If you have the team management and leadership skills and looking for an opportunity to lead the operations for a Melbourne based Not-For-Profit, please apply. The Operations Director will join a dynamic and growing team and support operations across the Pacific region, including in Fiji and Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. The role will also work with our global COO on global operational projects and lead the expansion of the organisation in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea over the next couple of years.

• Location: Melbourne, with occasional international travel
• Reporting to: South East Asia and the Pacific Department Director
• Direct Reports: A Finance Manager, an Operations Assistant, a Programme Support Manager, Philippines Operations Manager (dotted line management), and operations consultants when required. Total team of eight
• Duration: Permanent, Full Time

Conciliation Resources: https://www.c-r.org/.

Conciliation Resources is an independent international organisation working with people in conflict to prevent violence, resolve conflicts and promote peaceful societies. We believe that building sustainable peace takes time. We provide practical support to help people affected by violent conflict achieve lasting peace. We draw on our shared experiences to improve peacebuilding policies and practice worldwide. We have worked in the South East Asia and the Pacific regions since 1994 and currently work in: the Republic of Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

Our work seeks to contribute to building more peaceful societies through enhanced analysis and comparative knowledge and through supporting and implementing targeted and adaptive peacebuilding programmes. We seek to build knowledge through context and conflict analysis; contribute to change through long-term accompanying partnerships; and enhance context-specific peacebuilding practice through comparative learning.

Within the Pacific region Conciliation Resources supports community led peacebuilding initiatives, working with numerous civil society partners, including in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Bougainville, PNG. The programme also supports processes of political dialogue, mediation support and comparative learning. Conflict challenges the programme is currently working on include: dealing with the past legacies of conflict; the intersection between governance and peace; masculinity, youth and violence; and climate change and conflict.

Job Purpose

Conciliation Resources is headquartered in London, with a branch office in Melbourne, and is registered in Australia as Conciliation Resources Australia (CRA). The SEAP Department also has a satellite office in Cotabato, Philippines, and personnel based in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Fiji.

The Operations Director is responsible for overseeing all operational functions for the SEAP Department, including financial operations, human resources, Conciliation Resources Australia’s statutory obligations, staff safety and wellness, office management, and programme compliance. The role involves developing and maintaining processes and systems for all operational functions within the SEAP Department. Additionally, the Operations Director is responsible for managing the programme support team (four staff), including providing support in grant management, fundraising, gender initiatives, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) for the SEAP peacebuilding programme teams.

The Operations Director will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and the Core and Operations team based in London, and will periodically take on global projects and responsibilities.

The Operations Director provides leadership to the operational team, which plays a key role in liaising and providing support to programme teams, consultants, and suppliers, ensuring they have the resources and guidance needed to complete their work. Reporting to the SEAP Department Director, the Operations Director is an integral member of the SEAP Department Leadership Team and contributes to the development and implementation of SEAP department strategy and management.

The position is based in Melbourne and will require occasional travel to the global operations team in London and SEAP offices in the Philippines, PNG, and Fiji.

Added benefits of working at Conciliation Resources Australia:

• We provide 25 days of annual leave each year.
• Annual office shut down between 25th December - 1st January with no loss of annual leave.
• Flexible working at home arrangements
• A generous top-up to the Government Parental Leave payments and the opportunity for parents returning to work to request flexible working arrangements.
• Employee Assistance Program, a free and confidential counselling service
• Additional sick leave benefits during longer period of sickness
• 5 paid days of study leave per year
• Salary packaging (tax benefits) of up to A$15,900 and A$2,650 for meals and entertainment
• Up to 10 days of paid Compassionate leave
• Option of paid Sabbatical leave for full time and part time permanent employees after 4 continuous years of service
• Portable long service leave within the SCHADS industry

Person specification

Essential knowledge, skills and experience:

• Significant organisation and team management experience to a senior level, including managing multiple project and programme manager level positions at the same time.
• Experience managing organisation operations functions, including: finance, human resources, and/or safety compliance.
• Experience developing, implementing and adapting organisation policies, including human resources, finance and/or safety compliance.
• Strong organisational skills including planning, developing, implementing and maintaining administrative systems.
• Experience of developing or adapting organisational policies and processes to meet local compliance
• Ability to coordinate and execute project planning
• Strong understanding of organisational budgeting and finances
• Experience of line management and team management.
• Initiative, enthusiasm and a problem-solving approach to new challenges.
• Able to explain, advocate and express facts and ideas in a convincing manner, and negotiate with individuals and groups internally and externally.
• Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office software packages, databases, email, internet.
• Experience of working in a multicultural environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Willingness to work irregular hours occasionally and to undertake some travel.
• Experience of hostile environment awareness training or willingness to undertake hostile environment awareness training.
• Some knowledge of and interest in peacebuilding/ humanitarian/ development sector safety and security and safeguarding issues.
• Appreciation of issues of confidentiality, and cross-cultural and political sensitivity.

Desirable knowledge, skills and experience:

• Experience in fundraising for an INGO
• Experience of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning processes
• Experience overseeing and performing basic IT administration
• Experience overseeing and performing basic HR administration
• Experience in developing and delivering systems for audit or quality assurance
• Experience of safeguarding training or willingness to undertake safeguarding training.
• Experience working with vulnerable individuals, particularly in a conflict context.

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Bunurong, Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nations and pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that First Peoples have continuing connection to the lands, water and sky. We value the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community by encouraging and celebrating diversity. First Peoples', Pacific Islanders, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, people of all ages, with diverse abilities as well as culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply.

• We proudly support a diverse workforce with a variety of professional development opportunities, ranging from various skill based training to leadership programs.
• We are an Equal Opportunity Employer who value diverse representation at all levels of our organisation.
• We offer and encourage flexible work arrangements for all our employees to support wellbeing, family or carer commitments and other personal circumstances.
• Health, safety, and wellbeing are at the heart of what we do. We focus on the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of our people to create a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.

How to Apply

Please find full details and attached links on CRs website by clicking the "Apply Now" button.

Please do not send your CV or resume at this stage.

Please submit the Applicant Form and Applicant Statement by clicking the "Apply Now" button by the advertised closing date.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which include national police checks. Please be advised that it is a requirement for all our staff to submit their COVID-19 vaccination proof.

If you have specific questions regarding the role, please contact [email protected] using the subject line: Operations Director, The South East Asia and Pacific Programme enquiry via EthicalJobs.

We thank you for your interest in the role and our organisation, however only those applicants shortlisted will be contacted.