Manager – Programming, Partnerships, Learning and Innovation

Job Description

Description

The role – Manager – Programming, Partnerships, Learning and Innovation will support the integrity, coherence and innovation of work delivered by SPC’s Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Division. This role includes high-level leadership and management oversight, coordination including planning, development of effective integrated approaches across a large team, partnership development with key strategic stakeholders and innovative learning practices in practical and achievable ways across our entire team. It will support the quality and effectiveness of GEM’s work through the development of systems, and provision or brokering of technical and practical support, for rigorous design/planning, evidence-based partnerships for impact, programs and influencing/engagement work.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Leadership and Programme Management

• Provide people leadership, engagement, strategic and operational guidance to contribute to the effective delivery of all projects and programmes within the technical programme.
• Design, implement and effectively deliver annual work plans and work plans visualised through effective systems (dashboards) for GEM within budget and in accordance with established targets, results and outcomes.
• Provide supervision of project level reporting and reviews to ensure Programme/project activities and budgets are executed in accordance with contractual requirements and approved budgets.
• Ensure that planning monitoring, evaluation, reflection and learning (PMEL) activities and methods and are incorporated into project implementation and service delivery.

Systems and People

• Strengthen performance, compliance, and quality of work in consistent and practical manners to support and drive transformational change across the GEM Division.
• Provide and coordinate/develop relevant reporting systems, budgeting processes, planning tools and strategic implementation of GEM’s Business Plan 2023-2027.
• Ensure team capacity and systems remain agile, responsive, and able to meet the contextual and organisational demands to drive impact.
• Develop guidance tools to enhance the project management capacity of the technical programme such as but not limited to communities of practice, participatory workshops, learning events, dashboards and strategies.

Partnerships and Engagement

• Drive and coordinate strategic partnerships and engagement priorities with SPC Member Countries, CROP partners, donors and relevant stakeholders across GEM’s work and key thematic areas.
• Explore new partnerships to drive increased science to action outcomes, support the transfer of evidence-based results into high-level strategic briefs, ensure appropriate representation of key work areas in relevant CROP reporting and for a and support coordination of inclusive and diverse partnership engagement in key priority areas for the Division.
• Support the development of a strategic culture across the Communications, Engagement, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning capabilities in the Division and drive resourcing for increased capabilities in data visualization, data science and behaviour change alongside colleagues.

Integrated Program Delivery

• Drive the development of a systematic and practical culture of integrated programming and shared success through best-practice approaches and participatory manners.
• Lead coordination mechanism for GEM’s internally focused objective ‘efficient and effective GEM programmes strategically resourced’ and will be responsible for the change-management required to drive genuine, programmatic, culturally informed and coherent processes with the support of the Directors Office within the Division.

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 field such as project/programme management, international development, business administration, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, strategic communications or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.

Technical expertise

• At least 10 years of demonstrated senior leadership and management experience in the development and delivery of high-quality program, partnership management and influencing, with and through partners or directly.
• Experience with line and matrix management relationships.
• Experience of managing complex change processes and relationships involving a wide range of both internal and external multi-cultural stakeholders across a variety of disciplines, projects and programmes.
• A high degree of self-awareness and an understanding of how to drive and support excellent team performance and individual development.
• Exceptional high-level technical skills and experience, including technical direction or advisory, in a range of developing country contexts in – Partnerships, Program Quality, Planning, Evidence, Knowledge & Learning, Innovation.
• Proven ability to design, manage and implement projects including resource mobilisation.
• Proven track record of success in representing an organization with partners, government agencies, private sector organizations, and donors at senior level: nationally and globally.
• High level financial and asset management skills to steer and efficiently manage large operational and program budgets.
• Experience of managing security, risk and legal compliance within an international development context.
• Proven track record of making sound judgements in uncertain and pressurised situations.
• Able to anticipate and manage risks that could threaten the organisations reputation, operational viability and security.
• Experience of crisis management and security management.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively towards a common goal with internal and external stakeholders and partners in the Pacific context including NGO, private sector, traditional knowledge holders, government and international agencies.
• Committed to a rights-based approach including an active commitment to putting women’s rights at the heart of all we do as well as the rights of other marginalised people and practice of culturally competent programming.
• Ability to travel away from home, often to remote programmatic, including periodic travel abroad for global meetings.

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 14 February 2028 – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.

Remuneration – The Manager – Programming, Partnerships, Learning and Innovation is band 13 position in SPC’s 2025 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 4,087‒5,109 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to
approximately FJD 12,302–15,377 (USD 5,436–6,795; EUR 5,007–6,258). 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 international employees based in Fiji – 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: 4 May 2025 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)

Job Reference: JM000866

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. What do you consider to be important for integrated programme delivery?
2. Please describe how you have achieved collective outcomes through strategic partnerships and engagement of a diverse group of stakeholders that addressed beneficiary priorities?
3. In a region where we are tackling large and complex issues how have your managed or lead a change process and team that addressed organisational inefficiencies and accountabilities to deliver improved results?

About the Organization

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, education, 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.

More information