The Government of Vanuatu through the Ministry of Finance & Economic Management seeks to recruit a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to the Vanuatu Utilities Regulatory Authority (URA) and is seeking Expression of Interests for this position. Restricted to Ni-Vanuatu Only
About the Utilities Regulatory Authority
The Vanuatu Utilities Regulatory Authority (URA) is Vanuatu’s independent regulator for electricity and water services and was established under URA Act No.11 of 2007. The primary objective of the Authority is to protect the long-term interests of consumers with regard to price, quality and reliability of regulated services. This objective is central to the framework of economic regulation that facilitates efficiency and financial viability of regulated sectors and ensures that customers benefit from the regulation and efficiency. The Authority regulates and monitors the electricity and concessions operated by utilities agencies in the country.
The Authority consists of three Commissioners who are appointed by the Minister of Finance, One of whom is appointed as the Chairperson. Another part-time commissioner is designated as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
It is an essential requirement that the Chief Executive Officer (‘CEO’) and Part-time Commissioner has demonstrated track record in organizational leadership and capacity building, stakeholder relationship management and public administration, and is experienced in key areas of electricity and water utility, regulation including, licensing, dispute resolution, competition issues, safety and reliability standards, tariffs, consumer protection and contract negotiation and administration. In addition, it will be advantages that the successful candidate also poses some knowledge and has experience in liquid fuel (petroleum, LPG) supply chain and cost parameters; utilities regulation and telecommunications sector regulation.
Scope of the Role
The CEO and Part-time Commissioner will lead this next stage of development of the Authority in line with the newly launched Five Years Strategic and Action Plan (2022-2026) and must be a Ni-Vanuatu.
Key Responsibilities
The key responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Overall responsible for carrying out the statutory responsibilities of the Authority under the Utilities Regulatory Authority Act No.11 of 2007 which includes strategic and policy development as well as day-to-day management;
- Concentrate on local capacity building with competent, skilled professional and managerial staff
- Maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders, including Government, relevant ministries and departments in charge of Energy and Water, service providers and consumers;
- Planning and advising the Commission on appropriate actions for effective and efficient regulation of electricity and water services in a transparent, timely, and cost-effective manner;
- Develop and direct all petroleum regulatory policies and principles and integrate these functions into the organization structure;
- Communicating regularly with the Chairperson and Commission in order to help keep the Commission informed of the overall strategy, activities, and plans of the Authority;
- Planning, organizing, guiding, and supervising the work of staff which includes all technical, economic, and financial analyses relevant to the regulation of water and electricity services in Vanuatu;
- Establishing priorities for the activities to be undertaken by the Authority;
- Managing staff and staff recruitment and developing and implementing a training and capacity-building plan;
- Supervise consumer complaint and dispute resolution process following established procedures;
- Ensure required reports, audits, customer monies as levied, and donor commitments are completed in a timely efficient manner; and
- Complying with the obligations contained in Parts 2, 3, and 4 of the Vanuatu Leadership Code Act [CAP.240].
Key Competencies:
The Chief Executive Officer must have the following core competencies;
- A person of high calibre with deep knowledge of financial, economic, and business applications pertaining to regulated utility services, preferably in energy, water, and Petroleum products sectors;
- Broad experience in the national and international arenas in regulatory practices particularly in developing countries [Minimum 10 years’ experience];
- Demonstrated track record in organization leadership and public administration and managing a professional organization;
- Ability for capacity building, and stakeholder relationship management with Government, private sector, and public; sound understanding of the electricity, water, and petroleum industries, especially background in electricity and water laws, petroleum laws, economics, technical and financial applications;
- Knowledge of key areas of electricity, water, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) regulation, and telecommunication, including, licensing, dispute resolution, competition issues, price monitoring, safety and reliability standards, tariffs, consumer protection, and contract administration;
- Knowledge and experience of electricity, water, telecommunication, and (LPG is a plus) sector issues in the South Pacific region and/or other small island economics is highly desirable;
- Demonstrated experience and background in civil litigation and/or judicial review for the energy sector, preferably regulated services; experience in Arbitration and Alternate Dispute Resolution; and
- Fluency (written and spoken) in English is required and in French is highly desirable; knowledge of Bislama is desirable.
Submission of Proposal:
To express interest, please contact Ms. Belinda Reuben to obtain a Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) Form. The closing date for submissions is Monday 25th March 2024 at 4.30 PM Vanuatu Time (GMT +11).
All submissions are to be made to the following address:
Ms. Belinda Reuben
Manager Admin
Utilities Regulatory Authority
PMB 9093
VNPF Investment Building Port Vila,
Vanuatu Phone: +678 23335
Email: