Team Leader – Southeast Asia Leadership Programs

Team Leader – Southeast Asia Leadership Programs

• Fixed term contract up to 30 June 2029
• Competitive salary and flexible work options
• Australia based

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 Programs

The Team Leader will lead delivery of two leadership programs: the Southeast Asia Leadership Program (SEALP) and a program aimed at building a network of future ASEAN leaders with strong connections to Australia who will drive positive change. The Southeast Asia Leadership Program (SEALP) is a new initiative contributing to greater high-level understanding and linkages between Australia and Southeast Asia by targeting emerging and current leaders and decision-makers across Southeast Asia to undertake undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships, as well as targeted shorter educational activities. SEALP's three intended outcomes are:

• Alumni leaders apply their knowledge, skills and networks to contribute to defined areas of shared interest.
• Australia has strong and enduring networks of influence across ASEAN countries, through targeted scholarships and training.
  Alumni leaders actively engage and contribute to cooperation with Australia.

The Role

The Team Leader leads client and stakeholder relationship management, as well as the inputs of the program delivery teams, to ensure DFAT's strategic direction is understood and operationalised in all aspects of activity delivery, supporting the achievement of outcomes across both programs to a high standard.

• Support DFAT to proactively build and maintain effective working relationships with ASEAN and Timor Leste DFAT Posts, Austrade Offices, partner government representatives, private sector representatives and other key stakeholders. Act as a trusted intermediary and coordinate engagement between multiple stakeholders, identifying opportunities for collaboration between the two programs, as well as other DFAT funded programs.
• Oversee delivery of the programs including high quality delivery of all modalities, financial management, performance and risk management.
• Oversee activity and provide strategic input across the scholarship cycle for Australia Awards Brunei, Australia Awards Singapore and a new ASEAN scholarship program.
• Lead provider procurement and oversee management of targeted educational activities, short courses and emerging leaders programs, lead tender assessment panels as appropriate.
• Oversee participant recruitment and selection as necessary for scholarships, short courses, emerging leaders' programs and other targeted educational activities, participate in interviews as appropriate.
• In strong coordination with DFAT, lead consultations and analysis to develop strategies, guiding frameworks and policies to deliver a flexible toolkit of high-quality modalities including but not limited to new scholarship programs, co-financed scholarship delivery models, targeted educational activities and strategic alumni engagement.
• Travel locally and internationally, as required.

Specific responsibilities for SEALP include:

• Develop responses to targeted educational activity Tasking Notes and oversee delivery of innovative, high quality targeted educational activity which meet the intended outcomes, engaging STAs and sub-contractors as required.
• Oversee development and delivery of effective on-award enrichment and alumni engagement activities which build participants leadership capability and build and sustain networks of influence, cooperation and collaboration.

About you

You will possess:

• Extensive knowledge and skills in scholarships, leadership development, professional development and/or alumni engagement.
• Experience leading and managing DFAT funded programs with a proven track record in proactively managing risk and communication for influence and public diplomacy in support of Australia's interests.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and oversee flexible Non-Oversees Development Assistance programming that meets commonwealth legislation.
• Demonstrated excellence in client and strategic stakeholder engagement to develop and maintain engaged and productive relationships including the private sector, with the ability to adapt to political nuances and changing priorities.
• Experience working in Southeast Asia and advanced cultural literacy.
• Expertise in team leadership with ability to lead across multiple programs, role modelling a culture of delivery excellence, collaboration and responsiveness.
• Highly developed interpersonal and strategic communication skills, including the ability to influence a wide range of stakeholders and proven capability producing high quality written reports.

To Apply

Please submit your application online, including your CV and brief cover letter (maximum 2 pages), outlining your suitability in line with the requirements of the position.

Established working rights required for suitable candidates, there is no visa sponsorship or relocation support available.

For further information please email

Closing date: Tuesday 30 September 2025, 11.59pm AEST

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 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.