The Pasifika Communities University (PCU) reaffirms its commitment to delivering accessible, inclusive, and high-quality  education across the Pacific, grounded in a Whole of Life approach that integrates spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and communal formation. Our model of education is value-driven, student-centered, and rooted in Pasifika self-determination—“for our people, by our people.”

At the heart of PCU is the ethic of vakamareqeti nai yau bula—the nurturing and stewardship of communal wealth, wisdom, and relationships. We seek to form graduates who will contribute to the transformative development of their communities, guided by relational accountability, cultural integrity, and service.

Position  Summary

The position of Director ICIK  reports to the Manu Folau / Vice Chancellor  and is summarily responsible for the following core deliverables:

Position: Director ICIK

Position category: Director

Duration: A term of 4-years, renewable for only 1 term

Prime function of the position: To provide strategic and operational  direction and management of the ICIK including working with the Manu Folau (Vice-Chancellor) , Executives, other Directors , Faculty,  Managers and members of staff. Agencies and targeted non-government actors invested in climate change and climate resilience agenda.

Key  deliverables :

1. The Director ICIK is responsible for raising funds for the operations of the Institute given its self-funding business model;
2. Leadership – the incumbent needs to raise the reputation of the Institute to be recognized by regional and international community;
3. Regional engagement and high level strategic and operational leadership of the Institute is of critical importance given the climate change narrative;
4. Initiates and explores collaborative opportunities with the Dean of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Heads of Schools and other Directors to enter into Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) to access Climate Change funding locally, regionally and internationally;
5. Initiate small to medium funded communities-based projects to leverage Indigenous knowledge constructs to attract lucrative funding to showcase workable climate resilience models of Pasifika Communities;
6. Collaboratively initiate small to medium communities-based research projects that are applicable and replicable to demonstrate and prepare the institute to attract and take on large scale fully funded research activities in climate change at-risk communities;
7. Participate in regional and international conferences to raise awareness and access international climate change funding;
8. Endeavour to publish in reputable and high-end peer reviewed journals on climate change;
9. Convene local, regional and international symposium on climate change to uplift PCU brand recognition and reputation as a center of excellence in addressing climate change challenges and pragmatic solutions;
10. Initiate inter- University Climate change resilience programmes locally and regionally;
11. Bid for funded communities-based Climate Change, Climate resilience studies;
12. Initiate and work collaboratively with Executives, Heads of Schools and Directors to develop climate change and or climate resilient communities-based pedagogies, new and accredited curriculum or courses that are mainstreamed through Schools, Institutes, Centers and CLCs to attract and increase Toloa intake;
13. Carry out communities-based consultancies on indigenous knowledge systems to promote workable climate resilience models;
14. Carry out communities-based studies into the leverage of super-intelligence (SI) as a modern tool to address climate resilience models;
15. Collaborate with local, regional and international government and non-government actors to address and model climate resilience;
16. Carry out climate change profiling of all University member countries to determine common and unique challenges;
17. Develop a multi-dimensional Climate Change Master plan 2026 – 2035 inclusive of layered mitigation approaches to leverage funding opportunities and resolution priorities;
18. Initiate CLC based communities-based workshops on climate change and climate resilience;
19. Initiate and or collaboratively construct new curriculum pathways in climate change, indigenous knowledge systems and climate resilience modeling from Schools, Institutes and Centers into communities based CLCs;
20. Engage philanthropic individuals or such first world affluent Organizations to fund Climate change mitigation;
21. Explore the feasibility of developing and mobilizing a network of youth leaders, communities, elders and or church leader across all member countries of the University in the establishment of climate change, traditional knowledge and climate resilience focus group;
22. Develop an On-line update and feedback mechanism for u) above;
23. Lead and Manage the transition into PCU Ecosystems thinking and intent of the University;
24. Conduct periodic surveys of University owner countries and churches over management of climate change and climate resilience developmental progress;
25. Draft Policies and SOPs for Climate Change and Resilience development;
26. Explore the use of Multi-media tools to promote climate change resilience initiatives.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

1. Holds at least a master’s or preferably a PhD degree from an internationally recognised higher education institution on climate change or related areas of indigenous studies and policy development;
2. Well-grounded in indigenous values and communities-based knowledge learning;
3. Minimum ten (8) years in executive senior management positions ;
4. Proof of successful grants application valued at $200,000.00 Fijian Dollars;
5. Some teaching experience and supervision of students required;
6. Experience in working closely with communities in our effort to revive and amplify the voices of our indigenous communities , planning and preparing budgets with funding partners on behalf of ICIK;
7. Management and accountability of finance of the institute, creative and innovative marketing to attract interested partners such as churches, governments, NGOs, businesses to invest in PCU through the programmes that ICIK offers; community networking and relationship building regionally;
8. The person must work within educational and church context across the Pacific and the world;
9. Proof of work in the fields of decolonial thinking and/or indigenous studies and methodologies;
10. Proof of work in holistic communities-based approaches to learning with some emphasis on justice-oriented pedagogies and transformative education;
11. Commitment towards disadvantaged people and grassroots indigenous communities;
12. Passionate to promote the ‘Whole of Life’ vision of the University;
13. Willingness to work in a team and to dialogue with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds;
14. Propose and facilitate seminars/workshops that empower indigenous people and developing published materials to assist indigenous people use their indigenous climate knowledge to strengthen their community’s resilience to climate impacts;
15. Ability and willingness to participate in extracurricular activities and other community activities of the University.

Aspired:

1. Readiness to work in an ecumenical environment with multiple denominational and faith traditions and diverse cultural background;
2. Open minded and flexible to cultural difference in particular to indigenous cultures;
3. Good knowledge about the following:

• Ecumenism in the Pacific
• Diverse Pacific cultures and traditions
• Issues in the Pacific region.
• Advocacy for justice in the Pacific region

1. Readiness to work in a team with people of different cultural and religious backgrounds and nationalities;

Salary package: $FJD 90,000

Probationary period – a one (1) year probationary period until the candidate completes the communities’ cultural immersions, the Pasifika Philosophies course. A review process will take place before 12 months is over to determine confirmation of position.