Role

AQEP seeks a dynamic Infrastructure Specialist who will work with the team for the final two years of the program to manage the implementation of AQEP Component 2: School Infrastructure. This includes but is not limited to:

• Management Integration: Ongoing active participation in the AQEP management team, under the leadership of the Team Leader, to assist in developing collaborative and integrated strategies and activities in response to directions from DFAT and requests from the Ministry of Education, as well as challenges faced by the Program in meeting its objectives.
• Planning and quality assurance of school infrastructure improvements carried out using the AQEP budget, with particular focus on disability access, educational environment, attractiveness, health and safety, operability, sustainability and maintainability.
• Development of Capacity of the Assets Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Education, the Districts and the individual schools to plan, implement and maintain school infrastructure. This includes, in particular, the integration of infrastructure activities with those of Component 1: Social Protection and School Based Management.
• Sustainability of all initiatives wherever possible, past the closing date of the Project. This includes the integration of infrastructure monitoring with the Fiji Education Management Information System (FEMIS) database, in order to allow for future MOE monitoring of infrastructure adequacy and condition.
• This position has been classified as C3 under the DFAT Adviser Remuneration Framework.

Key Selection Criteria

In your application for the Infrastructure Specialist position please demonstrate your suitability to the criteria below:

• Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in architecture, engineering, construction or related field.
• Proven experience in the management of small-scale, aid-funded infrastructure projects.
• Proven experience in school construction or similar social infrastructure.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Proven ability to develop systems, implement and train for quality assurance, project management, monitoring and institutional and community engagement.
• Proven ability to leverage pilot and project level outcomes to improve government policy and budgeting.
• Broad understanding of rural development issues in Fiji such as construction, water, sanitation, health, gender, community relations and the like.
• Successful experience in capacity development, preferably in Fiji or the Pacific.
• Demonstrated ability to share knowledge and coach/mentor staff, counterparts and beneficiary groups.
• Experience working with public sector agencies.
• High level problem solving and risk management skills.
• Strong fluency in written and spoken English-language communications.
• Demonstrated analytical and reporting skills.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, relationship management and negotiation skills.
• Success in working across cultures.

Preferred skills/experience:

• Experience working on Australian Government-funded Projects or Programs;
• Working in a Melanesian country would be an advantage