Programme Officer

ASIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

ASIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LTD. in Singapore invites applications for a Programme Officer on a 2-year full-time contract, with renewal based on performance and regulatory approvals.

The role centers on turning RFC strategy into grants in priority countries, with initial focus on Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Reporting to the Strategy & Programmes Lead, you will source opportunities, lead due diligence, manage the grantmaking lifecycle, and engage a network of grantees,

Qualifications

• Experience of working at a philanthropy is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Grantmaking and Portfolio Management: Manage a portfolio of grants in the priority countries, responsible for the full grantmaking and management lifecycle, and serving as the primary point of contact for grantees and supporting them toward success
• Opportunity Sourcing and Assessment: Source and build a pipeline of high-potential opportunities aligned with the RFC's strategy and priorities across Southeast Asia
• Due Diligence: Lead due diligence on prospective grants and investments, assessing organisational health, financial standing, delivery capacity, and impact potential
• Country and Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain trusted relationships with grantees, governments, research institutions, implementers, and fellow funders
• Knowledge, Learning, and Collaboration: Contribute to MEL, share evidence and lessons with funders and the wider ecosystem, and manage a Programme Associate

Job description

The Rice Funders Collaborative (RFC) is a new, Asia-led philanthropic collaborative that aims to mobilise coordinated capital to transform rice farming systems - cutting emissions, building farmer resilience, and improving the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers across Asia. By 2030, the RFC aims to mobilise around US$70 million in philanthropic capital and catalyse more in aligned public and development finance.

The RFC initiative is hosted at the Asia Community Foundation (ACF) and the Secretariat team is led by Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC).

Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) is a leading platform that mobilises Asia-focused philanthropists to deepen their practice of philanthropy and address systemic challenges collaboratively, through shared learning, peer exchange and joint action across the region.

Asia Community Foundation (ACF) is APC's sister organisation, providing the infrastructure that makes collaborative action possible, including regranting, fiscal hosting, shared infrastructure and back-office support, so that philanthropists, funders and impact initiatives can focus on the work itself rather than the operational load.

For more details on RFC, you can find the overview document by visiting https://tinyurl.com/rfcprogrammeofficer

Position Summary

This is a full-time role on a 2-year contract (with the opportunity for renewal based on performance and regulatory approvals) with a preference for candidates living in and/or able to work in Singapore.

Reporting to the Strategy & Programmes Lead, the Programme Officer is responsible for turning the RFC's strategy into grants in the priority countries. The role sources and assesses opportunities, leads due diligence, and manages a portfolio across all aspects of the grantmaking lifecycle. Initial focal countries for grantmaking are Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The role requires country and sector knowledge. Experience of working at a philanthropy is highly preferred.

The role will eventually work alongside other Programme Officers within the Secretariat, and will manage a Programme Associate. This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to build a portfolio in an underfunded field.

Key Responsibilities

1. Grantmaking and Portfolio Management
   1. Manage a portfolio of grants in the priority countries, responsible for the full grantmaking and management lifecycle, and serving as the primary point of contact for grantees and supporting them toward success
   2. Evaluate proposals and prepare clear, evidence-based funding recommendations for review by the Strategy & Programmes Lead and, where relevant, the Grants/Investment Committee
   3. Monitor active grants, review narrative and financial reports, track progress against milestones, and act on what the results show
   4. Provide support beyond the grant, helping grantees strengthen proposals, plans, and organisational capacity
2. Opportunity Sourcing and Assessment
   1. Source and build a pipeline of high-potential opportunities aligned with the RFC's strategy and priorities across Southeast Asia
   2. Create and update country assessments and landscape scans, mapping actors, interventions, and gaps, and identifying where philanthropic capital can add the most value
   3. Contribute field-level knowledge and market insight to the Collaborative's overall strategy and country prioritisation
3. Due Diligence
   1. Lead due diligence on prospective grants and investments, assessing organisational health, financial standing, delivery capacity, and impact potential, in coordination with ACF's grant administration
   2. Identify risks and trade-offs and bring balanced, well-reasoned judgments to investment decisions
   3. Ensure grants are structured, documented, and compliant with the Collaborative's and ACF's standards
4. Country and Stakeholder Engagement
   1. Build and maintain trusted relationships with grantees, governments, research institutions, implementers, and fellow funders across the priority countries and the wider region
   2. Represent the RFC credibly in-country and in relevant forums, and help connect grantees to partners, co-funders, and networks that strengthen their work
   3. Coordinate with the Partnerships & Community Lead where country relationships intersect with funder engagement
5. Knowledge, Learning, and Collaboration
   1. Contribute to the Collaborative's monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), capturing what does and does not work and feeding it back into strategy and future grantmaking
   2. Work with the Communications & Knowledge function within the RFC to share evidence and lessons with funders and the wider ecosystem
   3. Manage a Programme Associate over time, and commission and oversee consultants and technical experts as the work requires
   4. Contribute to a collaborative team culture through thought partnership and collective problem-solving.

What Success Looks Like in 12 - 18 Months

In the first 12 - 18 months, the Programme Officer will have moved quickly from sourcing to live grantmak