Manager| Program Excellence

Work that shapes Australia

We are public purpose specialists supporting with public purpose organisations to solve complex challenges and deliver meaningful outcomes for Australians. From shaping national policy to delivering critical public projects, we help build resilient, equitable, secure, and prosperous communities.

Our values shape everything we do - Stronger Together, Amplify Impact, Build Trusted Relationships, Value Every Person, Think Beyond Limits, and Defined by Ethics - guiding how we collaborate, innovate, and drive meaningful change.

Job Description

About us

Our Program Excellence team supports clients to feel confident in the planning, delivery and impact of their programs, policies and initiatives.

We help clients translate policy directives into implementation-ready programs. As a part of this, we work with our clients to design public programs and services, commissioning models and sourcing strategies. Clients also come to us when they need assurance that complex, transformational programs are delivered as intended. They engage us proactively to establish program monitoring mechanisms, and retrospectively to offer an independent perspective on the outcomes and impact of a program.

Our clients are both government agencies and non-government organisations.

We work across sectors but have a specific focus in the health and social services sector, including primary health, mental health, justice, early childhood and education, disability, child protection, and domestic, family and sexual violence, among others.

We are passionate about improving outcomes with First Peoples, working in collaboration with government and community sectors towards programs which focus on First Nations clients, consumers and communities. We recognise the knowledge, insights and capabilities of First Peoples. Their strength, resilience and cultural competence are highly valued.

About the Role

We're expanding our high-performing, mission-driven Program Excellence team to amplify our impact on critical public purpose initiatives.

This role blends program and policy design with monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) capabilities to provide a clear understanding of the extent to which policies and programs are effective, efficient, equitable and delivering value for money.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage relationships with clients to understand their business needs and co-develop tailored strategies and methodologies which address these needs
• Take accountability for discrete project work streams or whole client projects
• Support the planning of all client projects, including preparing project plans, coordinating project set up and preparation of key delivery artefacts
• Support the design of new public programs and initiatives, including reviewing evidence and facilitating stakeholder and community engagement
• Work with clients to implement new programs through a strategic approach to commissioning, including market shaping, sourcing and procurement
• Lead the design and implementation of fit-for-purpose monitoring and evaluation plans, theories of change, KPIs, and data collection strategies
• Manage other team members to deliver meaningful and actionable insights through data analysis (both qualitative and quantitative), synthesis and reporting tailored to diverse stakeholders
• Lead the delivery of stakeholder interviews, workshops, surveys and other engagement mechanisms and analytical techniques
• Leverage your understanding of specific policy areas or sectors to support the creation of recommendations which support continuous improvement of the impact and outcomes Australians experience in the future
• Champion a culture of excellence, integrity, and outcomes-focus across the project lifecycle
• Provide oversight, coaching and support to junior team members to uplift capability and foster shared ownership of excellence
• Collaborate with program teams to embed real-time learning and adaptive management practices

What we're looking for

• Experience managing high performing teams in a project-based environment
• A passion for public purpose work and improving lives through evidence-based programs and policies
• Confident communicator—able to influence, challenge constructively, and facilitate workshops or reviews
• A highly organised, diligent and proactive team member keen to support on multiple client projects at any one time across a variety of sectors
• A desire to learn, grow and develop your Program and Project skills and capabilities
• Adaptable, curious, and proactive in navigating ambiguity and driving improvement
• A dynamic and motivated person with a strategic mindset. You possess strong research, analytical, writing and project management skills.
• A proven ability to work and collaborate in a diverse national team, using your people skills to develop strong professional relationships
• A background in advisory and consultancy services, public policy, research, or program evaluation is highly valued
• Experience in health, social services, disability, housing, early education, First Nations or justice sectors

You may have experience across one or all of the following capabilities:

• Experience designing policies, public programs or services
• Experience supporting formative or summative program evaluations, including longitudinal evaluations.
• Experience in working with First Nations communities or organisations and have proven culturally appropriate engagement and communication skills.
• Experience with a variety of evaluation methods, including both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
• Experience with a variety of research methods, including quasi experimental and experimental designs, or economic impact assessment.
• Experience engaging with vulnerable cohorts, sensitive subject matter and complex outcomes
• Experience commissioning programs, services and outcomes, including managing procurement and sourcing programs.

Why Join Us

You'll be joining a team that's bold, collaborative, and deeply committed to public impact. We don't settle for business-as-usual—we aim to set new standards of excellence, insight, and trust in everything we do.

Qualifications

A Bachelors or Masters Degree in a relevant field. Degrees in policy, public health or research are highly valued.

At least 4 years professional work experience.

To support our government clients you will need to be an Australian Citizen with the ability to obtain a minimum Baseline or NV1 security clearance; Scyne will assist you in obtaining this clearance so long as you meet the essential requirements

Additional Information

What's in it for you?

Launch your career with hands-on experience, meaningful work, and a team that supports your growth. From day one, you'll contribute to real projects, tackling challenges that make a difference while developing skills that set you apart.

You'll be mentored by industry experts who will guide, challenge, and inspire you. Our structured training and on-the-job experience will fast-track your development and open doors to exciting career opportunities.

This is your chance to grow, lead, and shape your future.

Flex working: Our people have the autonomy to choose where and when they work so they can integrate their professional and personal lives, finding the right balance that fuels their growth, wellbeing, engagement and productivity.

20 days of annual leave, plus an additional 5 days of annual leave for use over the Christmas / New Year period

Additional leave: Includes Birthday leave, First Nations Cultural Leave, Floating Public Holidays, Leave+, Study Leave, Volunteering Leave, and more

Smart device reimbursement: Working flexibly means accessing the information you need on the go. Claim up to $60 a month towards your bill.

Wellness and Lifestyle benefits: We'll give you $295 a year to support your wellness, and up to $205 a year to support your balanced lifestyle.

A workplace where everyone belongs

We are committed to promoting a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage applications from those in marginalised and/or historically underrepresented communities within our workforce. Additionally, if you require any adjustments to the process, please let us know.

What to expect next

Brief conversation: We'll arrange a short discussion to get to know you, understand your motivations, explore how you could contribute to our team, and share information about Scyne and the opportunities.

Interview(s): Discussions with members of our Program Excellence team to explore your capabilities, skills and experience and assess your alignment to the role and our service offer. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions of people 'in the business' to understand the team and our clients further.

Offer time If it's a match, we'll send an offer and stay in touch so you're ready to hit the ground running.

To apply, you'll need to be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident.

Interested in working together?

If you too share our purpose of helping governments and their agencies build more resilient, secure, equitable and prosperous communities, then you should apply today.