Location: Noumea, New Caledonia.
Last Date: December 20, 2010.
Email: spc@spc.int
SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY
POSITION DESCRIPTION
FISHERIES INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
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. It 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 was established in 1947. It has 26 member countries and territories and its working languages are English and French.
SPC's headquarters are in Noumea, New Caledonia. It has regional offices in Suva, Fiji Islands, and Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, and country office in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Additional information on SPC can be found on its website: www.spc.int.
The Oceanic Fisheries Programme (OFP) is part of SPC's Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (FAME) Division, and currently has 24 professional and 19 support staff. OFP's mission is to 'provide member countries with the scientific information and advice necessary to rationally manage fisheries exploiting the region's resources of tuna, billfish and related species'. The programme consists of four sections: Stock Assessment and Modelling, Oceanic Fisheries Monitoring, Oceanic Fisheries Data Management, and Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment.
The Fisheries Information Technology Officer will carry out the major functions of software development, Linux administration, programming expertise and communication as part of the Scientific Support for the Management of Coastal and Oceanic Fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region (SciCOFish) project, funded under the tenth European Development Fund. The overall objective of this project is the conservation and sustainable use of coastal and oceanic fisheries resources in the
Pacific-ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) region. The oceanic component activities of the project include (i) observer training and systems, (ii) integrated tuna fisheries databases, (iii) bioeconomic modeling and national advice, (iv) ecosystem modeling of management and climate change, and (v) validating key model parameters through tagging.
Additional information can be found on http://www.spc.int/fame/en/projects/scicofish/about-scicofish.
The Fisheries Information Technology Officer will be responsible to SPC's Principal Fisheries Scientist (Stock Assessment and Modelling) and will work closely with the Oceanic Fisheries Programme Manager, the database specialists and Fisheries IT officers.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1) The position of Fisheries Information Technology Officer develops software according to rules of software engineering and keeps up to date with recent developments in computer science and technology.
2) Software development
* To review, design, develop and support graphical visualisation tools and helper software for stock assessment models such as MFCL.
* To review, design and develop software for oceanographic data extraction, data visualisation and data management, and provide training to OFP staff in the use of such software.
* To assist in the development of spatial environmental population dynamics models to assess the effects of the environment on tuna population dynamics and the pelagic ecosystem.
3) Linux administration
* To administer the OFP Linux-based computer network used for stock assessment and population dynamics modelling, in cooperation with the SPC Information Technology and Communication Section.
4) Programming expertise
* To provide technical support for the development and management of MULTICAN-CL stock assessment software.
* To provide computer programming assistance to scientific staff.
* To provide generic network or computer-related help to OFP staff.
5) Communication
* To produce the documentation needed to maintain and operate software.
* To collaborate with scientists in SPC, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and other relevant organisations.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The position requires considerable initiative, experience working in new situations and a service-oriented approach.
Essential
* A relevant tertiary qualification in computer science or a related subject, or equivalent work experience.
* Expertise in software engineering.
* Expertise in client-side and server-side Java, C and C++ programming.
* Knowledge and experience of Linux and Microsoft Windows-based operating systems.
* Knowledge and experience in the use of Microsoft Office products.
* Familiarity with computer-based and statistical analysis of fishery, biological and ecological data.
* At least five years' relevant experience.
* Good working knowledge of English and French.
* Advanced report writing and oral communication skills.
Desirable
* Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
* Awareness of international fisheries issues.
SALARY, TERMS AND CONDITIONS
SALARY AND ALLOWANCES
The starting salary will depend on experience and qualifications and will be in Band 10 of SPC's salary scale.
Professional salaries at SPC are set in SDR (special drawing rights) and paid in the local currency (e.g. the French Pacific Franc, XPF, in New Caledonia). The salary range for this Band is SDR 3064 - 4394 per month. At prevailing exchange rates these amounts convert into approximately XPF 423,445 - 607,251 per month (USD 4500 - 6400; EUR 3500 - 5100).
An offer of appointment for an initial contract will be made in the lower half of this range.
The organisation subsidises housing. An SPC-owned or SPC-rented house or flat will be made available, with the staff member contributing 25 per cent of the normal rental.
In addition, an establishment grant is payable to non-residents of New Caledonia. Where appropriate, other allowances will be paid.
SPC emoluments are not subject to income tax in New Caledonia at the present time.
TENURE
The appointment is for a period of three years, subject to a one-year probationary period.
DUTY STATION
Noumea, New Caledonia.
LEAVE
Annual leave will accrue at the rate of 25 working days per annum of active duty. For expatriate staff members, home leave fares are payable after 18 months of service.
Sick leave is 30 working days per annum.
MEDICAL BENEFITS
SPC's Staff Medical Insurance reimburses doctors' fees, cost of prescribed medicines, surgical and hospital costs, and other expenses up to certain percentages and limits. Supplementary medical insurance is available to increase these percentage reimbursements and limits.
PROVIDENT FUND
The appointee will be eligible for membership of SPC's Staff Provident Fund. Staff members contribute 8 per cent of their base salary, to which SPC adds a matching contribution.
FARES AND REMOVAL EXPENSES
For an appointee recruited outside New Caledonia, the cost of airfares 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.
COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT
SPC has a standardised computing environment based on Microsoft Office running under Microsoft Windows.
SMOKE-FREE ENVIRONMENT
Smoking is not permitted in the work place.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
SPC is an equal opportunities 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.
ADDRESS AND CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS
Applications should be addressed to the Director-General, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, BP D5, Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia, to arrive by 20 December 2010.
Applicants should provide their curriculum vitae, and specifically address the selection criteria for the position in their covering letter. They should also provide names and contact details of three referees.
Applications may be submitted by fax (+687 26 38 18) or email (spc@spc.int) preferably as an electronic attachment in Microsoft Word.
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