The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat

PIFS is an Employer of Choice in the region, aiming to recruit and employ staff based on merit and organisational needs, and ensures that employment selection upholds its values and commitment to Forum membership, gender balance and building a diverse and inclusive organisation. PIFS is committed to achieving gender balance and being fully representative of our member countries. Our workforce is currently over 50% female and we have representatives from twelve of the eighteen Forum member countries. 

To achieve greater workforce representation from our member countries we strongly encourage applicants from the following countries to apply: Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Nauru, Niue, New Caledonia and Palau                                                                                                                

The Opportunity

The Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) is looking to fill the position of Ocean Policy Officer. The role is to work in close collaboration with the UN Ocean Issues Adviser, and the respective Ocean Management and Engagement Teams to support regional policy development, including the regional and national ocean policies and the discharge of the duties and responsibilities associated with the Key Responsibility Areas of the OPOC. Responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Facilitate the proper and effective governance of Pacific Oceans Alliance, including the coordination of support to regional ocean policy development and review; assisting Member countries develop their national ocean policies and implementation plans and to ensure these are well linked and connected and aligned to the broader implementation work.
• Foster regional and global policy localization efforts at the national level, including advising on efforts towards an integrated approach to implementation of various policies, frameworks such as the Framework for a Pacific Oceanscape, Sustainable Development Goal 14, Global Biodiversity Framework and 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific along with any other relevant international obligations;
• Follow and influence ongoing regional and global processes that lead to the establishment of national, regional or global policies; Contribute to global calls for input relating to the development of international law of the sea, including through inputs to the UN SG Report on the Ocean and the Law of the Sea, and also on any relevant Experts Group; and
• From time to time, support work towards the signing, ratification and awareness of existing and newly adopted global instruments such as BBNJ.

The position will be initially based at the Secretariat in Suva, Fiji and later on it will move to to be based in Palau. 

The Benefits 

The position has a competitive and attractive remuneration and benefits package including medical and life insurance, education, and housing allowance. The position is placed at Band 9 to 10 of our salary scale, with a starting base salary range from SDR 27,907 to 31,486 per annum equivalent to (FJD 83,554 to 94,269)

Note: Amounts are based on 1 July foreign exchange rate, but your final salary will be dependent on foreign exchange rates at the time of payment.

How to apply

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply through our website: www.forumsec.org where an information package containing the position description and remuneration details for respective positions are also available therein. Candidates must include in either their application or Curriculum Vitae the full contact details of three referees. To be eligible for the international positions, applicants must be nationals of Forum member countries*. The Forum Secretariat - Officer of the Pacific Oceans Commissioner is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The deadline for applications is at 5pm (Fiji time), 29 September 2023.

*Member States of the Pacific Islands Forum: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.