JOB DESCRIPTION
| Job Title: | Hydrology Database Manager |
|---|---|
| Division/Programme: | Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Division (GEMD) / Disaster & Water Resilience Programme (DWRP) |
| Location: | Suva, Fiji |
| Reporting to: | Senior Hydrologist, Disaster & Water Resilience Programme |
| Number of Direct Reports: | None |
| Purpose of Role: | Working within the Water Resources team and under the supervision of the Senior Hydrologist, the Hydrological Database Manager will support the improvement of the integrity, accessibility, and usability of hydrological data across the Pacific, strengthening information systems and decision-making for drought management. |
| Date: | October 2026 |
Organisational Context and Organisation Chart
The Geosciences, Energy and Maritime (GEM) Division of SPC is comprised of three programmes and one Programming Performance and Systems Unit. The three programmes are: i) Oceans and Maritime (ii) Georesources and Energy; and iii) Disaster and Water Resilience.
The Disaster and Water Resilience Programme (DWRP) works with SPC’s member countries and territories to support sustainable development outcomes through evidence-based action & partnerships for resilience. In support of this, the DWRP manages a large portfolio of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and water and sanitation projects at regional and sub-regional levels.
Identified projects relevant at time of recruitment under this role include:
The implementation of a hydrological database (Hydro Pacifique - (140) HydroPacifique - Hydrological Data Management and Processing Plateform - YouTube) across Pacific Island Countries and Territories that is regionally aligned and supported, but implemented at the national level, and the development of a Pacific Regional Hydrological Services Strategy and national roadmaps. Given the shared nature of water related challenges and priorities, these initiatives will facilitate improved data collection, management and analysis, capacity building, investment prioritisation, and improved data sharing and forecasting, which are crucial for effective disaster risk management.
The “Strengthening the Water Resilience of Pacific Outer Island Communities” project aims to provide remote Pacific outer island communities with access to an adequate, reliable, and safe water supply. The project has been expanded to support preparedness and early response to extreme El Niño conditions across all Pacific Island Countries (PICs), where evidence-based understanding of water resources is critical for effective drought management. The project aims to support the improvement of the integrity, accessibility, and usability of
hydrological data across the Pacific, strengthening information systems and enabling informed decision-making for drought preparedness and response.
Key Result Areas (KRAs):
The position of Hydrology Database Manager encompasses the following major functions or Key Result Areas:
- Technical advice and support in hydrological services, with a focus on data and database management and data analysis techniques.
- Networking and Communications to promote drought and flood early warning and water resource information, for improved assessment, development, management, protection and understanding across the region.
- Capacity Building of country and regional counterparts across all aspects of hydrological services. Design and implementation of training programs in hydrology, data management, data analysis other water resource assessment and analysis skills.
- Provision of high-quality technical, administrative, and financial reporting to ensure SPC standards are maintained.
- Support project implementation actions to ensure project outputs and activities are delivered within the required time frame to a high-quality standard in an efficient and effective manner.
The performance requirements of the Key Result Areas are broadly described below
| Jobholder is accountable for | Jobholder is successful when |
|---|---|
| KRA 1: Technical Advice and Support (30%) - Provide high-quality technical advice and support on water resource related technical and research needs at the regional, national and local levels. - Provide high-quality technical advice and support to manage and maintain hydrological databases, including: data quality assurance, | - Member countries and SPC can demonstrate improvements in drought monitoring, water resource assessment, monitoring, management and reporting with improvements in water security - The regional hydrological database is well-managed, sustainable, widely adopted by |
| data integration, data analysis and processing, user support and training, system development and upgrades, data sharing and accessibility, documentation and compliance. | relevant users, and governed by clear policies and roles. - Water resource data sets, analysis, and information needs of member countries improved and with greater accessibility. - Technical and administrative requirements of projects are delivered as agreed and within time to a standard which meets expectations of SPC, and project partners. - Timely response and advice to countries and SPC on hydrometeorological disasters, water security and water resources management needs is provided. - Project development and design needs are supported resulting in relevant and appropriate project design and mobilization of resources. |
|---|---|
| KRA 2: Networking and Communications (10%) - Establish and develop effective communication and relationships within member countries, development partners, and SPC to promote drought monitoring, and water resource assessment, development, and management for the region. - Ensure accurate, audience focused sensitive water resource information is accessible and available to a wide variety of relevant stakeholders. | - Relationships are cultivated resulting in long term effective communications with team leaders and team members, country counterparts and other stakeholders to the mutual benefit of all. - Water information is archived according to regionally agreed formats which promotes security and accessibility of data. - Information products are accessible and relevant, provided in a timely manner upon request in formats understanding at both the community and technical level. - Strategic communications to promote the application and awareness of water resource information in line with regional strategies supported. |
| KRA 3: Capacity Building (30%) - Design and implement a structured approach to capacity building in participating member countries to strengthen the long-term capacity of country counterparts in drought monitoring, hydrology, data management, data analysis other water resource assessment and analysis skills. | - Hydrology, hydrogeology, data management, data analysis other water resource assessment and analysis skills are demonstrably improved within SPC and member country counterparts. - Improved technical capacity developed within SPC and member country beneficiaries for drought monitoring, hydrology, hydrogeology, water resource management and assessment, data analysis, GIS, and technical report writing needs. |
| KRA 4: Provision of high-quality technical reporting (10%) - Provision of high-quality technical reports ensuring SPC standards are met for publication. | - High-quality timely technical reports produced in accordance with SPC standards and within expected timeframes. |
| KRA 5: Support project implementation (20%) - Project implementation actions and requirements are undertaken and completed with efficiency, and within SPC policy and procedures. - Provide Support for resource mobilisation for ongoing sustainability. | - Project procurements are effectively done and managed in accordance with the SPC Procurement Policy - Project management support at national level, - Support for development of new projects and resource mobilisation. |
The above performance requirements are provided as a guide only. The precise performance measures for this job will need further discussion between the jobholder and supervisor as part of the performance development process.
Most Challenging Duties Typically Undertaken (Complexity):
- Multi-tasking in a complex multi stakeholder environment
- High workloads requiring prioritisation in an often-intense environment for time and attention
- Ensuring technical advice is relevant and appropriate to diverse needs of donor, SPC and country requirements and reporting is completed in a timely manner and to a high standard
- Meeting project timelines
- Inter-country travel
Functional Relationships & Relationship Skills:
| Key internal and/or external contacts | Nature of the contact most typical |
|---|---|
| External - SPC Focal Points of member countries (technical and administrative) - Funding partners, such as MFAT, Weather Ready Pacific, UNDP, FAO, DFAT, WMO, World Bank, etc. - Water and Sanitation Networks - Regional partners and donors - Contractors and consultants - Suppliers and service providers | - Direct in country liaison. - Direct on island interaction for consultation, planning and project implementation. - Provision of technical support, remote and in country. |
| Internal - SPC Finance, Travel, and Procurement units - Water Governance Coordinator - Water Resources Assessment and Monitoring Assessment team members - DCRP Deputy Director - Water and Sanitation Team members - GEM Division and specifically DCRP staff - Pacific Data Hub - Cross Divisional SPC staff | - Develop linkages with other projects and activities, coordinate these actions for the benefit of projects and countries. - Provide strategic advice on project activities. - Reporting on the technical and management issues with SPC managers. - Technical support with other professional staff. |
Level of Delegation:
Routine Expenditure Budget: 0
Budget Sign off Authority without requiring approval from direct supervisor: 0
Personal Specification:
This section is designed to capture the expertise required for the role at the 100% fully effective level. (This does not necessarily reflect what the current position holder has.) This may be a combination of knowledge / experience, qualifications or equivalent level of learning through experience or key skills, attributes or job specific competencies.
Qualifications
| Essential: | Desirable: |
|---|---|
| - A Bachelor of Science degree (BSc) with a specialisation in a relevant field such as hydrology, hydrogeology, geophysics or water resources engineering or equivalent body of knowledge and experience. | - Master's degree (MSc) in Hydrogeology/Water Engineering/IWRM - Post graduate qualifications and/or equivalent work experience) in one or more of the following fields: software development, database management, natural resource management, geophysics, groundwater modelling, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), water supply/sanitation engineering. |
Knowledge/Experience
| Essential: | Desirable: |
|---|---|
| - At least 7-8 years of experience in hydrological services and demonstrated experience working with hydrological databases. - Experienced in the application and analysis of hydrological data, and database management to develop information products. - Demonstrated experience in the use and application of GIS. - Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and report writing skills. - Demonstrated project management and organizational skills. - Demonstrated experience of working and managing projects in remote locations. - Knowledge of Gender Equity and Social Inclusion, (GESI), and People Centred Approaches (PCA) in delivery of projects. | - Knowledge of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation across the Pacific. - Demonstrated experience of working in water and sanitation in Pacific Island environments - Experienced in the application of hydrological data to develop information products for drought monitoring - Demonstrated experience of working in an aid/development context - Experience in software development and programming, with particular knowledge of SQL, PHP and Java Script |
Key Skills/Attributes/Job Specific Competencies
The following levels would typically be expected for the 100% fully effective level:
| Expert level on: | - Hydrological data management - Advanced data analysis - Database management |
|---|
| Advanced level on: | - Surface water and groundwater hydrology in Pacific Island settings - Communicating complex concepts to a range of different stakeholders. Effective communicator and team player - Computer skills including data handling and the use of word processing, spreadsheet and database applications - Advanced technical reporting - Project Management |
|---|---|
| Working knowledge on: | - Drought monitoring needs in Pacific Island Countries - Human rights, GESI and PCA principles - Software development and programming, in particular knowledge of SQL, PHP and Java Script |
| Awareness on: | - Understands SPC's role in Pacific Island's development and resource management - Aware of international and Pacific regional initiatives in disaster resilience and water resources management. - Awareness of Pacific Island cultures and range of challenges in the regional, national and local scales. |
Key Behaviors
All employees are measured against the following *Key Behaviours** as part of Performance Development:*
- Change and Innovation
- Interpersonal Skills
- Teamwork
- Promotion of Equity and Equality
- Judgement
Personal Attributes
- High level of professional integrity and ethics
- Friendly demeanor able to work with a diversity of people
- Demonstrated high level commitment to customer service and high-quality reporting
- Physically fit
- Ability to work unsupervised and self-starter
- Clear and effective communicator
- Good leadership and supervisory skills.
- Highly motivated and strong affinity to teamwork
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.