Program Background

Pacific Australia Skills is a significant Australian investment which stands to make a major contribution to supporting social and economic growth in the region through strengthening the skills and training sector across the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Pacific Australia Skills builds on the achievements of 17 year of Australian Government support for skills and training in the Pacific, through the three phases of APTC.

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 dt-global.com.

The Role

The Director of Programs has a critical leadership role to drive delivery of industry-relevant, and demand-driven skills development, with a focus on quality assurance of skills offerings, including compliance with Australian standards. The role will oversee Country Directors in Pacific Australia Skills Country Offices across the Pacific and a team of skills and systems strengthening personnel.

The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in leading teams in the international development sector, are client-focused, enjoy solving complex challenges, passionate about working collaboratively to deliver ideas and advice that can help our Pacific Island and Timor-Leste Country partners, and thrive in a dynamic team.

The Director of Programs will oversee Country Directors (responsible for the management of country programs, country offices and staff), regional partnerships as well as the Skills & Systems Strengthening team (SSST), which will include staff experienced in Australian and Pacific skills and training quality, accreditation and registration frameworks, as well as industry engagement and engagement with skills and training organisations across the Pacific.

This role is crucial for ensuring the effective implementation of Pacific Australia Skills’ objectives and fostering collaboration among national and regional educational institutions. This role will further provide high quality deliverables, and demonstrate strong organisational skills including relationship management, strategic thinking and team leadership.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Director of Programs will report to the Team Leader and will be responsible for the following:

• Overall line management responsibility of Country Directors across the Pacific and Timor-Leste and skills and system strengthening team members, including performance management, coaching, mentoring and professional development.
• Oversight of the development and implementation of a program-wide plan to strengthen the capacity of skills institutions across the Pacific, which may include identifying and enabling twinning arrangements between Pacific, Timor-Leste and Australian institutions to encourage mutual learning and sustainability.
• Ensure the SSST team and Country Offices, under the leadership of Country Directors build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including DFAT posts, national governments, educational institutions, coalitions and other partners in participating countries.
• Oversee the quality assurance of training provision, ensuring academic quality assurance, monitoring compliance with relevant regulatory and skills authorities.
• Oversee the development of partnerships with key local actors, including undertaking consultation and planning processes, brokering partnerships between quality agencies, qualifications authorities, and training providers to strengthen regional skills alignment and accreditation incorporating GEDSI strategies and locally led development.
• Ensure programming is responsive to regional and national contexts and strategically aligned with Australian development priorities.
• Oversee the development and management of a Technical Skills Panel made up of registered training organisations and skills/training experts to facilitate high quality, efficient and effective training delivery, with a focus on fostering expertise from across the Pacific and Timor-Leste.
• Provide support to the Team Leader and Leadership Team to develop and maintain high-quality deliverables, including Annual Work Plans, Quarterly Updates and other deliverables as required by DFAT and key stakeholders, including entities represented in program governance structures.
• Contribute to developing harmonious and inclusive working relationships with DFAT, colleagues and key stakeholders, and assist to build the profile and reputation of Pacific Australia Skills as a high performing support program.
• As a member of the Pacific Australia Skills team, contribute to: program strategy development and work planning; integration of GEDSI, First Nation perspectives, environmental considerations and other cross-cutting issues; fostering a collaborative and dynamic team; and measurement of results and production of reports.
• Ensure the integration of Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles in all program activities across all implementing countries.
• Promote safeguarding practices to protect the rights and well-being of all participants across all implementing countries.
• Other tasks and duties as required to ensure the smooth and effective delivery of Pacific Australia Skills.

Amendments to the Terms of Reference may be made during the period of engagement as required.

About You

Essential Experience and Knowledge

• Tertiary qualification in international development or another relevant discipline such as political science or international business.
• Proven leadership experience overseeing multi-country or complex regional programs, preferably in education, training, or international development.
• Demonstrated experience with regional collaboration, accreditation systems, and institutional partnerships.
• Ability to manage a diverse workforce remotely and build strong relationships.
• Ability to manage distributed teams and partnerships across diverse geographic and cultural contexts.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to facilitate high-level dialogue and relationship-building.
• Experience in the skills and training sector is desirable.
• Understanding of and commitment to Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), Child Protection, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH), prevention of human trafficking, environmental protection, anti-corruption and other DFAT safeguarding policies.

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

How to Apply

Click the 'Apply Now' button. Include:

• A resume
• A cover letter addressing the selection criteria

Should this role be of interest, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. All applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Kindly note only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

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.