Project Officer - Safe and Sustainable Drinking Water for Kiritimati Island Project

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

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 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 known 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.

The Geoscience Energy and Maritime Division provides advice, technical assistance, research and training support to Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs). There are three (3) areas of scientific programming and two areas of focus within this division:

1. Oceans and Maritime – Driving growth in blue economies through well-informed and inclusive action from integrated solutions for ocean and coastal management and maritime and transport.
2. Geo-resources and Energy – Strengthening the management of the Earth’s non-living resources through responsible harnessing of mineral resources, including metalliferous and development minerals, and clean and renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and geothermal for sustainable development.
3. Disaster and Community Resilience – Improving resilience and sustainability through the management of disaster risk and adapting to climate change. This includes building resilience through wider support for climate change, disaster risk management (DRM) initiatives, and water and sanitation initiatives. The RENI project falls within this programming area.
4. The other two focus areas within this division are Programming and Operations, which is responsible for driving integrated programming excellence and operational support across the division, and Geo-informatics, which is responsible for providing diverse, integrated, and unique and demand driven services across SPC work programmes, projects and countries. This includes developing, managing, building on and retaining or preserving spatial data and information for the benefit of all scientific areas.

The role – the Project Officer – Safe and Sustainable Drinking Water for Kiritimati Island Project will assist the Project Coordinator in managing implementation of the European Union funded Safe and Sustainable Drinking Water for Kiritimati Island Project.

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

1. Leadership, administration and coordination support for the Kiritimati Island Water Project

• Supporting the Coordinator in managing project implementation, including project finances, procurement, stakeholders (including contractors) and human resources
• Backstopping the Coordinator as needed
• Overseeing on-island staff and on-the-ground activities when the Coordinator is on duty travel

2. Technical support and supervision of water supply system improvements

• Providing technical input to the quality detailed design, upgrade, installation, operation and monitoring of Kiritimati’s water supply infrastructure, including galleries, pumps, piping, tanks, reticulation, flowmeters and consumer connections
• Assisting contact management and construction supervision

3. Procurement and delivery of materials

• Assisting the Coordinator in procurement activities
• Ensuring delivery of materials to Kiritimati Island occurs in a timely manner to avoid delays in implementation
• Liaison with various vendors and prepare necessary documentation for contract approvals as per SPC Procurement Policy
• Coordinating and participating in tender evaluations

4. Liaison with and building capacity of government and other key stakeholders

• Applying effective and professional communication skills in liaising with SPC, the European Union Delegation (EUD), consultants, Government of Kiribati, community representatives and other stakeholders involved with implementation
• Representing the project at various meetings and speaking clearly and confidently
• Supporting the Coordinator and contractors to build technical capacity of GoK in the upgrade, operation and maintenance of the Kiritimati water supply system

5. Assisting with reports and meetings

• Assisting the Coordinator in preparing relevant project related reports

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

Key selection criteria

1. Qualifications

• Degree qualification in a discipline related to project management, water and/or civil engineering

2. Technical expertise

• At least 3 years of experience working in the water or civil works sector, particularly with water supply infrastructure work

or

• At least 8 – 10 years of experience working in the water or civil works sector, particularly with water supply infrastructure work if no degree qualification
• Relevant practical experience in procurement and managing contractors
• Demonstrated proficiency in drafting reports and managing people
• Excellent communication skills, including good written English and ability to write to a variety of stakeholders
• Technical competence in water system construction/installation, operation and maintenance

3. Language skills

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written), including report writing and preparation of communicative presentation materials.
• Fluency in i-Kiribati is a plus

4. Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Knowledge of Pacific Island countries and territories is an advantage.

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – This vacant position is budgeted for 3 years and is subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.

Due to the current travel restrictions caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the priority SPC places on its staff safety, health and well-being, please note that there may be delays in taking up the appointment. These matters will be discussed thoroughly with successful candidates. In most cases, any appointment and on-boarding would only commence when relocation to the duty station is permitted.

Remuneration – the Project Officer – Safe and Sustainable Drinking Water for Kiritimati Island Project is a band 8 position in SPC’s 2021 salary scale, with a starting salary range of SDR (special drawing rights) 2,646-3,235 per month, which converts to approximately AUD 5,371-6,567. An offer of appointment for an initial contract will normally be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration being given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale is based on annual performance reviews.

Benefits for international staff employees based in Kiribati – SPC provides housing allowances, 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.

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 bilinguism, 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 begiven to the Pacific Islander. Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s private policy.

Application procedure

Closing date: 1 August 2021 – 11:00 pm (Noumea time)

Job Reference: SH000083

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, experience 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 shortlisting stage.

Screening questions (maximum of 2.000 characters per question):

1. Provide an example of when you supported delivery of a complex infrastructure project, and what you feel were the key factors of success.
2. This project will require supervision of water system construction works in a remote location.  In your experience, what approaches work best to manage changes to ensure alignment of contractor requirements with project objectives.
3. Explain tools and techniques you have used to build capacity of local counterparts?