Special Projects Senior Manager (PLMSP – Palladium)

Special Projects Senior Manager

Project Overview:

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is a signature initiative for the Australian Government that enables workers from 9 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and Timor-Leste to work in priority sectors in Australia. The Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP) builds on the successes of the Pacific Labour Facility (PLF) program, with a renewed focus on the provision of tailored support to worker sending countries to address their specific needs and priorities. Palladium is contracted to deliver PLMSP on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

PLMSP’s role is to provide DFAT and governments in 9 PICs and Timor-Leste with support to enable workers to access PALM scheme in inclusive ways that maximise the benefits for the workers and national economies while minimising risks from labour mobil ity participation. PLMSP’s primary functions include capacity building for PALM scheme labour sending units; skills development and training for PALM workers; support for returning PALM workers and their families; information system management; monitoring, evaluation, research and learning; and communications.

Role Overview:

PLMSP will need to respond at short notice to ad-hoc requests on specific policy, thematic and cross-cutting issues relating to the PALM scheme. These requests will generally take the form of Tasking Notes identifying specific research, monitoring, and reporting deliverables as well as required short term coordination functions. The PLMSP team may also initiate high impact special projects in dialogue with DFAT. The Special Projects Senior Manager will oversee these activities, ensuring they are properly scoped, high quality outputs are produced, outcomes are met and political complexities and ris ks are effectively managed; including through appropriate reporting progress.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Strategic Growth Lead the Special Projects Senior Manager the primary responsibilities will be:

• Oversee the management of all PLMSP responses to ad hoc requests and tasking notes from DFAT, negotiating timelines, content, budget modelling and agreeing outputs.
• Quality assure all outputs of the Special Projects team and provide day to day management of the Special Project Managers.
• Oversee high quality briefing, research, monitoring and reporting deliverables as part of Special Projects.
• Quality assure written policy and strategic advice produced by the PLMSP to ensure it meets Australian Government needs and aligns with PLMSP objectives.
• Undertake agreed internal and external sub-projects designed to improve PLMSP or PALM scheme performance.
• Provide surge support to PLMSP leads on the delivery of other key program activities, including the scoping and development of business cases for innovative or cross cutting activities.
• Oversee recruitment and procurement of specialist resources required to deliver special projects.
• Provide guidance to the SLT and DFAT how outcomes and learning from special projects can be mainstreamed into PLMSP and PALM functions or processes.
• Provide coordination and secretariat functions as part of special projects.
• Provide regular progress reporting on special projects to PLMSP senior management, DFAT and other key stakeholders
• Understand how innovation and technology shape the way we work and introduce new ways of working through AI, data and technology.

Relationships, Communication & Development

• Mentor and coach others both formally and informally, investing time in their success and ensuring messages from leadership are supported and clearly cascaded.
• Respectfully address conflict and collaborate and build relationships that support our mission and strategic objectives, leveraging expertise from across teams, projects, country offices and regions

Other

• Other tasks as reasonably requested by the Strategic Growth Lead.
• Travel locally and internationally, as required.
• Advocate for Australian development priorities.
• Foster equality, diversity and inclusion, drawing on capabilities from within the country/region wherever possible;
• Comply with, and advocate for, DFAT’s policies in all aspects of implementation, including gender, disability, fraud and anti-corruption, PSEAH, child protection and environmental and social safeguards. This includes incorporating policy principles into planning and everyday work, promoting process improvements, and reporting concerns to your Line Manager or Palladium’s Integrity Hotline (details on Palladium website).
• Operate with high levels of integrity, consistent with the intent of DFAT’s Ethics, Integrity and Professional Standards Policy Manual.

Reporting Requirements

• Attendance at team meetings, other requested meetings and regional meetings (e.g. townhalls).
• Regular (minimum of monthly) one to one meetings with your line manager on the status of personal Key Result Areas (KRAs), career development discussions and any other matters.
• Palladium encourages flexible work practices to enhance wellbeing, productivity and team culture.
• For this role, we require that employees maintain an in-office presence for at least 50% of their working week. For example, if an employee works five days a week, they must spend at least three days physically in the office.

BENEFITS

• Great team culture with social activities and events
• Working for a program that is making positive impact
• Position can be based in either Brisbane or Canberra
• 4 -Year fixed term contract (with possibility of ongoing extension)

Applications close on 10 November 2024 and will be assessed on a rolling basis.

We are committed to building a diverse and geographically dispersed workforce to maximize our support. We encourage applications from candidates from Pacific Island countries, Timor-Leste, and across Australia. It is desirable that this position be based in Brisbane or Canberra. You must have valid Australian work rights to be considered for this position – visa sponsorship is not available. Candidates who are willing to relocate for the position must do so at their own expense. This is a fixed-term role, and the contract length is subject to final agreement with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

About Palladium – Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact – we work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. With a team of mo re than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people’s lives.