Director - Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division

Director - Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division

The role – the Director – Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems Division will provide leadership and management of SPC's Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) capability. The Director will ensure the delivery of high-quality services to member countries, the region, and SPC. The role will be guided by the SPC FAME Business Plan and the SPC Strategic Plan in the context of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Key Responsibilities

• Actively participate as a member of the SPC Senior Leadership Team and apply the team charter.
• Make an effective contribution to SPC strategic plans, business plans, and budgets.
• Provide concise briefs on fisheries, aquaculture, and marine ecosystems science, science policy, and ocean issues to the DG and DDGs.
• Effectively represent SPC and regional members at regional and international fora.
• Encourage and facilitate better planning, evaluation, reflection, and learning processes.
• Initiate new approaches to improve results by improving organisational culture, systems, programmes, and services.

Vision, Leadership, Direction and Strategic Management of SPC FAME

• Ensure SPC internal reporting requirements are met for finance, audit, and risk reporting.
• Ensure the business plan provides a useful framework for work programmes and reporting.
• Make sure SPC FAME is actively engaged in integrated programming work, with sectoral concerns addressed in cross‐cutting projects.
• Ensure that funding for major projects are progressed and funding to maintain/increase budget is approved each year.
• Complete project reporting as required and ensure project reviews and evaluations are favourable.

People Management

• Assure that SPC FAME recruits and retains staff with an appropriate mix of expertise to implement its business plan.
• Ensure corporate requirements are met individually and as a team, including the performance planning and assessment cycle.
• Manage staff performance and ensure consistency.
• Conduct fair, consistent, timely performance planning and review meetings and encourage open communication to discuss performance.
• Create an environment that encourages the resolution of performance issues.
• Create a positive work environment, promoting collaboration within the team and across functions and other divisions in the organisation.
• Support the health, safety, and well-being of employees in the way they lead and manage and monitor the team.

Strategic and Collaborative Relationships with Members, Donors, CROPS and Other Stakeholders

• Develop and maintain good working relationships with SPC member heads of fisheries, senior fisheries officials, and senior officials in other related agencies.
• Engage with and effectively communicate with regional fisheries Ministers in member governments and territories.
• Maintain a good working relationship with key partners, particularly Australia and New Zealand, and key donors, including the USA and the EU.
• Develop and maintain a good working relationship with FFA, SPREP, PIFS, USP, and OPOC.
• Develop and pursue Divisional, organisational, and multi-agency funding proposals.
• Develop and pursue the case for increased long-term funding for core programme activities.
• Strengthen linkages with non-CROP agencies active in fisheries that can complement SPC strengths.

SPC Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Marine Ecosystems Thought Leadership, Innovation and Outreach

• SPC FAME maintains, develops, and evolves its reputation as the fisheries, aquaculture, and marine ecosystems centre of excellence for the Pacific Community.
• Lead the scientific and technical direction of SPC's fisheries, aquaculture, and marine ecosystems work.
• Identify and pursue key emerging sectoral themes and translate them into the day-to-day work of SPC FAME.
• Identify, share, and incorporate emerging sectoral issues with members into the regional agenda.
• Ensure that SPC FAME regularly and fluidly moves into evolving key regional public good areas and, where appropriate, transfers capability and capacity to members.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualifications in fisheries science or an equivalent field covered by the SPC FAME mandate; or, alternatively, a postgraduate qualification in management/administration with an undergraduate qualification in fisheries, science, or an equivalent field covered by SPC FAME or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.

Technical Expertise

• At least 15 years of demonstrated increasingly senior management experience, including in personnel, project, and financial management.
• At least 15 years of experience in fisheries, with a minimum of 5 years in managing a government technical department or scientific agency.
• Highly developed leadership and planning skills, including demonstrated experience in change management.
• Demonstrated knowledge of at least one of the subject matter areas of the division (Western Central Pacific oceanic fisheries, Pacific islands coastal fisheries, and Pacific Islands aquaculture) with a good understanding of at least one of the others.
• Demonstrated knowledge of key regional and global frameworks and plans impacting oceans and fisheries.
• Demonstrated experience with raising external funding (resource mobilisation).
• Demonstrated experience with policy development and provision of policy advice.
• Demonstrated effective communication, networking, and coordination skills to operate and represent effectively at local, national, regional, and international levels.

Language Skills

• Excellent communication skills in English.

Interpersonal Skills and Cultural Awareness

• Good knowledge of the socio-political situations in Pacific Island countries and territories.
• Cross-cultural skills and the ability to work with team members from different cultural backgrounds.

Contact Information

The Pacific Community (SPC)

Post Date: 2/14/2025 2:29:36 PM
Closing Date: 3/16/2025 12:00:00 AM

For more information, please visit this link.

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 unique organisation works across more than 25 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 Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) Division is one of SPC’s oldest Divisions and has been providing scientific and technical expertise to support fisheries management and sustainable development in the Pacific for over 60 years. FAME’s goal is that fisheries resources of the Pacific region are sustainably managed for economic growth, food security, and environmental conservation.