Tok Pasifika Project Advisor At Pacific Community

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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 peoples, 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 Operations and Integration (O&I) collective delivers essential enabling services that support the organisation’s scientific and technical portfolio. Our key functions include corporate services, programme support, partnerships, resource mobilisation, and strategic engagement. These services are coordinated through our regional and satellite offices across the Pacific and Europe. Additionally, the O&I collective leads a dedicated workstream focused on organisational change and transformation to drive continuous improvement and adaptability.

The role – The Tok Pasifika Project Advisor is responsible for the implementation, coordination and development of the Tok Pasifika project. This position works to improve the accessibility, quality and impact of Pacific language services, by enhancing the project’s visibility, strengthening and assisting the network of language service providers, supporting integration of language issues into SPC practices, and ensuring monitoring, evaluation and learning as part of the project. The Project Advisor serves as Tok Pasifika’s point of contact with internal teams and external partners, using an inclusive, culturally appropriate approach that is aligned with the SPC’s institutional priorities.

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

Improving the Tok Pasifika project’s visibility and outreach

  • Develop a communication plan in collaboration with SPC’s Strategic Communications, Outreach, Publishing and Engagement (SCOPE) team, that takes into account stakeholders’ feedback; and update this plan annually.
  • In collaboration with SPC teams, enhance use of existing communication materials and plan and coordinate production of new materials, as needed.
  • Create a strong visual identity for the project, and regularly update and track project visibility tools such as the website, intranet page, etc.
  • Develop and implement awareness-raising activities for SPC’s technical divisions and other external stakeholders.
  • Use the information gathered through Tok Pasifika’s monitoring and evaluation system, take part in efforts to present SPC’s results in a view to raising the profile of Tok Pasifika’s work and results (e.g. drafting performance stories, communicating numerical outcomes).
  • Participate in internal, local and/or international cultural events to represent and promote Tok Pasifika.
  • Liaise with media outlets to publicise the Tok Pasifika project.

Building the network of language service providers and improving the quality of the services provided

  • Manage contracts and external contractors, in particular by monitoring and updating the list of preferred service providers (contracts, deadlines, administrative compliance), in collaboration with the Procurement and Finance teams, and ensure that contractual documents are properly filed and accessible.
  • Provide support and advice to SPC teams on managing requests for translation into Pacific languages.
  • Engage the network on a regular basis (e.g. mailing list, newsletter, focus groups).
  • Take part in drafting guidelines for providers and/or organise training sessions (e.g. webinars on translation techniques or administrative procedures, liaison interpreting workshops, etc.), in collaboration with members of the Conference and Languages unit.
  • Hold annual meetings (face-to-face or on-line) with language service providers to discuss their needs, difficulties and successes.
  • Set up and monitor a system for evaluating the performance of language service providers and their use by SPC teams, with a view to continuously improving the quality, relevance and effectiveness of the language services provided.

Integrating language issues across SPC and boosting demand

  • Set up and facilitate a Tok Pasifika community of practice in order to strengthen internal coordination, information sharing and ownership of language services within SPC.
  • Set up, in collaboration with a focal point within one SPC division, a pilot Pacific language translation project, and identify lessons from that project, in a view to providing better advice to teams and optimising their use of Tok Pasifika services
  • Contribute to the integration of language issues from the project design stage, especially in terms of the key forms used, through the relationships established with various relevant SPC teams (SPL, PIRMO, HRSD, Procurement).
  • Contribute to the development, adoption and dissemination of an SPC-wide language policy that explicitly recognises the value of Pacific languages and implements the guiding principles for their gradual integration into SPC activities.

Mobilising project resources and ensuring their sustainability

  • Develop strategic partnerships with institutions, NGOs, universities or companies in the language sector.
  • Assist in securing additional funding (grants, partnerships, regional/international calls for projects).
  • Optimise existing resources (pooling with other projects, using tools that have already been developed).
  • Ensure thorough budget monitoring for the Tok Pasifika project and produce regular financial reports to demonstrate the efficient use of resources and the actual results achieved.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

  • Identify and map the Tok Pasifika project’s key internal and external stakeholders and keep this list up to date.
  • Undertake an internal assessment, by analysing Pacific language translation needs and carrying out surveys and interviews with the user divisions; and issue a comparison with the previous assessment.
  • The approaches to conduct an external assessment are defined (analysis of the needs of SPC stakeholders).
  • Develop, implement and refine a framework of indicators to monitor activities, service provider performance, service quality, demand and use of Tok Pasifika services.
  • Produce regular monitoring, evaluation and learning reports and use the results and lessons learned to adjust the services Tok Pasifika proposes, as well as the project’s work approaches and communication strategy.
  • Draft a project sustainability plan, to be updated annually, which contains the key points, possible project directions and recommendations for integrating multilingualism throughout SPC.

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

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

  • A postgraduate qualification in project management; Pacific languages, linguistics or cultures; international relations; cultural studies; or a related field, or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.

Technical expertise

  • At least 10 years in the management of language-related, cultural or international cooperation projects, ideally in a regional or international institutional context
  • Demonstrated project management skills and proficiency in project management methods and tools (planning, monitoring, reporting, coordination and partnerships)
  • Experience in purchasing processes in private or public entities
  • Experience in administrative and budgetary project management, funding-raising and project monitoring and evaluation

Language skills

  • Excellent English communications skills
  • Proficiency in one or more Pacific languages.

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

  • Very good knowledge of Pacific context and cultures
  • Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

Salary, terms and conditions

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

Remuneration – The Tok Pasifika Project Adviser is a band 10 position in SPC’s 2026 salary scale, with a starting salary range of SDR (special drawing rights) 3727 to 4562 per month, which converts to approximately XPF 537,766 to 658,322 (USD 4994 to 6114; EUR 4506 to 5517). SPC salaries are not presently subject to income tax in New Caledonia. 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 New Caledonia – SPC provides subsidised housing in Noumea. 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.

How to apply

Application procedure

Closing date: 28 June 2026 – 11:00 p.m. (Noumea time)

Job Reference: CR000591

Applicants must apply online at: https://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.

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 2000 characters per question):

  1. Please give an example of a project in the area of Pacific Island languages or cultures that you implemented end to end, preferably in an institutional context. What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
  2. Have you ever managed or coordinated a network of external service providers and/or community of practice in a private or public establishment? What were your main responsibilities (contracts, quality, facilitation, monitoring)?
  3. Can you give an example of a mechanism or tool that you set up to monitor and evaluate a language or cultural project? What arrangements did you make, how did you do that, and what did you learn from that experience?