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 20 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
The Operations and Management Directorate (OMD) Division provides corporate services to all SPC Divisions and Programmes. It consists of three key departments: Finance, Human Resources and Information Services. OMD is focused on improving the effectiveness of systems, policies and management to provide high-quality customer-oriented services.
The Procurement and Grants Senior Assistant will support procurement and grants activities; provide high quality advice and client customer service; and contribute to the PG (Procurement and Grants) team reforms.
The key responsibilities of the role include:
Operations: Procurement and grants
- Support the procurement and grant activities in accordance with SPC’s Procurement Policy and Grants Policy, in close with divisions, and as allocated by management, by:
- supporting divisions with procurement and grants planning.
- assisting with drafting tender documentation for Requests for Proposals (RFPs) processes.
Teamwork
- Contribute to the PG Team.
- Identify and escalate any risks and ethical issues.
Advice and client service
- Provide high quality customer service on procurement and grants issues.
- Provide professional and sound service to the divisions and assist with providing service to the Procurement Committee to assist with procurement and grants decisions.
Record keeping
- Support reporting and ensure dashboard is accurate and up to date.
- Ensure record-keeping is accurate.
For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.
Other duties as required
- Support logistics for meetings.
- Complete other administrative tasks as allocated, including providing back-up support for the general administrative assistant.
Key selection criteria
Qualifications
- Diploma or Brevet de Technicien Superieur (BTS) in procurement, finance, administration or a related field.
Technical Expertise
- At least 5 years’ experience providing advice on procurement and/or grants activities in a public sector environment.
- Demonstrated organisational skills with ability to prioritise workload and complete work within deadlines.
- Sound experience with MS Office software.
- Meticulous attention to detail.
Language skills
- Excellent English communication skills (oral and written).
Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness
- Ability to work in a multicultural, inclusive and equitable environment.
Salary, terms and conditions
Contract Duration – 3 years – subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.
Remuneration – The Procurement and Grants Senior Assistant is a Band 7 position in SPC’s 2023 salary scale, with a commencing taxable salary range of FJD 2,287-2,859 per month, plus local staff benefits. 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.
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 – 5 October 2023 at 11:59pm (Fiji time)
Job Reference: MC000055
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.
SPC does not charge a fee to consider your application and will never ask for your banking or financial information during the recruitment process.
Only Fijian citizens are eligible to apply for this role.
Screening Questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):
- Please describe your past experience in supporting procurement and/or grants activities.
- What are the key elements for delivering good quality customer service? Please provide an example of how you have applied these in the past.
- Please provide an example of when you have actively contributed as part of a team to deliver high quality results.