GIS and remote sensing specialist

Background

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is an international organisation that provides technical and policy advice and assistance, training and research services to its Pacific Island members. SPC works in a wide range of sectors with the aim of achieving three development outcomes – sustainable economic development, sustainable natural resource management and development, and sustainable human and social development. SPC’s headquarters are in Noumea, New Caledonia. It has regional offices in Suva, Fiji and Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), and country offices in Honiara, Solomon Islands and Port Vila, Vanuatu. Over almost 40 years, SOPAC has attained a reputation for excellence by placing an emphasis on applying scientific and technical knowledge to improving the livelihoods of Pacific people. Initially the focus was on mineral and hydrocarbon resource assessment in offshore areas. With over 90% of the region being ocean, the economic potential of these resources was, and remains, very large. Today, despite the global economic crisis, there is a well-established renewed interest in seabed mineral resource assessment in many Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs). A crucial part of SOPAC’s work is to provide guidance to PICTs, not only on the scientific and technical aspects of these potential resources but also on establishing sound national policy and regulatory frameworks. Furthermore, in this context the surveying and subsequent legal work to complete the establishment and declaration of sovereign maritime boundaries for all PICTs is most urgent.

The contribution of SOPAC to the scientific and technical – particularly geoscientific and geotechnical – understanding of the underlying root causes of environmental vulnerability remains critical. As vulnerability increases, particularly with respect to climate change and other natural hazards, sound knowledge-based adaptation strategies are needed in the context of coastal and nearshore environments, water and sanitation, and disaster risk reduction. In the generally small communities throughout PICTs, awareness raising, capacity building (especially at the technical level) and capacity supplementation (particularly at the professional level) will remain important across all the SOPAC work programmes.

SPC’s SOPAC Division is based at its Suva Regional Office, Fiji and has approximately 100 staff and an annual budget of around FJD 30 million (USD 15 million).

Key results area

• Manage funds through projects from outside and jobs in other SPC divisions by keeping contact with donors, private companies, and other regional organisations.

• Ensure that GIS and remote sensing (RS) tools are utilised by PICTs and other regional organisations wherever they are beneficial in the context of the work. Maintain a picture of the status of RS and GIS applications in use in the SPC member countries and territories by developing and maintaining in-country contacts.

• Develop new GIS and RS applications where they are beneficial by developing and maintaining contacts with companies, organisations such as the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) and research institutions in Europe and United States that develop new applications, new data and new systems.

• Ensure capacity development through appropriate training (mainly guiding training on the job) for SOPAC member countries, within the GIS & RS section and other SPC divisions.

• Ensure knowledge transfer through a website, newsletters, and an email distribution list, as well as by organising the Pacific Island GIS & RS User Conference and supporting GIS & RS user groups. Develop new forms of knowledge transfer.

• Manage a group of 10–20 internal and external staff to oversee delivery of key projects and functions as follows:

Provide RS data enhancement advice e.g.

- RS data purchase,

- RS data pre-processing and image data enhancement,

- RS data archiving,

- RS data analysis/interpretation,

- other image data service.

• Guide establishment and enhancement of GIS systems with a special focus on utilities.
• Guide training to enhance the utilisation of GIS, GPS and RS in SPC’s member countries and territories.
• Observe and guide information dissemination networking between GIS & RS users of PICTs through appropriate vehicles.
• Adapt GIS & RS GPS methods utilised outside the Pacific to PICT conditions.

Qualifications and experience

Essential

• Tertiary qualification in agriculture, forestry or environment, preferably with a postgraduate qualification in a relevant technical field.
• Ten years experience in GIS and RS applications with strong managerial, technical and communication skills to guide others in GIS and RS.
• Expert knowledge in cartographic science, data management applications, inventory design and statistics, and knowledge in graphic and publications design.
• Solid experience and networks within Pacific Island member countries.
• Sophisticated communication, presentation and represenational skills at regional and international levels.

Desirable

• Broad networks in the field of GIS and RS.
• Ability to work effectively in a bilingual organisation in a diverse multicultural team environment.

Medical benefits

SPC’s Staff Medical Insurance reimburses doctor fees, cost of prescribed medicines, surgical and hospital costs, etc. up to certain percentages and limits. Supplementary medical insurance is available to increase these percentage reimbursements and limits.

Fares and removal expenses

For an appointee recruited outside of Fiji, the cost of air fares by the most direct and/or economic route for the appointee and recognised dependants, and reasonable removal expenses by sea of personal and household effects, will be met by SPC on appointment and termination.

Equal opportunity

SPC is an equal-opportunity employer. Recruitment is based entirely on merit, but in cases where two short-listed candidates are ranked equal by the selection committee, preference will be given to Pacific Island nationals.