Team Leader – PHAMA Plus – Suva, Fiji

Program Background

The overall purpose of PHAMA Plus is to contribute to improved economic growth and rural livelihoods for Pacific peoples, with an emphasis on gender equity and inclusion and climate sustainability. PHAMA Plus continues to resonate strongly with the economic development, economic integration and regional strategic intentions underpinning the foreign policies of both Australia and New Zealand.

PHAMA Plus aims to improve economic growth and rural livelihoods in smallholder households across 10 Pacific countries (Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), while also developing and growing export opportunities for Pacific primary exports to Australia, New Zealand and other countries. PHAMA Plus is commercially focused, export oriented and inclusive. It has three end-of-program outcomes:

• Producers and exporters use maintained and new export market access for Pacific export products.
• Women and men exporters, processors and producers adopt quality and productivity enhancing innovations for their export products.
• Women and men staff of Pacific biosecurity authorities perform their market access facilitation functions better.

For more information, please see www.phamaplus.com.au.

The Role

The Team Leader will lead and be responsible for maintaining PHAMA Plus strategic objectives in line with DFAT and MFAT requirements. They will apply their strong leadership and management skills to ensure successful implementation of the Program. The Team Leader will focus on strategic engagement, relationships, coordination, and overall management of the Program.

This role will have a significant presence in the region (primarily based in Fiji). They will play a critical role in supporting and managing the PHAMA Plus team towards the delivery of all PHAMA Plus services and activities to maximise value for money and effectiveness, in coordination and collaboration with DFAT, MFAT and Pacific Island partners. This role will report to and work closely with DT Global’s Contractor Representative and DFAT and MFAT’s officers across the countries of program operations.

Responsibilities include:

• Build effective and positive working relationships with DFAT and MFAT and engage closely on all aspects of program strategy, key developments and emerging issues;
• Build and maintain effective relationships and work collaboratively with key stakeholders, including participating Pacific Island government agencies, other DFAT programs (MDF, PACER Plus, Pacific Women Lead, Climate Partnerships, etc), private sector business partners, civil society, regional partners and institutions (ADB, IMF/WB, SPC, UNDP), to support the achievement of development outcomes;
• Act as the key point of contact for communication with DFAT Pacific Regional team in Suva, and DFAT and MFAT representatives in Canberra and Wellington. Support Country Managers in their roles as key contact points for DFAT and MFAT posts in PHAMA Plus countries and others in their engagement with Posts;
• Establish strong working relationships with relevant Australian including DAFF, to ensure programming choices fit with respective policy objectives;
• Pursue opportunities for enhancing the achievement of PHAMA Plus goals by collaborating with industry, government partners and complementary programs at regional, country level and whole-of-government;
• Lead the development of key strategies needed for effective delivery of PHAMA Plus including strategic communications planning and implementation;
• Ensure the timely and accurate compilation of progress reports (including financial), strategic plans, annual work plans and/or reports, specified milestone reports, and DFAT and other reporting requirements to the quality required by DFAT and DT Global, working closely with the Contractor Representative;
• Lead and support program implementation and governance arrangements including leading the Program Coordination Committee meetings and ensuring a strategic focus;
• Drive forward consultative annual planning and intervention development processes, including ensure that Market Systems Development (MSD) principles are incorporated in program activities to maximise effectiveness;
• Demonstrate appropriate flexibility and responsiveness to DFAT (and/or its implementing partner) and the Partner Government’s requests;
• In a professional, culturally sensitive way, lead and support the PHAMA Plus team towards the achievement of the program goals, including building overall team cohesion and effectiveness, promoting staff retention and maintaining an entrepreneurial, dynamic and lesson-learning culture across the whole team;
• Supervise, coach and mentor the PHAMA Plus leadership group, especially on strategic and critical aspects of implementation, ensuring a structured approach to performance assessment, performance management and professional development across the team;
• Oversee and ensure appropriate resourcing of PHAMA Plus to achieve targeted outcomes, and work with DT Global, DFAT and MFAT to adjust resourcing as required;
• Ensure Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) and Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) are widely understood across the PHAMA Plus team and are embedded in program operations and interventions, as well as effectively addressed in reporting, communications and public diplomacy products;
• Manage the identification of major program risks and safeguard issues while leading team development, updating and implementing an effective risk and safeguard management strategy;
• Manage and lead responses to safeguard issues relevant to the program including: child protection; gender and women’s economic empowerment; environmental protection, climate resilience and sustainability. Ensure compliance with DFAT’s policy for Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH);
• Ensure that PHAMA Plus processes and procedures are effectively implemented in accordance with DT Global policies and procedures including, but not limited to: the DT Global Code of Conduct; Fraud and Anti-Corruption Policy; Confidentiality; Child Protection; and Health and Safety; as well as being compliant with the requirements of relevant Australian and Pacific Island country laws;
• Promote the use of effective, context-relevant, low-risk financial systems and quality reporting and forecasting within each country;
• Oversight activity administration, procurement, sub-contractor administration and logistics, with a focus on a zero-tolerance approach to fraud;
• Responsible for MRM in line with DFAT Monitoring and Evaluation Standards. This includes ensuring systematic use of information generated from the MRM system and processes;
• And all other duties as outlined in the Terms of Reference.

Click on the link here to access the full Terms of Reference for this position.

About You

Selection Criteria:

• Relevant qualifications and a minimum of 15 years of professional experience in international development, specifically leading large and complex aid programs;
• An exceptional record of building and maintaining effective and strategic relationships with donors, personnel and key stakeholders;
• Demonstrated strong track record in setting the strategic direction and management of multi-disciplinary teams in a cross-cultural context;
• Proven ability to write and produce high quality major/complex reports and studies that meet reporting standards and requirements;
• Proven strong track record of professional leadership and particularly in leading a team of professionals, building team cohesion to achieve targeted outcomes and ability to coach and mentor staff;
• Demonstrated experience in safeguards assessment and management, particularly environmental safeguards;

Highly Desirable

• Experience working in the Pacific region;
• Background in agriculture, biosecurity, MSD, trade facilitation and/or private sector development

Why join PHAMA Plus?

By joining PHAMA Plus, you will be part of a team that aims to improve lives and make a positive impact across 10 Pacific countries. You will be part of the larger DT Global family where you can collaborate with leading experts from diverse backgrounds, access development programs to achieve your career goals, and be challenged to take a global outlook.

How to Apply

Click the ‘Apply Now‘ button.

Please submit

• Your CV
• A cover letter addressing the selection criteria

Should this role be of interest, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Kindly note only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and abilities, Pacific Islanders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTQ+, women, mature age workers and people with different abilities.

About DT Global

DT Global is shaping a future where sustainable development and innovation empower individuals, communities, and nations. We work in partnership with local stakeholders to foster inclusive prosperity, social equity, and environmental stewardship. Our global team of 2,500 staff and experts work in over 90 countries to solve complex problems in the peacebuilding, governance, economic development, environment, and human development sectors. With a track record of technical excellence and more than 60 years of international development experience and relationships, we deliver innovative solutions that transform lives.

For more information, please see www.dt-global.com.

DT Global is committed to child protection and safeguarding the welfare of children in the delivery of our international development programs. We are committed to Safety and the Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), and bribery prevention. DT Global is an equal opportunity employer and we encourage women, men, people with diverse backgrounds and people living with disabilities to apply. This program is funded by the Australian Government and Managed by DT Global.