Deputy Director - Oceans and Maritime

• Suva-based position (Fiji)
• 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 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 Geoscience Energy and Maritime (GEM) Division provides advice, technical assistance, research and training support to Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs). There are four (4) areas of scientific programming within this division:

1. Oceans and Maritime Programme (OMP) – assists member countries with services that provide applied ocean science and knowledge for evidence-based policy-making and technical solutions for improved ocean and maritime governance, management and capacity development.
2. Georesources and Energy Programme (GEP) – assists member countries by applying technical knowledge in the areas of geoscience and sustainable energy use.
3. Disaster and Community Resilience Programme (DCRP) – assists member countries to demonstrate strengthened resilience through integrated action on disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, natural resource management and increased access to water and sanitation.
4. Earth and Ocean Observation Services – Promoting spatial data and systems analysis and capacity to improve decision-making to improve resilience and sustainable resource management.

The role – Deputy Director – Oceans and Maritime will provide strategic, technical and people leadership for SPC’s Ocean and Maritime Programme, overseeing delivery across Ocean Management and Governance, Maritime Transport, and Ocean Monitoring and Prediction. The role coordinates people, financial and technical resources to support sustainable development outcomes for Pacific Island countries and territories through science-informed policy advice, technical assistance, capacity development, regional coordination and high-quality implementation, while contributing to divisional strategy, integrated programming and SPC representation in relevant regional and international ocean and maritime processes and convenings.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Leadership and Management

• Provide people, programme leadership, engagement and operational guidance to support the effective delivery of the programme.
• Lead and coordinate the programme through team leaders, supervisors and senior specialists, ensuring effective work planning, delivery oversight, staff performance, resource coordination and alignment with divisional priorities.
• Oversee project and programme planning, reporting, reviews, budgets and deliverables to ensure activities are implemented in accordance with contractual requirements, approved budgets, SPC policies and donor requirements.
• Resolve operational and technical issues, ensuring that monitoring, evaluation, accountability, reflection and learning are incorporated into implementation, service delivery and programme improvement.
• Ensure that audit, risk, procurement and financial management requirements are effectively monitored and addressed across the programme.

Technical excellence of Functions and outcomes of the portfolio

• Provide technical leadership to develop the area of ocean and maritime scientific, policy, and technical programming.
• Drive awareness of this capability with members and donors ensuring regional coordination and collaboration across the programme and with relevant SPC, CROP and partner mechanisms.
• Represent SPC and the Pacific region more broadly through international strategies and initiatives, specifically including the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and relevant regional and international ocean and maritime convenings and processes.
• Develop and maintain an integrated programme of work that contributes to the divisional work programme focussing on technical priority areas of member countries and territories and contributes to relevant integrated programming approaches including the SPC Ocean Flagship.

Resource Mobilisation and Financial Management

• Contribute to, drive and support resource mobilisation initiatives with funding agencies and development partners, and advocate for long-term funding support for the work of the programme in consultation with the Director and relevant SPC teams.
• Explore new work opportunities that align to new / emerging development priorities of PICTs.
• Manage Budget allocations within areas of responsibility are managed with appropriate costings in place ensuring the strategic direction of budget allocations is consistent with Divisional priorities and objectives.
• Ensure the areas of the Programme are audit-compliant and adhere to SPC and donor standards.

Integrated Programming

• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, integrated programming and shared success across the programme and relevant SPC mechanisms.
• Learn from SPC better practices to define programming approaches for the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes and projects that will contribute to long term development impact in the region and member priorities.
• Investigate research and evaluate best practice business processes to enable an integrated programming approach.
• Support and promote communities of practice, participatory workshops, learning events on programming policies to absorb the programming design approach into all potential opportunities across the programme.
• Identify strategic communications pieces through relevant channels to both document, highlight and encourage the benefit of strong programmatic design into the programme.

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 a relevant subject area or a related field, or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.

Technical expertise

• At least 15 years of demonstrated management experience in a public sector, regional organisation, development, research or technical environment, including experience managing programme resources and budgets.
• Demonstrated strategic leadership capability, with a solid understanding of programme management, portfolio coordination and integrated programming.
• Proven experience building and maintaining relationships with donors, development partners, stakeholders and internal partners, including awareness of partner policies and procedures.
• Proven ability to influence, consult, negotiate and resolve complex or sensitive programme, policy and operational matters constructively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the capacity to represent SPC at regional and international forums.
• Proven ability in project design, management, reporting, continuous improvement and innovation across teams.     

Language skills

• Excellent English communication skills (oral and written) with a working knowledge of French being an advantage.

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

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

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – Until 31 December 2029 – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.

Remuneration – The Deputy Director – Oceans and Maritime is a band 14 position in SPC’s 2026 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 5,023‒6,279 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately FJD 15,521–19,401 (USD 6,731–8,413 EUR 6,073–7,592). 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 Staff in a position advertised internationally (EPAI) whose duty station is Suva – SPC provides a housing allowance of FJD 1,500–5,200 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 10% 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

Closing Date: 30 August 2026 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)

Job Reference: JM000970

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

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):

1. Provide an example of how you led different technical teams to address a complex development issue. What measurable impact and added value resulted from this integrated approach?
2. Describe what role you have had in building relationships with partners that have led to funding opportunities. How did you ensure that the investments remained aligned with organisational and stakeholder priorities?
3. What do you consider to be the three most significant ocean and maritime challenges facing Pacific Island countries and territories over the next five to ten years? As Deputy Director, how would you lead SPC’s response in partnership with members and regional organisations?