Program Manager, Australia Awards Semester (Malaysia)

Palladium; Australia; Remote; AUD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Palladium is recruiting for the Australia Awards Malaysia Semester Program Manager to lead the delivery of supplementary support services for a pilot grant-based program in Australia/Malaysia. You will work with DFAT and university partners to establish scalable delivery frameworks and ensure alignment with policy requirements.

You will help establish governance, monitor risks, and support resource planning, while embedding a flexible, learning-focused approach across delivery.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in international development, international relations, education, or a related field.
• Significant experience managing DFAT-funded programs, preferably including program start up and/or pilot program delivery.
• Demonstrated experience working in the Australian higher education sector and/or on Australia Awards programs.
• Substantial experience managing grants across the full lifecycle, including compliance, probity, systems and operational processes.
• Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, solve complex problems and adapt program delivery in response to emerging priorities and stakeholder feedback.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and client management skills, with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Excellent professional writing skills, including experience researching, drafting and publishing operational guidelines, procedures, policies and other program documentation for diverse audiences.
• Proficiency in using information management systems to support grants administration, records management and program delivery. Experience with SmartyGrants is desirable.
• Strong practical knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) frameworks and systems to support program learning, adaptation and assessment of program performance.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic and evolving program environment.
• Experience and/or understanding of the Southeast Asia context, particularly Malaysia.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality supplementary support services for the Australia Awards Malaysia Semester Program (AAMSP), ensuring activities are implemented in line with DFAT requirements, program objectives and agreed timeframes.
• Develop and deliver Early Implementation Plans, Annual Work Plans and Risk Registers, monitoring progress and managing risks throughout implementation.
• Develop and continuously improve program policies, procedures, guidelines and grant agreements, ensuring alignment with Australia Awards policies and DFAT requirements.
• Drive ongoing review and refinement of the partner Ways of Working (WoW) Framework to support effective collaboration and decision-making across stakeholders.
• Oversee scholar monitoring and welfare processes, including critical incident escalation, risk management and reporting to DFAT where required.
• Support the establishment of management information systems for grant administration and scholar monitoring, providing ongoing systems support.
• Manage delivery of supplementary services across the grant lifecycle, ensuring high-quality support to DFAT and university partners.
• Provide leadership and oversight to technical advisory inputs across monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), communications, compliance and program quality.
• Oversee the delivery of program reflection and learning activities, including annual and quarterly reflection workshops, and development of annual program reporting.
• Coordinating closely with the SEALP Team Leader, manage shared resources across programs to deliver supplementary support services.
• Support the SEALP Team Leader in resourcing reviews, strategic planning, program adaptation and potential expansion opportunities, including acting as Team Leader when required.

Job description

Palladium is recruiting for the Australia Awards Malaysia Semester Program Manager to lead the delivery of supplementary support services for a pilot grant-based program in Australia/Malaysia. You will work with DFAT and university partners to establish scalable delivery frameworks and ensure alignment with policy requirements.

You will help establish governance, monitor risks, and support resource planning, while embedding a flexible, learning-focused approach across delivery.