JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title Communications Adviser
Division Human Rights and Social Development Division
Location Suva, Fiji
Line/Hiring Manager Manager Programmes (Pacific Women Lead at SPC/Gender Equality Flagship)
Direct Reports 2
Purpose of the role The role will oversee the coordination and implementation of strategic communications, engagement and outreach plans for the programme. This role also coordinates visibility communications through the development of high-quality, multi-media communication and media products for a wide range of stakeholders. As the role may require working across the objectives of other HRSD work programmes and broader SPC delivery, the role will have matrix reporting and working relationships with others in the Division.
Date September 2026

Organisational Context and Organisation Chart

Under its Business Plan 2027-2031, the Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) division's vision is for just, equitable, resilient and sustainable Pacific Island societies. This will be achieved by advancing human rights, gender equality and social inclusion for all Pacific people, grounded in cultural values and principles, and driven by people-centred approaches.

In line with its vision, the work of the Division encompasses the following objectives:

  • Objective 1: Pacific governments and state institutions are strong, transparent and responsive for upholding and advancing human rights and good governance, gender equality, social inclusion, and positive expressions of Pacific culture.
  • Objective 2: Pacific civil society is able to advocate for and realise human rights and good governance, gender equality, social inclusion, and the right to practises positive expressions of Pacific culture.
  • Objective 3: Pacific expressions of Pacific culture are safeguarded and promoted, and integrated across our work to support human rights, gender equality and social inclusion.
  • Objective 4: SPC programmes and operations apply the people-centred approach and uphold and advances human rights and good governance, gender equality and social inclusion, and positive expressions of Pacific culture.
  • Objective 5: HRSD works collaboratively, coherently and efficiently to deliver quality outcomes that uphold and advance human rights and good governance, gender equality and social inclusion, and positive expressions of Pacific culture.

The SPC's gender equality outcome area is funded by the Australian Government under SPC's Gender Equality Flagship, commencing in 2027 for a period of five years. SPC's Gender Equality flagship is an integrated mechanism grounded in SPC's core values and developed to systematise SPC's whole-of-organisation approach to achieving gender equality in the Pacific. It is an organisational response that consolidates SPC's core capacities across the organisation, recognising the multi-sectoral and

multifaceted challenges that contribute to gender inequality in the Pacific. It clarifies SPC’s value proposition, better aligns SPC’s capability with ambition to meet members’ needs, and strengthens regional collaboration.

The Gender Equality Flagship aims to effectively support SPC’s member countries and territories in advancing gender equality, realising tangible and sustainable outcomes will support achievement of the commitments outlined in the Pacific Platform for Action on Gender Equality and Women’s Human Rights (PPA) 2018 – 2030, revitalised Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration (PLGED), and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent (2050 Strategy).[1]

Organigram: SPC HRSD gender equality outcome area:

This role reports directly to the SPC HRSD’s Gender Equality Team Lead. The role also has a matrix report to HRSD’s Deputy Director and Communications Lead.

Key Result Areas (KRAs):

  • KRA#1: Oversees and implements strategic communications reaching a wide range of stakeholders and audiences including government, civil society and non-government, donors and development partners, as well as journalists and media organizations. (30%)
  • KRA#2: Oversees the communications for development design, outreach and engagement through strategic communications practices. (30%)
  • KRA#3: People management. (10%)
  • KRA#4: Take a One-SPC approach and liaise with SPC's Gender Equality Flagship and Corporate Communications to ensure integrated approaches to gender equality across SPC (30%)

The performance requirements of the Key Result Areas are broadly described below:

Jobholders are accountable for: Jobholder is successful when
KRA#1: Visibility communications and strategic communications - Develop and implement communication workplans and strategies including monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) for SPC's gender equality flagship and outcome area, complementing DFAT's gender equality Communications Strategy for SPC's GE flagship. - Manage and monitor the delivery of the workplans by leading the development of high quality, innovative and engaging programme communications and knowledge products to meet the needs of the PWL programme. - Ensure appropriate visibility of the gender equality outcome area by working with partners and the media, and by producing quality media statements, stories, Op Eds, publications and other resources that are promoted publicly. - Identify opportunities to engage and promote the gender equality outcome area for SPC HRSD and the GE flagship to existing and new audiences through different platforms and networks including senior level partners such as ministerial and diplomatic staff. - Champion gender equality in communication, outreach and engagement actions for the programme and the broader SPC. - Manage reporting and partner communications co-led activities including visibility, media activity, co-developed events and more, in a timely and relevant manner. - Ensure innovative approaches to developing communication workplans and campaigns, which embed Pacific Indigenous ways of information sharing, creation and reporting. - SPC HRSD's strategic communications are well designed, coordinated and implemented to align with the overall gender equality flagship communication strategy and direction of SPC and its members. - Develop high-quality content for publications and resources, while leading on producing policy briefs, submissions, reports, and strategic documents for members. This includes quality assurance (QA) being applied to external facing communication products including donor reports and knowledge products. - The SPC's gender equality key focus area is well promoted across the Pacific region across various stakeholders using best-practice engagement approaches and SPC's partners and stakeholders receive the communication support they need. - Effective media management and engagement. - Media networks are appropriately and effectively used to publicise and promote the SPC's gender equality outcome area - Ensure workplans and campaigns integrate collaborations with programme staff, partners and stakeholders including grantees and CROP partners, to gather stories, data, and insights that highlight programme success and challenges.
KRA#2: Communications for development design, outreach and engagement and knowledge management - Partners are engaged in the programme's activities that contribute to a positive shift
- Develop targeted and well-planned engagement and outreach strategic approaches to engage key partners, SPC member countries' government and NGO stakeholders, and grantees. - Ensure SPC staff are able to effectively represent and relay the role SPC plays in the region, supporting key engagement and outreach initiatives that drive better member – and public - engagement and understanding of SPC's work. - Be the communications coordination point for key development partners. - Oversee communications reporting for organizational, donor and other reports. - Work with MEL to ensure the high-quality presentation and content of reports resulting in donor satisfaction, and to contribute to ongoing resource mobilisation. - Develops information sharing processes to document and share data, information and knowledge to support participatory knowledge management approaches. in how people understand, value and use effective outreach practices in their work. - Develop behaviour change strategies and products that support behaviour change and innovate counter narrative to negative social norms in different Pacific communities - Communications, outreach and engagement actions are appropriately targeted to the audience and deliver high-quality information. - Strategic partnerships are managed such as One-CROP communications coordination for key events, trade shows, leaders or ministerial meetings, and other activities. - Learning events and information sharing activities are initiated and delivered, including the closed-loop integration of ongoing learning. - A demonstrated ability to innovate and project manage key workstreams that drive engagement. - Messages are crafted and innovative dissemination approaches used to deliver interesting and accurate communications work. - A demonstrated fluency across multiple media platforms. - Capacity development and training is expanded in the area of communications for communications staff, other programmatic staff and grantee partners. - Successfully supports two-way participatory approaches to convert information, such as publications containing knowledge, into knowledge management processes.
KRA#3: People management and capacity building - Manage and report on delivery of SPC's gender equality communication plans and related activities. - Manage the leave approvals, management plans and performance appraisals of team. - Conduct inward facing communication training for SPC HRSD team. Where practical, extend communications training to external partners including grantees and funded activities. - Oversight professional development plan for communications staff. - Team is well supported, engaged and guided to deliver quality, appropriate and relevant services - Work plans are strategic, realistic, meet programme objectives, and are accurately budgeted - Team is well integrated with other units across HRSD and other SPC divisions - Programme work plans are effectively implemented and contribute to programme outcomes, evidenced by positive feedback from all key stakeholders.
KRA#4: One-SPC approach and integrated approaches to gender equality communications across SPC. - A One-SPC approach ensures the Corporate Communications team is updated on key
  • Participate in the One-SPC Gender Equality Flagship meetings and roundtable events contributing technical advice for strategic communications, while also supporting with visibility communications such as social media coverage of events.
  • Co-lead the SPC Communications coordination for the PPA convening: the Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and the Pacific Ministers for Women Meeting
  • Participate in the monthly One-SPC core communications group meetings, monthly story group meetings and training organised by Corporate Communications throughout the year.
  • Ensure all programmatic and divisional communications content meets brand guidelines, as well as content co-developed with partners (for projects led by SPC).
  • Ensure a communications team member is assigned to attend the regular editorial meetings.
  • Provide guidance, respond to, or identify spokespeople for comment in a timely manner on relevant issues for media questions, executive speeches, corporate campaigns.
  • Coordinate key SPC celebrated days if its specific to your division in an inclusive and One-SPC manner.
  • Ensure events are up to date for teams in the Intranet and SPC website and coordinate support with Corporate Communications as early as possible when support is required.
  • High-quality images and videos are provided for SPC's Resource Space in the appropriate manner for your Division/Team/Projects and ensure meta data is accurately recorded in line with the agreed saving mechanism.
  • Contribute to SPC communications aligned reporting templates in a timely manner and ensure the correct donor, country, project, division tags are linked on all systems such as Sprout and Resource Space.
  • Follow digital branding guidance based on best practice and use of Sprout in effective ways.

programme and divisional activities and, in turn, assists or partners where required.

  • Ensures adherence to SPC guidelines, style guides, communication strategy and other documents and policies.
  • Co-design, coordinate and lead the implementation and reporting for the Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and the Pacific Ministers for Women Meeting, with SPC Corporate and other agencies.
  • Oversees the programme's leadership of One-SPC events especially 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (16 Days) and International Women's Day (IWD) as well as support SPC's Well Being campaign.
  • Respond to media queries for the programme including the nomination and training of spokespeople, drafting interview talking points, and other media preparation and coordination.
  • Oversees the programme's leadership of communications for key events, in particular ministerial and regional or global events.
  • Oversees the programme's collection and storage of images including consent forms, and the sharing of images with Corporate Communications for SPC's Resource Space.

Most Challenging Duties Typically Undertaken (Work Complexity):

  • Overseeing effective delivery of multi-country communication activities in different cultural environments

  • Managing ad hoc requests made outside of the agreed work plan

  • Managing effective alignment of communication across the SPC gender equality experts and team, programme partners and broader HRSD teams

  • Responding to different communication requirements and audiences, with short 'turn around' times

  • Managing communications at large events with senior government officials and media representatives

  • Ensuring that all activities and actions are grounded in Pacific values and principles, and people centred approaches that reinforce values of gender equality

Level of Delegation:

Overall Operational Budget managed by the role: Approximately EUR 25,000 per annum
Budget Sign off Authority without requiring approval from direct supervisor: EUR 50

Functional Relationships & Relationship Skills:

Key internal and/or external contacts Nature of the contact most typical
External - Funding and strategic partners - DFAT - Pacific Women Advisory Board - PICTs national ministries and social service providers - Other regional or international development agencies - Education consultants - Pacific Island countries and territory governments and partners - Reporting (activity/outcome and financial), various committees and working groups - Coordination and delivery of work Programme, including technical assistance - Securing cooperation and collaboration - Representing SPC
Internal - Division Director - Deputy Director - Division Manager Programmes - Division Team Leaders - Division team (reporting line) - Other SPC Technical Divisions and Programmes - O&I, including SPL and other internal support - Director Communications - Reporting (activity/outcome and financial) Programme delivery against outcomes - Integrated programming and supporting the People Centred Approach - Finance, MEL, results reporting - Supervision, mentoring and support, facilitation, conflict resolution.

Person Specifications:

Qualifications

Essential: Desirable:
- A post graduate qualification in a relevant field such as journalism, communications, or equivalent body of knowledge and experience. - A post graduate qualification or master's degree in journalism, communications, or a related discipline or equivalent experience

Knowledge/Experience

Essential: Desirable:
- At least 7 years of strategic communications and visibility-related experience, preferably in the Pacific region. - Experience managing the development and design of print, online and all multi-media communications materials for a range of audiences, to tight deadlines. Examples to be provided. - Ability to translate text-heavy documents or information into user-friendly visual materials. - Excellent interpersonal and representational skills with experience in building and maintaining effective working relationships with a range of different individuals and organisations. - Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, with strong writing ability at a project donor reporting level. - Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of Pacific cultural values, gender equality concepts and issues, human rights, good governance and development challenges in the region. - A background covering government and/or civil society. - Knowledge of the Pacific regional context. - Experience in or coordination of video and/or animation production. - Ability to speak one or more Pacific Island languages.

Key Skills/Attributes/Job Specific Competencies

The following levels would typically be expected for the 100% fully effective level

Expert level - Developing, implementing and monitoring communication plans and an understanding of communication strategy development. - Development of strategic briefings and engagement with a broad range of stakeholders in culturally appropriate manner.
Advanced level - Cultural, political and religious sensitivities. - Critical analysis and innovative thinking. - Complex multisector coordination, planning and design. - Presentation, communication, reporting writing and facilitation skills. - Networking and stakeholder engagement.
Working knowledge - Project management and coordination - Monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks. - Proposal writing.
Awareness - SPC human rights and social development work in the region. - Resource mobilization.

Key Behaviours

All employees are measured against the following *Key Behaviours** as part of Performance Development:*

  • Change and Innovation

  • Leadership

  • Promotion of Equity and Equality

  • Teamwork

Personal Attributes

  • High level of professional integrity and ethics
  • Friendly demeanor
  • Demonstrated high level commitment to customer service

Change to Job Description:

From time to time, it may be necessary to consider changes in the job description in response to the changing nature of the work environment - including technological requirements or statutory changes. Such change may be initiated as necessary by SPC. This Job Description may also be reviewed as part of the preparation for performance planning for the annual performance cycle.

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