Projects Officer
Organization: Pacific Community
Closing date: 20 Sep 2026
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 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 composed of three programmes: the Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Programme (CFAP); the Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP); and the Marine Ecosystems Programme (MEP). The Director’s Office provides implementation support and strategic direction across the three programmes and cross-cutting projects. Working with all 22 PICTs, SPC FAME has strong partnerships with regional, sub-regional and national entities working in the marine sector. SPC FAME staff are based in New Caledonia, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tonga, with most of the staff being based in New Caledonia.
The Projects Officer will provide implementation and technical support for the Pacific Fisheries Leadership Programme (PFLP) ensuring budget preparation, financial monitoring, audit compliance, procurement and grants and efficient administration. The role will also provide support through the Division’s Implementation Support (IS) team on occasion to support coverage of related services.
The key responsibilities of the role include the following:
Procurement and grants activities
• Support all requests for proposals, requests for quotations and expressions of interest in line with SPC and donor requirements.
• Provide accurate information to managers and staff on the different requirements of procurement and grants.
• Facilitate all evaluation processes and ensure they are compliant with SPC requirements.
• Facilitate the preparation and monitoring of the project’s annual procurement plan.
• Manage vendor relationships and ensure communication flows are clear and timely.
• Monitor all procurement and grants actions using key databases and workflows to ensure efficiency, completeness, availability of up-to-date information, and to allow effective follow- up action.
• Support grant requests and associated requirements for the Procurement Committee vetting process and consequently the facilitation of signing process with partner.
Budget preparation, monitoring, and financial activities
• Support the PFLP Team (internal staff and external consultants) in monitoring the overall project budget and forecasts.
• Assist the PFLP Team in the preparation of timely multi-purpose project financial (numerical and narrative) reports for SPC and donors.
Project results reporting, audit, and compliance
• Facilitate all preparations for any project audit and support any external review or evaluation on financial and grant matters. Liaise with auditors to provide required documentation in a timely manner.
• Update systematically the electronic filing system covering all financial, procurement, and grant documents.
• Ensure expenditures and reporting are compliant with applicable SPC policies and donor requirements and with grant contractual agreements.
• Ensure all aspects of a project’s financial information, including accounting transactions, are accurately captured in the SPC financial system, with any discrepancies corrected in a timely manner.
• Work closely with other divisional finance and procurement officers to provide training and capacity building to division staff on finance policies and processes.
Support to managers of teams and on provision of back-up for other Projects Officer roles and undertaking special projects
• Facilitate all administration relating to staff travel, meetings, trainings, and field exercises.
• Stand-in for- and/or liaise with other implementation support staff when required.
• Undertake special projects or work streams as, and when, required.
Continuous improvement and business efficiency
• Actively contribute to SPC corporate business improvement/change initiatives and reviews (processes etc.). This may include representation on working groups, testing teams, etc...
• Ensure that implementation support aligns with SPC policies and procedures.
For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.
Key selection criteria
Qualifications
• Degree in a relevant field such as accounting, financial management or business administration or equivalent body of knowledge and experience.
Technical expertise
• At least 4-5 years of experience in Projects finance, procurement, administration.
• Demonstrated experience in financial audit administration.
• Sound experience in logistics management inclusive of travel for workshops and training programs.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets with a good understanding of performance and planning processes.
• Demonstrated capacity to interact with various stakeholders and facilitate linkages.
Language skills
• Good communication skills, including written English and the ability to write for and to a variety of stakeholder groups.
Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness
• Ability to work and travel in a multicultural and multilingual environment
Salary, terms and conditions
Contract Duration – This contract is budgeted until 30 June 2028.
Remuneration – the Projects Officer is a band 8 position in SPC’s 2026 salary scale, with a starting salary range of SDR (special drawing rights) 3,038-3,702 per month, which converts to approximately XPF 438,381-534,098 (USD 4,071-4,960; EUR 3,674-4,476). 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 given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews.
Benefits for Staff in a position advertised internationally (EPAI) whose duty station is Noumea – SPC provides housing support 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 bilinguism, 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 begiven to the Pacific
Islander. Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s private policy.
How to apply
Application procedure
Closing date: 20 September 2026 – 11:00 pm (Noumea time)
Job Reference: CR000613
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.
Screening questions (maximum of 2.000 characters per question):
1. Please describe a time when you had to work with people with diverse roles and interests. How did you adapt your approach to respond appropriately and maintain effective working relationships
2. Please describe a time when you had to manage multiple priorities and coordinate with different stakeholders. How did you prioritise your work, keep people informed, and ensure key deliverables stayed on trac
3. Please provide an example of a situation where you identified an emerging issue or gap and took initiative to address it. How did you decide what you could resolve yourself, when to involve others, and what was the outcome