Senior Safeguarding and OHS Coordinator, Infrastructure - Fiji Social Infrastructure Program

Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP) 

• Long term position -  contract to June 2027 with likely extension 

• Reserved for Fiji Nationals only  

• Based in Suva, Fiji

• Please apply online by submitting a cover letter addressing how you meet the selection criteria of this role and up-to-date comprehensive CV.

FPSP Overview: 

The Fiji Program Support Platform (FPSP, or the ‘Platform’) is a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment that will contribute to the delivery of Fiji’s national development priorities, in line with the Australia’s International Development Policy, the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership and the Development Partnership Plan. 

The Platform will deliver key bilateral programs, such as health, education, scholarships, social infrastructure, governance, climate and emergency preparedness and response. Platform activities will identify and address climate risks, promote climate action, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) across and beyond the sector programs. 

The Platform has three functional Outcomes: 

1. The Platform has delivered its sector program outcomes, including through supporting strategic coherence, planning, partnerships management, data and learning across the portfolio of investments. 

2. The Platform has prioritised gender equality and disability-inclusive development, and climate and disaster resilience, in its systems and practices. This includes in how it undertakes sector programming and its engagement with selected Government of Fiji agencies. 

3. The Platform administers timely and efficient programming that is: value for money; maximises use of local supply chains; and supports good governance and public diplomacy, effective decision making and risk management. 

The Platform implements over fifty percent of Australia’s bilateral development support to Fiji across a range of sector programs in education, health, Australia Awards, disaster response, cyclone recovery, social infrastructure and technical assistance to improve public sector governance in Fiji.   

The Platform integrates cross-cutting themes, including gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), climate and disaster resilience, across sectoral programs. In particular, the Platform seeks to strengthen program outcomes by better addressing the needs of targeted beneficiaries including those who are often marginalised. 

Program Overview: 

The Australian Government is currently delivering three social infrastructure programs (Infrastructure Programs) in Fiji:

• The New National Hospital Master Plan Program will deliver a comprehensive masterplan for a new national referral hospital in Fiji. 

• Fiji Social Infrastructure Program will support upgrades to school and health infrastructure, commencing with priority schools and hospitals identified; and provide technical assistance to the Ministries of Education and Health to uplift their systems, process and capacity for maintenance and upgrades over the medium term.

Position Summary: 

The Senior Safeguarding and OHS Coordinator, Infrastructure (the “Coordinator”) is responsible for leading and overseeing Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), environmental and social safeguarding requirements across FPSP infrastructure investments. 

Working within the Platform Management Unit’s Cross-Cutting Hub as a dedicated resource for the Infrastructure Program team, the Coordinator will monitor the consistent application of Abt Global’s Environmental and Social Safeguard policies — including Child Protection (CP) and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) — across infrastructure activities and verify evidence that contractors are meeting their contractual OHS obligations.The role provides technical guidance, monitoring and capacity-building support to staff, contractors, subcontractors and delivery partners to strengthen the identification and management of safeguarding and OHS risks in line with DFAT requirements and Abt Global policies. The Coordinator will promote a culture of safety and support the integration of OHS and environmental and social safeguards into infrastructure planning, delivery and monitoring. Contractors remain responsible for managing the health and safety of their workers, worksites and activities, including the supervision and training of personnel and implementation of their OHS systems and work methods.

Key Responsibilities:

OHS

• Review contractor OHS management plans and supporting documentation to assess alignment with contractual requirements, identify gaps and recommend corrective action.  
• Conduct risk-based OHS monitoring visits and review relevant contractor documentation, including risk assessments, job safety analyses and safe work method statements. Document and communicate observed hazards or potential non-compliance and recommend corrective action to the contractor and relevant Abt Global personnel.
• Maintain records of contractor-reported OHS incidents and monitor the contractor’s investigation findings and corrective actions. Contractors remain responsible for incident response, investigation, statutory notification and implementation of corrective actions.
• Promptly escalate serious or imminent OHS risks to the GEDSI and Safeguarding Manager, Infrastructure Senior Management Team and authorised contract representative. Where appropriate under the relevant contract, recommend suspension of affected work until the contractor has assessed the risk and implemented satisfactory controls.
• Provide OHS-related technical advice to the Procurement and Contracts Team and Infrastructure Senior Management during design and procurement, including advice on contractual requirements and the allocation of OHS responsibilities.
• Review outgoing contracts to ensure rigorous contract language in OHS sections of contracts.
• Keep up-to-date with Fiji’s National OHS requirements and other regulatory authorities, as required.  
   

Environmental and Social Safeguards 

• Work with the Procurement and Contracts Team and Cross Cutting Priorities Team to ensure all activities undergo appropriate environmental risk assessment  
• Ensure all partners are logged into Abt Global’s partner risk and compliance management portal – Partner Portal.
• Conduct safeguarding (child protection and PSEAH) and fraud risk assessments on partners, including sub-contractors, grant partners and service providers).
• Ensure appropriate safeguarding compliance requirements and mitigating actions are incorporated into contracts and service agreements.
• Develop and enable comprehensive reporting mechanisms for all program partners for safeguarding misconduct allegations.
• Review and assess partners’ safeguarding policies and procedures and develop Corrective Action Plans to ensure compliance with minimum standards.
• Support partners to develop and maintain safeguarding procedures that meet minimum standards as needed.  
• Apply the do-no-harm principles in all infrastructure safeguarding decisions, including site layout, fencing work, work scheduling, contractor conduct, and interactions with communities setting such as schools, health facilities, and religious groups, rural and remote communities, and etc.
• Support the PMU Senior Safeguarding Coordinator to maintain and monitor a central register of grant agreements and contracts assessed as medium or high Safeguarding risks, including maintaining compliance evidence for audits.  
• Respond to any reports or disclosures of child exploitation and abuse, sexual exploitation and abuse, or policy/code of conduct non-compliance in accordance with established procedures in liaison with the GEDSI and Safeguarding Manager and Cross-cutting Priorities Lead.  
   

Training and Capacity Building

• Deliver Safeguarding (CP and PSEAH) incident management training for partners tailored to program activities and context

• Monitor and and mentor staff to ensure consistent implementation of safeguarding procedures across all Infrastructure activities. 

• Be part of the Abt Global Safeguarding Community of Practice to share knowledge, identify emerging trends and challenges, and implement continuous improvement to safeguarding systems across Abt programs in Fiji.

Incident Management

• Ensure that incident reporting and response processes are confidential, accessible and appropriate for all workers and community members, including contractors, sub-contractors and facility users.

• Serve as the central contact point and respond to any reports or disclosures of child exploitation, sexual exploitation and/or abuse, including potential non-compliance with Safeguarding Policy or Code of Conduct by staff or partners.  
• Support end to end safeguarding incident management process with a victim/survivor-centred approach and provide referral to in-country support services.
• Support the GEDSI and Safeguarding Manager, Cross-cutting Priorities Lead and Safeguarding Officer (corporate office) to ensure timely reporting to DFAT within required timeframes (immediate/same day reporting for potential child protection incident or child protection policy non-compliance, within 48 hours for potential sexual exploitation abuse or harassment (SEAH) incident, and within 5 business days for SEAH policy non-compliance); in accordance with the Abt Incident Management Procedure Safeguarding.

Team Collaboration

• Work closely with PMU Cross Cutting Priority Hub to support unified Safeguarding management practices.

• Interface with Abt Head Office (Brisbane) and other counterparts as needed.

General

• Maintain and provide OHS and safeguarding data for internal and external audits and other reporting (including quarterly, six monthly and annual reporting), supporting with report writing, as needed.
• Collaborate with the Senior GEDSI Coordinator on the intersection with GEDSI, Safeguarding (Child Protection, PSEAH) and Fraud, this includes in relation to risk assessment and processes.  
• Collaborate with the Climate & Disaster Resilience Manager on the intersection with Environmental Safeguards and Risk Assessments.  
• Work with Abt Global Safeguarding and Risk and Assurance staff to ensure continuous improvements in the Safeguarding Risk assessment systems, including the Partner Portal.
• Other reasonable duties as required by GEDSI and Safeguarding Manager. 
   

Key Working Relationships:
 

• Directly reporting to: GEDSI and Safeguarding Manager (PMU)

• Indirectly reporting to: Senior Program Manager, Infrastructure

• Working in close collaboration with: 
  •    Infrastructure Senior Management Team 
  •    Senior Safeguarding Coordinator (PMU) 
  •    Broader PMU Cross Cutting Priorities Team
  •    Platform Leadership Team
  •    Operations and Procurement Team

• Other
  •    FPSP Infrastructure Team, including but not limited to Project Managers, Officers, Coordinators, Admin, Communications personnel.
  •    Abt Safeguarding Centre of Expertise
  •    Abt Safeguarding Community of Practice 
  •    Infrastructure partners and sub contractors

Selection Criteria:

Qualifications

Essential

• Tertiary qualifications in Occupational Health and Safety and any of the related disciplines such as Environmental Health, Environmental Management, Engineering, Social Sciences, Human Resources, International Development, Law, Public Health.
• Formal training or certification on safeguarding, child protection, PSEAH, environmental and social safeguards, risk management, investigations, or a related field.

Experience

• At least five years' relevant experience in Occupational Health and Safety, safeguarding, environmental and social safeguards, risk management, compliance, infrastructure delivery, construction oversight, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience undertaking risk assessments, audits, inspections, incident management, investigations, and compliance monitoring.
• Experience working with contractors, implementing partners, government agencies, communities, and/or donor-funded programs.
• Knowledge of Fiji's OHS legislation, regulatory requirements, and safeguarding obligations.
• Experience designing and delivering training, mentoring, or capacity-building activities.
• Experience working on DFAT-funded or other international development programs would be an advantage.

How to apply:

Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce. Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits. Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer: Abt Associates will never ask candidates for money in exchange for an offer of employment.