Development Officer (SPEDI) – project based
FJD 52,000 per year
Closes in 13 days
About the company
Fiji National University (FNU) is a national tertiary institution whose College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (CAFF) leads initiatives in agricultural extension, sustainable rural development, applied research, and community capacity building across Fiji and the Pacific. Through this work FNU has established the South Pacific Extension and Development Institute (SPEDI), a regional platform for extension leadership, applied research, training, partnership development, and knowledge exchange supporting sustainable agriculture, rural livelihoods, climate resilience, and community development outcomes.
About the role
This project-based role sits within SPEDI, under the Agribusiness Department in the College of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, and reports to the Acting Director, SPEDI. The Development Officer will lead the practical, on-the-ground establishment of three flagship initiatives: an innovation incubation hub, a model farm to trial and demonstrate innovations, and three climate-smart model villages in Fiji. The role takes these initiatives from concept to operation, coordinating stakeholders, managing resources, and reporting on progress. It also supports delivery of activities under the ACIAR-funded Fiji Landcare Project, a partnership between Fiji, the Philippines, and Australia testing and adapting agricultural extension approaches such as the Landcare and Livelihood Improvement through Facilitated Extension (LIFE) models within the Fiji context. Additional development and implementation duties may be assigned by the Acting Director as SPEDI's work program evolves.
Key responsibilities
- Establish and operationalize the Innovation Incubation Hub, including concept and governance plan, facilities set-up, and onboarding the first cohort of innovators (Months 1-6)
- Establish the Model Farm and get first trials underway, including site preparation, agreeing a trial plan with researchers, and completing and documenting the first trial cycle (Months 1-6)
- Select and assess 3 Climate-Smart Model Villages, including needs assessments and co-designing intervention plans with communities (Months 1-4)
- Roll out climate-smart interventions in all 3 villages, deliver community training, and document progress (Months 4-12)
- Prepare quarterly progress reports to the Acting Director, SPEDI, covering all workstreams, budget, and resource use
- Support stakeholder engagement, training coordination, reporting, partnership development, and institutional capacity building for the Fiji Landcare Project and other SPEDI initiatives
- Take on additional deliverables as scoped and agreed with the Acting Director
About the successful candidate
- A Bachelor Degree in a relevant field (e.g. agricultural extension, development studies, rural sociology, agribusiness)
- At least 3-5 years of leadership experience in academic, research & development, or extension-related institutions
- Desirable: Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant field
- Desirable: Proven experience establishing or coordinating programs, hubs, farms, or field sites from concept to operation
- Desirable: Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including government, community, and private sector partners
- Desirable: Working knowledge of climate-smart agriculture and community resilience approaches
- Desirable: Proficiency in MS Office Suite and project management tools; data analysis skills (e.g., SPSS, NVivo) an advantage
- Desirable: Sound financial and administrative skills to manage budgets and resources