Operations & Grants Managers – Southeast Asia & the Pacific

Job Description

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.

Working closely with the Team Leader, technical advisers, and DFAT counterparts, the OGM will contribute to high-level decision-making, ensure timely and compliant reporting, and lead efforts to adaptively manage operational risks. The role also supports preparation of key program deliverables, including workplans, budgets, progress reports, and performance updates. This is a leadership role requiring a strong background in development program operations, financial management, and donor compliance. The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with operational pragmatism, and a proven ability to work in fast-paced, multicultural environments with complex governance structures.

These roles will be based full-time in-country, with regular domestic travel and occasional international travel as operationally required. Appointment is contingent upon DFAT’s selection of ASI as the preferred tenderer and subsequent DFAT approval of the nominated candidate at mobilisation.

Key responsibilities

Program Operations & Delivery

• Lead day-to-day operational management of the program, ensuring effective implementation of systems, procedures, and logistical 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 reports, grant documents, and operational inputs to donor deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, problem-solve under pressure, and manage competing priorities to meet deadlines.

Ready to Apply?

We welcome expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates. To apply, please submit the following documents by 13 June 2025:

• A CV (maximum three pages); and

Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, and early submissions are strongly encouraged. A full Position Description will be shared with shortlisted candidates.

About the Organization

ASI is a development consultancy and technical advisory firm, that works locally to transform lives by making economies stronger, societies safer, and governments more effective.

For over three decades, ASI have partnered with governments, foundations, and companies that share our ambition to address some of the world’s most exigent challenges. We design, deliver, and evaluate strategies and programs that stimulate economic growth, promote climate resilience, and advance good governance.

Operating in over 100 countries, ASI brings together a global network of technical experts and specialist advisers, supported by a core team based across multiple country offices worldwide. Our model ensures the highest standards of delivery, professional integrity, and ethical practice that our clients and partners expect.

ASI is a certified B Corporation (B Corp), consistently ranked among the highest-performing B Corps in the UK for our social and environmental impact.