Job Description

• Suva-based position
• Attractive expatriate package
• Join the principal development organisation in the region

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 Statistics for Development Division’s (SDD ) goal is to help the Pacific Island Countries and Territories achieve “highly competent and sustainable national statistics systems that meet national and international statistics needs for evidence-based policy, planning and monitoring.” SDD has a regional statistical system leadership and coordination role; and also supports the region directly in data infrastructure, collection, statistical methodology, analysis and dissemination.

The role – the Statistics Adviser (Economics) will support Pacific Island Countries and Territories in best practice collection, processing, analysis, publication and use of data for official statistics relating to economic issues.

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

Ways of working

• Contribute as an individual and team-member to the organisational or ‘ways of working’ objectives in the division business plan.
• Coordinate support for economic data collection, analysis, etc. with the rest of the team and division’s activities and ways of working as well as regional frameworks and priorities.
• Ensure other divisional staff are actively engaged in this role’s activities through peer review, shared projects and code, coordinated missions and tasks, and joint authorship.

Development and improvement of methods, processes and systems pertaining to official economic statistics, focusing on an area such as poverty, trade or pricing statistics

• Ensure methods in the Pacific relating to the role’s specialist area improve materially over time.
• Ensure SPC is increasingly recognised as a successful leader promoting good practice in the Pacific with regards to this specialist area.
• Document and disseminate improved methods through commissioned works, guidance notes and other publications that are well researched and founded in evidence and duly consulted on, quality assured and approved e.g. by the Pacific Statistics Methods Board.

Analysis of data and communication relating to the role's economic focus area, including turning this into appropriate knowledge products, country statistical releases, etc

• Ensure SPC or its partners produce, analyse and disseminate statistics, statistical analysis or other knowledge products that are of a high quality and use relevant international standards (e.g. the indicators for Sustainable Development Goals).

Capacity supplementation and development in the form of technical assistance, training and support for all areas of the statistical process (such as collection, processing, analysis) relating to the role's focus area

• Ensure staff from SPC, national statistics offices and relevant staff in line ministries trained in collection, processing and/or analysis of data relating to the role’s specialist area.
• Establish positive relationships with key stakeholders – in member countries, donors, implementation partners and universities.
• Contribute to progress in the countries and territories SPC is working with towards strengthened capacity to analyse and understand economic issues in the role’s area of specialisation.

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

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in development economics, statistics or other academic discipline related to the role

  Technical expertise

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in economic area of specialisation
• Extensive knowledge and experience of processing and analysing data such as complex household surveys, prices or customs data
• Experience in designing and delivering training for professionals
• A good understanding of the challenges developing countries (particularly small island states) face, in the collection, production and use of official statistics 

Language skills

• Excellent oral and written English language communication.

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Demonstrated ability to work with people from different national and cultural backgrounds.

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – This vacant position is budgeted for 3 years and is subject to renewal depending on performance and funding.

Remuneration – The Statistics Adviser (Economics) is a band 11 position in SPC’s 2024 salary scale, with a starting salary range of 3,091‒3,864 SDR (special drawing rights) per month, which currently converts to approximately FJD 9,211–11,513 (USD 4,111–5,138; EUR 3,831–4,789). 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. Remuneration of expatriate SPC staff members is not subject to income tax in Fiji; Fiji nationals employed by SPC in Fiji will be subject to income tax.

Benefits for international employees based in Fiji – SPC provides a housing allowance of FJD 1,350–3,000 per month. 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.

Application procedure

Closing date: 20 October 2024 – 11:00 pm (Noumea time)

Job Reference: CR000287

Applicants must apply online at

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. Briefly describe your experience in processing and analysing international merchandise trade data from Customs data
2. What are some of the recent trends in official statistics relating to trade that are important for the Pacific?
3. Briefly describe your experience in communicating technical issues to non-technical stakeholders

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