New Caledonia (France): Coastal Fisheries Scientist – Invertebrates

Description

The Pacific Community 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 26 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our unique organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are renowned 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 includes the Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP) and Coastal Fisheries Programme (CFP). CFP’s goal is to ensure that inshore fisheries, nearshore fisheries and aquaculture in Pacific Island countries and territories are managed and developed sustainably. The programme assists governments and administrations to develop scientifically informed and socially achievable coastal fisheries management policies and systems (national and community-based). It provides a regional framework for sustainable aquaculture, including planning, research and development, and trade, for Pacific Island governments, the private sector and other stakeholders. It assists in developing sustainable nearshore fisheries in Pacific Island countries and territories to provide food security, sustain livelihoods, promote economic growth and assist climate change adaptation.

The role–TheCoastal Fisheries Scientist – Invertebrate will provide scientific and technical support and advice to governments, stakeholders and the private sector in planning and implementing coastal fisheries science and management activities, focusing on reef invertebrate resources and their supporting habitats. The position is part of the new EU-funded “Pacific EU Marine Partnership” (PEUMP) programme that commences in September 2018.

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

1. Assess invertebrate resources and resource status to inform management

2. Assistance in developing management arrangements in support of invertebrates fisheries

3. Practical assistance to members in the designing and targeting of appropriate awareness raising and educational information

4. Promote inter-agency networking and cross-sectoral collaboration in coastal fisheries science and management

5. Section administration and communication

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

Key selection criteria

1. Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree or equivalent in a discipline relevant to reef fisheries assessment (invertebrates in particular).

• Current open water SCUBA diving certificate and medically fit and able to dive in a range of environments

2. Technical expertise

• At least 8 years’ of direct relevant experience in Pacific Islands fisheries, particularly applied field research and analysis for invertebrates resources that has lead to management advice involving local collaborators.

• Experience in designing and implementing standardised monitoring protocols for invertebrates.

• Understanding of current Pacific Islands regional coastal fisheries management and science issues, and experience working with gender issues relating to fisheries

• Proven ability to design, plan and facilitate workshops and other trainings.

• Experience working with PC systems and MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software, and software programmes for data entry and management.

• Experience working with different statistical software for data analysis.

3. Language skills

• Excellent communication skills in English (oral and written) with the capacity to engage scientific, government, public and community audiences.

• A good level of French will be considered as an advantage.

4. Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Good interpersonal skills and good at working to deadlines.

• A team player, with the ability to network and work effectively in a multicultural setting.

• Cultural sensitivity and a demonstrated understanding of developing country environments.

• Knowledge of Pacific Island countries and territories is an advantage.

Salary, terms and conditions

Required start date– from October 2018

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

Remuneration– The Coastal Fisheries Scientist – Invertebrates is a Band 11 position in SPC’s 2018 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 4,022–4,931 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately XPF 593,469–727,634 (USD 5,550–6,805; EUR 4,973–6,098). An offer of appointment for an initial contract will be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration being given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews. SPC salaries are not presently subject to income tax in New Caledonia.

Benefits for international staff employees based in New Caledonia– SPC provides subsidised housing in Noumea. Establishment and relocation grant, removal expenses, airfares, home leave, medical and life insurance, and education allowance are available for eligible employees and their recognised dependents. Employees are entitled to 25 days of annual leave and access to SPC’s Provident Fund (contributing 8% of salary, to which SPC adds a matching contribution).

As an equal-opportunity employer, SPC recruits on merit; however, if two interviewed candidates are ranked equally by the selection committee, preference will be given to nationals of Pacific Island countries and territories.

Application procedure

Closing date: 12^th of August 2018

Job Reference: AL00059

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

Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

All positions at SPC have specific screening questions. If you do not respond to all of the screening questions, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at shortlisting stage.

Screening questions

Briefly describe (400 words or less) your understanding of, and experience and demonstrated ability in:

1. Undertaking invertebrate resources or fishery independent and dependent assessments, and communicating the results to peers, managers, communities and external stakeholders

2. Aplying advanced scientific and analytical techniques to enable improved understanding of status of stocks and for the generation of advice for invertebrate resource management

3. Managing and leading a research team, including staff and budget supervision and the ability to plan, set priorities and allocate resources to meet project objectives

4. Have you been involved in any child-related legal convictions/offences?