Senior Program & Operations Manager, Australia Awards

Job Description

Senior Program and Operations Manager, Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia

Fixed Term Contract: 12 months, possible extension

About Palladium

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social, climate and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to help solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 4,000 employees operating in 90-plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies, the environment, and, most importantly, people's lives.

The role

The Australia Awards - South Asia & Mongolia (AASAM) Program is managed by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and is administered by Palladium. It is a multi-country program with service delivery offices in Colombo, Dhaka, Islamabad, Kathmandu, Thimphu and Ulaanbaatar. Leadership, coordination and support are provided by a regional team based in a range of locations in the South Asia region as well as the office in Adelaide.

Australia Awards are provided to build the skills and knowledge of individuals so that they can contribute to their country’s development, and to support the ongoing development of links between Australia and the countries to which it provides aid. The Australia Awards are an important part of the Australian Government’s focus on public and economic diplomacy, and provide long term Scholarships, Short Course Awards and other training opportunities.

The Senior Program and Operations Manager is responsible for providing effective and coordinated management services for the Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia Program in accordance with contractual requirements and project management systems.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing support and advice to the Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader and other Program personnel as required.
• Ensuring overall operational level program compliance with Head Contract requirements.
• Developing and maintaining effective relationships and strategic partnerships between the DFAT and Palladium.
• Providing technical and project management advice and expertise across the multi-territory and complex AASAM Program.
• Managing a team of four, providing coaching and mentorship, capability building, and performance management.
• Take accountability for project income performance and manage the budget in line with the DFAT contract, including oversight of all expenditure and forecasting, corporate overheads and personnel costs
• Ensure finance processes and procedures for budgeting, forecasting, bank account management, reconciliation and invoicing are implemented accurately and effectively.
• Provide leadership, coordination and quality assurance of program enabling and support functions, including finance, administration, human resources management and development, IT support, risk management, and security.
• Contribute to the production of high-quality program plans and reports, including providing quality assurance support.

About You

With experience of working within large, complex, geographically dispersed (preferably DFAT) development programs, you will have excellent relationship and stakeholder management skills, as well as technical contract management experience.

Additional key requirements include:

• Experience with Project Management tools to effectively plan, implement, monitor and evaluate activities.
• Financial acumen and the ability to develop, interpret and analyse financial reports.
• Technical contract management experience.
• Human Resources management including contracting of long- and short-term advisors.
• Knowledge of, or experience of working with Australia Awards programs is desirable.
• Experience working with different cultures / cultural competency.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.