Senior Program Officer, Capacity Development

ACIAR is a small agency with a domestic and international focus. It comprises three branches: Research, Partnerships and Corporate.

This role sits within the Capacity Development team of the Research stream. The Capacity Development team is responsible for the design, management, and review of effective programs that strengthen individuals, institutions, and systems that deliver agricultural research for development in the Indo-Pacific region. Currently, there are six investments within the capacity development program.

The Senior Program Officer, Capacity Development is responsible for their assigned capacity development investments, including project coordination, contract management, risk tracking, financial management, reporting, resource coordination, and stakeholder engagement. This position reports to the Director, Capacity Development and works within a small collaborative team. 

Under the direction of the Director, Capacity Development, the Senior Program Officer, Capacity Development will be required to:

1.  Provide end-to-end program management and coordination services for assigned capacity development investments, including:
   1. Managing the day-to-day administration and delivery of capacity development investments to ensure activities are implemented effectively and in accordance with agreed objectives, timelines and contractual requirements.
   2.  Establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with external contractors, delivery partners and stakeholders, including representing ACIAR at meetings and forums.
   3. Coordinating, reviewing and quality assuring the design and delivery of workshops, events and other capacity development activities, including facilitating input from relevant ACIAR teams and external stakeholders.
   4.  Monitoring, tracking and recording capacity development decisions, actions, milestones and deliverables to support effective implementation, accountability and quality standards.
   5.  Analysing capacity development data, stakeholder feedback and other learning information sources to identify trends, risks, opportunities and lessons learned to inform continuous improvement and future program delivery.
2. Monitor and assess capacity development risks, issues and dependencies, implement appropriate mitigation strategies, and escalate residual risks and emerging issues to the Director as required.
3. Support monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting activities in accordance with ACIAR frameworks and requirements, recording documentation in SharePoint and ACIAR’s research and procurement database.
4. Work collaboratively across the capacity development team and broader research branch to promote systems thinking, knowledge sharing and strategic alignment across capacity development efforts, ensuring complementarity and maximising development outcomes.
5.  Represent ACIAR in capacity development-related forums, meetings and stakeholder engagements, building and maintaining effective relationships with domestic and international partners.
6. Undertake other duties and activities commensurate with the classification level, as required or requested.

·      Australian Citizenship - the successful candidate must be an Australian citizen.

·      Security clearance - the successful candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance.

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is a statutory agency within the Australian Government’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio. It operates under the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Act 1982. ACIAR invests in collaborative research and knowledge-sharing partnerships to improve the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farming, fishing and forestry communities in Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. We work with governments and institutions to grow food more efficiently, increase food system resilience, improve human nutrition, empower women and girls, reduce poverty, and manage natural resources sustainably. Our partnerships prioritise economic, social and environmental benefits for partner countries, and contribute to the development of our international and Australian partner institutions’ research, policy and leadership capabilities. Further information on our current projects, programs and priorities can be found at https://www.aciar.gov.au/. It’s important to note that ACIAR are responsible for commissioning research, not undertaking research.