• 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 vision of the Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) is to be ‘The agency for educational quality in the Pacific region’. Its mission is to enhance the quality of education and training for Pacific learners, so they realize the benefits of lifelong learning. EQAP seeks to promote the following core values within the context of SPC’s corporate values:

• a culture of quality;
• a culture of continuous improvement;
• cultural and political sensitivity;
• respect for the autonomy and priorities of the education system in each Pacific Island country and territory (PICTs); and
• assimilation of the expressed needs of countries in its delivery of technical services.

The role – Project Officer – Qualifications is responsible for managing and coordinating projects related to quality and recognised qualifications within EQAP. This includes planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting on project activities to ensure timely and effective delivery. The role also involves tracking project progress against workplans and budgets, maintaining controls and documentation, and preparing meeting papers and reports to support decision making. A key responsibility is to support engagement with stakeholders, which is to implement agreed actions that strengthen initiatives and facilitate outcomes on quality and recognized qualifications; and maintaining records of quality assured qualifications and publications on quality assurance. 

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Project Coordination and Implementation

• Manage and coordinate the implementation of the project activities, ensuring tasks are completed on time, within scope, and to the required quality standards.
• Participate in and maintain record of discussions with external parties on matters relating to post-secondary education and training, providing administrative and coordination support as required.
• Provide support on the development and review of project documents.
• Coordinate the preparation, review and signing of contracts and Letter of Agreement (LOA) with agencies and ministries of education, consultants, reviewers, and technical experts.

Team Performance

• Contribute effectively to the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the project activities in line with the workplan of the Unit and agreed deliverables.
• Provide support to the EQAP Deputy Director and Team Leaders in the development, monitoring, and tracking of annual workplans, ensuring alignment with the EQAP Business Plan and available funding.

Organization and Conduct of Meetings

• Facilitate the conduct of meetings and the development of meeting papers and reports.
• Provide support on the organisation.
• Record, share and maintain minutes for project- related and team meetings within the Unit, ensuring accurate documentations and timely circulations of agreed actions and decisions.
• Liaise with meeting participants to share and receive updates on matters discussed at meetings.

Stakeholder Consultation and Engagement support

• Provide support to the technical team in stakeholders consultations by coordinating engagement activities to inform, promote and seek buy-in and support of SPC’s initiatives on quality and recognised qualifications.
• Provide support on the development of key messages and materials for stakeholder consultation and engagement.
• Prepare and disseminate reports on consultation with stakeholders.
• Provide logistical and communications support for workshops, consultations, and virtual mentoring sessions with national qualifications agencies, ministries of education and training providers.

Information Management

• Establish and maintain a record of qualifications documents, quality assured qualifications and publications on quality assurance.
• Liaise with national quality assurance agencies to acquire information on quality assured qualifications.
• Input information on quality assured qualifications on the PRQS database.
• Maintain a repository of documents on regional qualifications and publications on quality assurance.

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 relevant fields like Project Management, Public Policy, Development Studies, Business Administration, or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.

Technical expertise

• At least 3 years of relevant work experience supporting projects or project administration.
• Experience in the development of reports and writing minutes.
• Experience in administrative work.
• Experience in working with databases.
• Experience in managing, tracking, and reporting project work.
• Experience in working in a project team, preferably within the development sector.
• Experience in organizing meetings and consultations.
• Experience in development and presentation of meeting papers.
• Experience in the use of information technology tools for communication with external stakeholders.        

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 30 November 2027 – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.

Remuneration – The Project Officer – Qualifications is a band 8 position in SPC’s 2026 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 2,146‒2,683 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately FJD 6,632–8,290 (USD 2,876–3,595; EUR 2,595–3,244). 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. 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: 1 March 2026 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)

Job Reference: JM000927

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. State 4 skills that you possess which are relevant to this position and discuss why you think these skills are relevant.
2. Discuss your experience of working in a challenging project with competing priorities. State 3 challenges that you encountered and discuss how you addressed them.
3. The holder of this position will be required to provide support on stakeholder consultation and engagement. Discuss three ways of engaging effectively with stakeholders.