Operations & Grants Managers - Southeast Asia & The Pacific

**Vacancy type**: Four years, with possibility of extension. Contingent on funding and DFAT approval

**Location**: Pacific and Southeast Asia

**Service areas**: International Development

**About the role**

Adam Smith International (ASI) is preparing for upcoming DFAT-funded investment opportunities across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, spanning sectors such as climate resilience, water governance, infrastructure, and economic development. With a number of programs in advanced design stages, we are seeking to identify experienced **Operations and Grants Managers** (OGM) to provide leadership across the operational, financial, and grant management functions of complex multi-year programs.

The OGM plays a pivotal role in ensuring that DFAT investments are effectively mobilised, operationalised, and delivered in full compliance with relevant Australian Government frameworks, including the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability (PGPA) Act 2013, the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs), and DFAT’s own operational, financial, and fiduciary standards. The OGM provides critical oversight of all operational systems and support structures, including program mobilisation, office establishment, human resource management, financial control systems, procurement, contracting, and program logistics. It also includes supporting the development and management grants mechanisms, ensuring VfM, transparency, and compliance with DFAT’s fiduciary risk management and financial accountability standards.

**Key responsibilities**

Program Operations & Delivery
- Lead day-to-day operational management of the program, ensuring effective implementation of systems, procedures, and logístical support to enable high-quality technical delivery, in pursuit of End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs)
- Oversee and coordinate all program mobilisation activities, including office establishment, staff onboarding, service contracts, and vendor engagement.
- Ensure compliance with DFAT’s procurement policies, asset management protocols, and operational guidelines, including alignment with the PGPA Act and Commonwealth Procurement Rules.
- Provide strategic and hands-on support to program planning and delivery processes, including workplan development, activity scheduling, and implementation tracking.

Grants & Financial Management
- Design and manage fit-for-purpose grant management systems and procedures, ensuring transparent selection, disbursement, and performance tracking of grantees.
- Lead due diligence, contracting, and performance oversight of grant recipients, ensuring alignment with DFAT’s fiduciary, safeguarding, and value for money standards.
- Coordinate budgeting, financial forecasting, and expenditure tracking for both operational and grant funding streams.
- Monitor program financial health, flagging risks and variances, and supporting timely, accurate financial reporting to DFAT and ASI.

Compliance, Risk & Safeguarding
- Ensure program compliance with Australian Government policies and local regulations, including workplace health and safety, data protection, and labour law.
- Lead program risk management, including identification, mitigation, and regular review of financial, operational, and reputational risks.
- Oversee implementation of safeguarding measures (including child protection, PSEAH, and environmental/social safeguards) in coordination with technical leads and DFAT counterparts.
- Provide support to internal and external audits, ensuring timely documentation and implementation of audit findings and recommendations.
- Team and Stakeholder Coordination
- Support effective team management, including contracting, onboarding, timekeeping, and performance monitoring of program staff and consultants.
- Maintain strong working relationships with DFAT, implementing partners, government stakeholders, and subcontractors to support coordinated delivery.

**About you**

You will bring:

- A degree in business administration, finance, international development, public policy, or a related field. Postgraduate qualifications preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of experience in operational and grants management in international development programs, ideally in DFAT-funded or donor-funded contexts.
- Demonstrated expertise in program mobilisation, financial oversight, procurement, and grant mechanism management, preferably in Southeast Asia or the Pacific.
- Strong working knowledge of DFAT contractual obligations, financial reporting standards, and procurement frameworks (including CPRs and PGPA Act).
- Proven experience establishing and managing operational systems in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and manage risk, including fraud prevention, safeguarding, WHS, and regulatory compliance.
- Strong interpersonal, team coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills, including in cross-cultural contexts.
- High-level written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of financial