Job Description

INOVASI - Deputy Director, Operations

Project Overview and Role:

Background

Indonesia’s education system has made remarkable progress over the last two decades. Increased spending and a range of policy reforms have led to gender-balanced, near-universal school enrolment. Achievement against access targets has been good, but the challenges of improving quality and equity remain. A majority of Indonesian children do not acquire the fundamental skills needed to participate in the economy, society or further education, and are falling further behind their peers in the region and globally.
The Government of Australia (GoA), through the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), is partnering with the Government of Indonesia (GoI) to improve education quality by supporting improved effectiveness and efficiency of Indonesia’s basic education systems, through phase II of the Innovation for Indonesia’s School Children (INOVASI) program, which builds on Phase I of both INOVASI and the Technical Assistance for Education System Strengthening (TASS) program.

Phase II is focused on identifying and supporting changes to education practice, systems and policy which demonstrably accelerate improved student learning outcomes. The integrated program supports government partners (sub-national and national) to pilot, scale-out and institutionalise effective approaches. It also responds to GoI requests for systems and policy support, and seeks to broker connections and partnerships with civil society organisations and the private sector. The Program has three focal areas for investigation: the quality of teaching in the classroom, the quality of support for teachers, and learning for all. Four key approaches underpinning the Program’s activities and engagement are 1) adaptive and politically informed; 2) local problem identification and solutions; 3) knowledge-to-policy and practice; and 4) supporting gender equality, disability and social inclusion. The Program is managed by Palladium on behalf of DFAT.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Purpose of the Position

The INOVASI - Deputy Director, Operations, will be responsible for overseeing the effective and efficient management of national and sub-national Operations, ensuring that project implementation is in line with approved program plans; is responsive to changing program requirements; and is in line with Palladium, DFAT, and GOI regulations. The Deputy Director Operations is also responsible for overseeing Provincial Managers for performance management purposes, noting that Provincial teams will also work closely with other deputy directors for relevant issues. The Deputy Director, Operations may serve as the acting Program Director, as assigned by the Program Director on specific issues or during periods of absence.

Duties

Under the direction of Program Director, and in close coordination with Deputy Program Directors, and program managers, the INOVASI - Deputy Director, Operations will:

• Oversee and provide leadership and management direction to INOVASI’s operations and provincial implementation teams to ensure effective program implementation and adherence to Palladium, DFAT, and GOI regulations and requirements. This includes the Provincial teams, HR, Finance, Procurement, Administration, Grants, and IT functions performed by a team of international, national, and sub-national staff;
• Oversee and supervise the INOVASI Operations Manager in Jakarta, provide guidance and support to the Operations Manager and to the Operations team as needed;
• Oversee Provincial Managers and provide management and operational guidance to provincial teams to support effective and efficient sub-national implementation. In coordination with the Program Director and other Deputy Directors, support Provincial Managers on provincial management and implementation issues in the provinces, providing troubleshooting when needed. Facilitate coordination between provincial and national teams, and ensure synergy and effective collaboration between implementation and operations teams;
• Provide strategic advice to the Program Director on all aspects of operations and management, including practical strategies for implementation, management structures, provincial organization charts; liaise with Program Director on provincial implementation issues to ensure that targeted support (technical assistance, quality assurance, staffing, implementation guidance and advice) from national technical and advisory resources is provided to the provincial teams in accordance with the needs and priorities for subnational implementation;
• Maintain the high-level INOVASI Program Budget. Prepare budget updates in a timely manner for routine reporting on expenditure to program and provincial managers, and for routine reports and plans: Six-Monthly Progress Reports and Annual Plans;\
• Oversee INOVASI expenditures and ensure national and provincial budgets and spending are in line with INOVASI approved Head Contract and Annual Plans budgets; provide budget tracking analysis to INOVASI Program Director and Managers to inform spending, planning and budget tracking; authorize high-level INOVASI financial expenditures and commitments, as per INOVASI Operations Guidelines;
• Ensure provincial implementation plans and provincial budgets are developed by Provincial Managers and approved by INOVASI Program Director and DFAT as per INOVASI procedures; In collaboration with other members of the INOVASI leadership team, support the timely and quality completion of required program plans and reports and ensure that all program materials comply with DFAT policies and procedures;
• Lead the process of Financial Reporting to Government of Indonesia and Government of Australia, including the yearly process of BAST submission and approval;
• Maintain INOVASI Risk Management Matrix in consultation with the Program Director. Coordinate with INOVASI Managers and DFAT to update the risk matrix on a quarterly basis. Highlight risks to INOVASI Program Director and liaise with INOVASI managers to manage, address and mitigate those risks;
• Support engagement with senior counterparts at national level and in provincial and district governments in INOVASI partner provinces when needed, to ensure effective implementation of activities and application of scaling and sustainability strategies;
• Oversee the application of the INOVASI Program Operations Manual and other strategic operational documents to ensure compliance with INOVASI, Palladium, and DFAT requirements. Approve any changes proposed by the Operations team to the Program Operations Manual to ensure alignment with adjustments to the Program’s strategic direction;
• Provide capacity building on leadership and management to INOVASI staff when required, such as in whole staff meetings, internal trainings or one-on-one mentoring;
• Work closely with other INOVASI Deputy Directors and Managers to maintain a culture by which the all teams operate cohesively and efficiently and work to achieve INOVASI’s objectives;
• Consult with DFAT, MoEC and MoRA on the progress and direction of the Program when needed;
• Serve as acting Program Director as assigned by the Program Director on specific topics or during periods of absence, and as Palladium’s alternate liaison to DFAT, GoI, local organisations, and program partners as required;
• Other duties as may reasonably be required by the Program Director, consistent with the incumbent’s qualifications and experience.

Required Qualifications and Experience

The INOVASI Deputy Director, Operations will possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Advanced degree in a relevant development subject or appropriate tertiary qualification and significant, relevant experience in education;
• Over 15 years of professional experience on donor-funded development programs, experience on DFAT-funded programs is highly desirable;
• Substantial experience in senior management positions on donor funded development projects;
• Ability to provide leadership and guidance to a multi-disciplinary team and coordinate and manage a complex program of work to produce measurable outcomes;
• Experience working with GOI, in particular Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) and subnational governments, is required;
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams to achieve results, including experience managing subnational teams;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, fluency in Bahasa Indonesia is desirable;
• Sound problem solving and decision making skills; ability to work independently and as a part of a team; and
• A high level of integrity, initiative, adaptability, and ability to perform in a high-pressure environment.

This position is to be located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Female candidates and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Due to the anticipated volume of applications, only successful candidates will be contacted. All applications should be submitted through the Palladium website.

Application closed on Tuesday, 21st of June 11.59PM (Brisbane time)

Company Overview:

About Palladium - Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people's lives.

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