Network Infrastructure & Security Specialist

Network Infrastructure & Security Specialist

Samoa, Samoa

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Posted on: 13/08/2026

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Network Infrastructure & Security Specialist

Start Date

September 2026

Duration

Up to 50 days (over a period of 5 months)

Location

Apia, Samoa

Reports To

Vice Chancellor - NUS

Technical Lead - Tautua

Project Title

EPO2: Driving Transformative Changes in Education

Assignment

EA27 Enhance efficiency and integration of operational systems (NUS)

Palladium is a global development and consulting firm, part of the GISI Consulting Group, working alongside some of the world's leading project management and engineering organisations. We partner with governments, businesses, investors and communities to design and deliver complex programs that create lasting impact. With a presence across more than 90 countries, Palladium offers the opportunity to work on meaningful challenges, alongside talented colleagues, in environments where your work can truly make a difference.

Tautua Program Overview

The Tautua Program prioritises five interconnected pillars of human development: Education, Health, Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Protection. Guided by the Government of Samoa (GoS), Tautua provides opportunity to create transformative change in human development by addressing complex development needs though multi-sectoral, innovative approaches that identify and focus on the underlying issues. Simultaneously, Tautua intends to be able to respond to emergency, short-term needs, build capacity and through research, monitoring and evaluation, apply lessons learned and evidence-based decision making to continuously improve delivery. The goal for Tautua is improved health, education, gender equality and social outcomes, and social harmony for all Samoans.

Tautua has three end-of-investment outcomes (EOIOs):

EOIO1: Samoans, especially women and girls, youth, persons with disabilities, the vulnerable and those living in hardship, have more equitable access to health, education, disability and social protection services.

EOIO2: Samoans benefit from the delivery of more inclusive, gender-responsive and higher-quality health, education, community and social development, and social protection services in line with Government of Samoa (GoS) priority areas.

EOIO3: Tautua is an effective partnership between the Governments of Samoa and Australia that supports Samoa's human development priorities, contributes positively to the bilateral relationship and delivers the specific EOIOs of each of the sub-programs.

Purpose of Position

The National University of Samoa (NUS) seeks to recruit a TA to provide specialist expertise and implementation support for the university's network infrastructure modernisation programme. The assignment will support the upgrade of NUS's core and campus network infrastructure, enable the University's readiness to host and operate Samoa's National Internet Exchange Point (IXP) and strengthen institutional cybersecurity and digital resilience.

The TA will work closely with NUS ICT staff to assess current infrastructure, develop upgrade and implementation plans, support procurement and deployment activities, enhance network security architecture, and build internal technical capacity to sustainably manage the upgraded environment.

This assignment is critical to ensuing NUS can meet increasing digital service demands, support national connectivity priorities, improve operational resilience and provide a secure and scalable ICT platform for teaching, learning, research, administration and national digital infrastructure services.

The main objectives of the assignment are:

1. Strengthen and modernise NUS network infrastructure to improve connectivity, performance, security and scalability in support of the University's strategic objectives

2. Enhance NUS's readiness to support national digital infrastructure initiatives, including secure participation in internet exchange and related connectivity services

3. Strengthen institutional capacity and operational sustainability through improved systems, processes, documentation and knowledge transfer for the ongoing management of ICT infrastructure and services.

Working with children

Is this position likely to come into contact with children? Yes No

Primary Responsibilities

This Terms of Reference (TOR) set out the conditions governing the conduct of a technical assistance project (the Project) under the Tautua Program.

Consultants should note that:

i. They will be expected to be fully conversant with the contents of the TOR and the obligations under it.

ii. This TOR and all components therein, are integral to the contract that is signed between the consultant(s) and Palladium International (on behalf of the Program).

iii. The objectives and outputs of this TOR, which have been approved by the relevant decision-making bodies, are normally non-negotiable and cannot be varied without proper discussion between the consultant(s) and the Team Leader and responsible Technical Lead.

Host Ministry/Agency

National University of Samoa

Principal Counterpart: Tuifuisa'a Professor Patila Amosa (VC NUS);

(Provides overall strategic oversight, endorsement of key deliverables, and guidance on alignment with MEC priorities)

Key Project Counterparts: Leota Sarai Faleupolu Tevita, Chief Operating Officer (COO) or a delegate(s); Director, ICT-Media

(Serve as the primary counterparts to the TA, responsible for providing technical and operational guidance, coordinating stakeholder inputs, reviewing deliverables, validating system requirements, and supporting implementation throughout the assignment.)

Background and Context/Rationale

The National University of Samoa (NUS) is progressing towards a full modernisation of its digital infrastructure. The 2019 ESSP‑TAS ICT Review delivered a comprehensive audit of the ICT environment, including network architecture, security, physical infrastructure, management systems, and staff capacity and produced a target infrastructure design, network diagrams, Bill of Materials, and costing.

Since the deployment of the new core in 2019, NUS has expanded services, including:

• Online distance learning delivery
• Increased campus digital services
• Campus CCTV rollout
• Smart security integration (access control, surveillance, monitoring)
• Government and regional requirements for Samoa's National Internet Exchange Point (IXP)

To support these developments, NUS requires an experienced Technical Advisor (TA) to assess, redesign, and guide implementation of an upgraded network infrastructure capable of securely hosting the National IXP and improving resilience, performance, and security.

NUS has been identified as the proposed secondary host site for Samoa's National Internet Exchange Point (IXP), a strategic national asset that will improve local internet traffic exchange, strengthen national digital infrastructure, reduce network latency, and support future digital transformation initiatives. To effectively undertake this role, NUS requires specialised technical expertise that is not currently available within existing staffing resources. The recruitment of the TA will provide the necessary technical leadership and hands-on guidance to plan, design, implement and secure the upgraded network environment while ensuring compliance with national and international best practices.

Scope of Services

The TA will provide strategic, technical and advisory services to NUS throughout the planning and implementation of the network infrastructure upgrade programme. The assignment will include support for infrastructure assessment, network redesign, IXP hosting readiness, cybersecurity enhancement, procurement planning, system integration, implementation oversight, risk management and staff capacity development.

Key deliverables

The key deliverables and work plan will be finalised in consultation with Tautua Education Technical Lead, DFAT Program Manager and Tautua Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Advisor, with oversight from the Team Leader.

The key deliverables, indicative input days and due dates envisaged are as follows:

S/N

Deliverables

Content

Performance Indicators

Indicative Timeframe

0

Onboarding Meeting

Inception meeting with NUS and Tautua to confirm scope of the assignment, clarify roles and responsibilities, and establish communication and reporting arrangements and payments for the duration of the assignment

Onboarding meeting

Relevant templates and supporting documents shared

Sept 2026

1.

Inception Report (includes reviews)

Deliverable 1: 20%

• Methodology and implementation approach
• Workplan of activities with clear timelines

Approved inception report with workplan by COO, Tautua

Sept 2026

2.

Diagnostic Review & Gap Analysis

Deliverable 2: 20%

• Current-state network assessment and situational analysis
• Gap analysis covering topology, bandwidth, resilience and security
• Network roadmap and Bill of Quantities (BoQ)
• Software-defined networking SDN/fibre network design and procurement specifications
• Core network upgrade implementation (including 10Gbps backbone where applicable)
• Post-upgrade performance and security assessment

Analysis report approved by COO and/or Tautua

Oct 2026

3.

Target Architecture for NUS + IXP Integration

Deliverable 3: 15%

• IXP feasibility & design report
• Site readiness assessment (power, cooling, and facilities)
• Peer implementation and BGP configuration
• 1+ peering partner live
• Operational handover playbook and supporting documentation
• Compliance with national ICT and regulatory requirements

Nov 2026

4.

Network Security and Surveillance systems integration Plan

Security policy document

Bill of Materials (BoM), Costing & Procurement Support

Deliverable 4: 15%

• Centralised monitoring dashboard configures and deployed
• Security architecture and policy documentation
• Network Access Control (NAC), firewall, VPN, and security configurations implemented
• Real-time monitoring and alerting established
• Encrypted CCTV feeds tied to access log

Network Security and Surveillance systems integration Plan and Security policy document approved by NUS-COO, and/or Tautua

Nov 2026

5.

Network Resilience and Multi-Campus Connectivity Optimisation

Deliverable 5: 10%

• Multi-homing, load balancers; 99.9% uptime certification across campuses.
• Redundancy architecture doc
• Failover tests report
• Multi-campus QoS policy

Reports approved by NUS-COO

Dec 2026

6.

Capacity building and knowledge transfer

Deliverable 6: 10%

Develop an NUS ICT capability enhancement plan covering network operations, IXP operations, cyber security management, incident response, business continuity and infrastructure maintenance.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) documented

Knowledge transfer and system handover completed

Capacity Building report including participant attendance and completion data disaggregated, with key findings and recommendations

Operations and Maintenance documentation accepted by NUS-COO, and/or Tautua

Capacity Building report approved by NUS-COO, and/or Tautua

Dec 2026

7.

Final Report and Presentation to ESWG

Deliverable 7 - 5%

• Final Report with clear recommendations with reference to all outputs delivered during the assignment
• Plain-language explanation of key system refinements, functionality changes, outstanding issues and recommendations.
• Presentation to ESWG for information

Final Report approved by COO and/or Tautua

Jan 2026

8.

Submit TA Exit Report and Adviser Performance Assessment to Tautua

Deliverable 8 - 5%

• Exit Report with achievements, outputs, outcomes, challenges, recommendations and lessons learned.
• APA completed

Exit Report approved by Tautua Education Technical Lead

Feb 2026

Communications and Reporting

i. Principal Counterpart(s): Consultants will report to the Principal Government Counterpart for this assignment and to the relevant Tautua Program personnel. The consultant(s) will work closely with other designated counterparts and stakeholders as identified by the Principal Counterpart and Tautua.

ii. Report(s): Draft reports and deliverables will be submitted to the Principal and Key Project Counterparts for review and feedback prior to submission to Tautua. Following incorporation of feedback from the Principal and Key Project Counterparts, deliverables will be reviewed by the relevant Tautua Programme personnel and the Team Leader to ensure alignment with the agreed scope of work, deliverables, and quality standards.

iii. Reports should be prepared for both technical and non-technical audiences and include clear, concise, and plain-language explanations of key findings, recommendations, and technical concepts.

iv. The consultant(s) will maintain regular communication with the Principal and Key Project Counterparts, relevant Tautua Program personnel and the Team Leader throughout the assignment to ensure alignment, timely issue resolution, and effective coordination of project activities.

Resourcing

The Education Program Activity Coordinator will act as the primary Tautua focal point for the assignment and will be responsible for coordinating program-level oversight, facilitating communication between Tautua, NUS and the Consultant(s), monitoring progress against agreed deliverables and timelines, coordinating project review meetings, and supporting quality assurance and reporting requirements under the Tautua program.

Qualifications and Experience Required

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's / Master's in Computer Science, IT, Networking or related field
• Advanced certifications (CCNP/CCIE, JNCIE, or equivalent)

Required Experience

• Extensive experience leading campus-wide upgrades (fibre, SDN, 10Gbps); multi-campus redundancy/QoS implementation in education/public sector, Designed/operated IXPs; peering/transit economics, BGP routing, policy compliance in developing regions (APAC/Pacific preferred), Integrated CCTV/security systems; firewalls, intrusion detection, secure access (NAC, VPN) with 99.9% uptime.
• Managed ICT projects ($500K+ budgets); trained staff on maintenance (hands-on workshops, docs) in universities/government and experience with submarine cables (e.g., Samoa Submarine), national broadband, or resilient infrastructure in island environments.
• At least 10 years or more professional experience preferably in the Pacific Islands.
• Proven experience designing and deploying IXPs.
• Experience with campus‑wide CCTV and security integration.
• Strong network security and firewall experience.
• Experience in higher‑education ICT environments.

Ability to train and mentor ICT teams.

• The consultant(s) should be capable of analysing complex problems, exploring and evaluating the quality of different types of data, and producing practical and workable solutions.

a) Consultant(s) should possess ability to convey effectively their own knowledge and skills to others. This will go toward the sustainability of the assignment.

b) It is essential that the consultant(s) possesses the ability to express complex ideas - both in writing and orally - clearly and succinctly in English, to a variety of audiences, including government officials, community groups, entrepreneurs, donors, and other professionals. Short-listed candidates may be required to provide examples of their written work.

Desirable Experience and Skills

• Gender Equity Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) experience.
• Experience working on the implementation of ICT systems with government agencies in Samoa.
• Ability to collaborate with teachers, administrators, and relevant stakeholders to support a comprehensive approach to assessment in education.
• Innovative and forward-thinking approaches to teacher development, keeping abreast with emerging trends, technologies, and assessment best practices.
• Excellent project management skills, including the capacity to manage tight timelines, resources, and budgets effectively.
• Demonstrable cross-cultural experience, knowledge, understanding and skills particularly relevant to the Samoa and Pacific development context.
• Strong facilitation, coaching, and mentoring skills with ability to convey effectively their own knowledge and skills to others. This will go toward the sustainability of the Project.
• Excellent interpersonal and intercultural skills and the ability to manage question of national and organizational culture skilfully and to build and maintain effective and harmonious working relations with counterparts and clients.

Core Capabilities

Palladium's Core Capability Framework for APAC Projects outlines the standard of performance and behaviours expected at each level within the organisation. It also provides a benchmark for assessing areas of potential strength as well as the identification of potential skill gaps or areas for development and improvement.

The Capability Framework forms the basis of how we recruit, how we lead and the behaviours we exhibit, how we manage performance excellence and develop our future workforce.

Our capabilities link to a number of other processes, policies and guidelines including:

• Performance management/ performance excellence - setting and maintaining standards and helping employees excel and develop
• Career Pathways including our Career Progression Framework
• Organisational design - identifying any skills gaps, outlining job roles and responsibilities
• Development, growth, learning, and training
• Sustainable business - going beyond compliance to ensure sustainable and ethical considerations are woven throughout everything we do. This aligns equity, diversity and inclusion; safeguarding; and environmental objectives

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Palladium maintains a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of harm, including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, child abuse, and human trafficking. We are committed to protecting our people, partners, and communities and ensuring safe and respectful environments. All personnel are expected to uphold safeguarding standards, with successful candidates subject to enhanced screening, including safeguarding-focused assessments and due diligence, in line with Palladium's Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies.

Safeguarding

Palladium maintains a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of harm, including sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, child abuse, and human trafficking. We are committed to protecting our people, partners, and communities and ensuring safe and respectful environments. All personnel are expected to uphold safeguarding standards, with successful candidates subject to enhanced screening, including safeguarding-focused assessments and due diligence, in line with Palladium's Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies.

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