Maritime Boundaries Adviser At Pacific Community

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 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 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.

The Maritime Boundaries Adviser will provide technical advice and generalist support to the Pacific Maritime Boundaries programme of work and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Specifically, the Maritime Boundaries Adviser is responsible for leading project planning, delivery and reporting, managing specialist technical contractors, maintaining the regional maritime boundaries database, coordinating capacity building, and provision of specialist technical advice to Member states on the delimitation of maritime boundaries and the definition of the outer limits of extended Continental Shelf claims in accordance with UNCLOS and will be instrumental in capacity building in maritime boundary development in the region.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Project Management

  • Support the development of project concepts and proposals, including drafting of budgets and timelines
  • Develop work plans, providing timelines and outputs

Technical Advice and Country Support

  • Provide technical coordination, planning and support for field surveys and maritime boundaries related geospatial data gathering activities in project countries
  • Analysis of maritime zone-related geospatial data and use towards the computation, assessment and development of regional maritime boundary and extended continental shelf (ECS) technical solutions

Data and Knowledge Management

  • Undertake semi-annual stocktake of regional maritime zones and ECS situation analysis, data gaps, next steps
  • Validation, verification, and uploading of maritime boundary status and potential ECS claims data into the Pacific Data Hub and Maritime Boundaries Dashboard

Capacity Building

  • Coordinate and facilitate regional and national training workshops, activities, seminars and attachments to the Pacific Maritime Boundaries Program
  • Maintain ongoing contact and momentum with Member Country technical boundary teams and provision of ongoing support

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

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

  • A bachelor’s degree in GIS, Cartography or a related field from a recognized university

Technical expertise

  • At least 7 years working experience in the field of GIS, Cartographic science, Remote sensing applications and data management
  • Expert knowledge of the use of Geospatial tools and techniques in relation to the delineation and delimitation of maritime boundaries. Expert knowledge and understanding of the provisions of UNCLOS as they apply to the development of maritime boundaries in PIC environments
  • Working knowledge of the broader technical/legal provisions of UNCLOS particularly in respect to delineation and delimitation of the maritime boundaries in island States
  • Working knowledge of the legal and geophysical potential and constraints in developing Art 76 (UNCLOS) or extended continental shelf claims
  • Ability to lead and coordinate and manage projects and multi-disciplinary and in-country team inputs
  • Relevant technical experience in remote sensing and computer-based graphics and mapping applications
  • Good understanding of the working environment in Pacific Island countries
  • Strong PC based computer skills, preferably with Microsoft Programmes [Word, Excel, Access], Adobe Programmes [Photoshop], GIS-based Programmes [MapInfo, ArcGIS, ERDAS, QGIS, Geocap and Geo Calculator]

Language skills

  • Excellent English communication skills (oral and written), with strong writing ability at a donor project reporting level

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

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

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – till 31st December 2024 – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance

Remuneration – The Maritime Boundaries Adviser is a Band 10 position in SPC’s 2022 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 2,512‒3,140 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately FJD 7,410–9,263 (USD 3,592–4,490; EUR 3,014–3,768). 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 1,350–3,000 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 matching 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.

How to apply

Application procedure

Closing Date: 3 November 2022 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)

Job Reference: KK000050

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
  • 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.

Screening Questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):

  1. Please identify a few key challenges and opportunities relating to delimitation of shared maritime boundaries in the Pacific Islands region.
  2. What is an extended continental shelf claim and give an example of a Pacific claim that has been recommended? Why are such claims significant for Pacific Island countries?
  3. Name a project management challenge you have faced and how you approached it.

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