is approved, the spouse or partner will subject to such terms and conditions as may be set from time to time by the Ministry.

SPC does not charge a fee to consider your application and will never ask for your banking or financial information during the recruitment process.

Screening Questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):

• Please provide examples of donor-funded programmes you have managed. Highlight what challenges you faced in programme and financial management, and what you did to overcome these challenges.
• Outline some unique challenges to realising human rights and good governance in practice at the local, national, and Pacific regional levels.
• Noting the challenges you have outlined in 2), propose some solutions to them using a right-based approach.

A position description is attached.