Senior Advisor

• Noumea-based position
• Attractive expatriate package
• Join the principal development organisation in the region

Description

The Pacific Community 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 26 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our unique organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are renowned for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

SPC and its secretariat shares the vision for our region adopted by Pacific Islands Forum Leaders under the Framework for Pacific Regionalism: Our Pacific vision is for a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, so that all Pacific people can lead-free, healthy and productive lives. SPC’s mission is to work for the well-being of Pacific people through the effective and innovative application of science and knowledge, guided by a deep understanding of the Pacific Islands’ contexts and cultures.

SPC’s headquarters are in Noumea, New Caledonia. Our other offices are the Fiji Regional Office in Suva, Fiji; the Micronesia Regional Office in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia; the Melanesia Regional Office in Port Vila, Vanuatu; and a country office in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The role – The Senior Adviser is a key adviser to the Director-General, coordinates the work of the Executive office and senior management team and is responsible for the overall management of the Executive Director General Office. The role will provide the Director-General with key advice and guidance on engagement with key regional and international fora and member country protocols. This position will work under direct supervision of the Director-General and in close collaboration with the senior leadership team for Divisions, Projects and Programme Support.

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

1. Conference Management

• CRGA and Conference - the proper servicing of the SPC governing body, the CRGA and Conference through assistance in agenda-setting; paper development, paper ‘quality assurance’ and tracking; preparation of the briefs for the Director-General, the Chair of CRGA and Chair of Conference; monitor and ensure implementation of decisions taken.
• Support the continuous improvement and effectiveness of CRGA.
• Manage relationships and strengthen links with National Governments and Administrations. Enhance and maintain highest level engagement with the Chair of Conference.

2. Strategic and Advisory role on inter-agency relationships

• Advisory services to Director-General and to Senior Leadership Team (SLT).
• Responsible for the management of the Director General’s Office budget and integrated work plan.
• Produce high-quality white papers to assist the Director-General and SLT in decision making.
• Manage the Director Generals’ long term calendars to ensure the Director General’s time is correctly prioritised and is utilised efficiently and strategically

3. Strategic external relations, including coordination within the CROP system

• Regional and International Liaison – coordinating engagement in important (selected) regional and international fora through provision of high level advice including: The Pacific Island Forum meetings and forum leaders in line with the framework for regionalism, CROP Executive and associated meetings / collaborations, selected international meetings that are of importance for the SPC membership, Pacific Islands Ambassadors to the UN and EU, UN agencies (specifically PSIDS), International Advocacy and engagement.
• Assist the DG in managing the CROP relationships.
• Represent the Director General at the executive level in important regional and / or international engagements where the Director-General is unable to attend and the area of focus falls outside the roles of other members of the SLT. Ensure alignment with the Deputy Director General’s on attendance and representation.

4. Provision of advice on SPC and member countries

• In conjunction with the Director-General, interact with deputy directors’ general, divisional directors of the Secretariat to ensure the Director-General is kept abreast of development affecting the work the SPC.
• Regularly monitors regional and global trends in development and in consultation with technical leads provide strategic advice to the Director-General on areas where SPC could/should usefully participate or influence the development agenda, including SDG activities.
• As and when directed assist the Director-General on addressing challenges, advise on solutions, handle delicate matters with discretion, make a follow up on decisions. Manage conflicts and ambiguity of roles within CROP, when they arise.

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

Key selection criteria

1. Qualifications

• Master’s degree in international development, business administration, management of a related relevant field or equivalent experience.

2. Technical expertise

• Overall minimum 15 years of relevant experience.
• At least 10 years of experience in a similar or comparable role at international level, ideally reporting to a Director-General, Secretary-General or CEO of an agency.
• Extensive working knowledge and experience of the Pacific region, the government mechanisms, protocols and sound understanding of international development priorities.
• Proven track record of working experience with national administrations including liaising with Senior Government Officials and Ministers.
• Excellent leadership, change management and staff management skills.

3. Language skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills for effective communication in English and/or French.

4. Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Excellent knowledge of Pacific Island countries and territories.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to build the individual capacity of his/her team members.
• Cultural sensitivity and a demonstrated understanding of developing country environments.
• Self-management, can take initiative, a solution finder with a collaborative, inclusive mindset.

Salary, terms and conditions

Required start date – as soon as possible.

Contract Duration – This position is budgeted for two years and is subject to renewal for 2 years depending on performance and funding.

Remuneration – The Senior Advisor is a Band 13 position in SPC’s 2019 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 5,194–6,396 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately XPF 742,040 – 913,800 (USD 7,376–9,083; EUR 6,218–7,658). An offer of appointment for an initial contract will be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration being given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews. SPC salaries are not presently subject to income tax in New Caledonia.

Benefits for international staff employees based in New Caledonia – SPC provides subsidised housing in Noumea. Establishment and relocation grant, removal expenses, airfares, home leave, medical and life insurance, and education allowance are available for eligible employees and their recognised dependents. Employees are entitled to 25 days of annual leave and access to SPC’s Provident Fund (contributing 8% of salary, to which SPC adds a matching contribution).

Equal opportunity – SPC is an equal opportunity employer. Recruitment is based entirely on merit; in cases where two short-listed candidates are judged to be of equal rank by the selection committee, preference will be given to Pacific Island nationals.

Child protection – SPC is committed to child protection, irrespective of whether any specific area of work involves direct contact with children. SPC’s Child Protection Policy is written in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Police clearance – Successful candidates will be required to provide a police clearance certificate.

Languages – SPC’s working languages are English and French.

Application procedure

Closing date: 19 January 2020

Job Reference: AL000242

Applicants must apply online at http://careers.spc.int/

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 and experience relative to the key selection criteria, and interest in this position
• responses to all screening questions

Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

 All positions at SPC have specific screening questions. If you do not respond to all of the screening questions, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at the shortlisting stage.

Screening questions

1. Briefly, what are the critical skills required for being successful in this role? Additionally, how do you see this role supporting the Director-General and by extension the Pacific Community?

2. Provide an overview of the approach and processes you have used to successfully manage international summits like CRGA and/or Conference?

3. What are the three key issues facing the Pacific region in 2020? Please explain your rational for identifying these issues.

4. Describe for us two key achievements in the past five years that are most relevant to the role of Senior Advisor.

5. Describe a cultural or politically difficult situation you have had to work through in the region, where you had accountability for achieving a positive outcome?