Program Overview:

FPSP, also referred to as the ‘Platform’, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) investment, will contribute to the delivery of Fiji’s national development priorities, in line with the Australia’s International Development Policy, the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership and the Development Partnership Plan.

The Platform will deliver key bilateral programs, such as health, education, scholarships, social infrastructure, governance, climate and emergency preparedness and response. Platform activities will identify and address climate risks, promote climate action, and gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) across and beyond the sector programs.

The Platform has three functional Outcomes:

1. The Platform has delivered its sector program outcomes, including through supporting strategic coherence, planning, partnerships management, data and learning across the portfolio of investments
2. The Platform has prioritised gender equality, disability-inclusive development, and climate and disaster resilience, in its systems and practices. This includes in how it undertakes sector programming and its engagement with selected Government of Fiji (GoF) agencies.
3. The Platform administers timely and efficient programming that is: value for money; maximises use of local supply chains; and supports good governance, and public diplomacy, effective decision making and risk management.  
    

Australia Awards Fiji Overview:

Australia Awards are prestigious scholarships offered by the Australian Government that aim to contribute to the long-term development needs of partner countries. Australia Awards are offered to Fiji citizens for study in Australia or Pacific-based institutions in the form of long-term scholarships and/or short courses or informal workshops. Through study and research, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change and help build enduring people-to-people links with Australia.

The Australia Awards Fiji (AAF) program will contribute to the delivery of the Australia Awards and Alumni investment in Fiji through delivery of three components: Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS), Australia Awards Pacific Scholarships (AAPS), and Short Courses and/or Informal Learning Opportunities.
 

Position Summary:

The Alumni & Professional Development Coordinator will lead all activities related to alumni engagement and delivery of professional development programs such as Australian-qualified short courses as well as any informal (non-qualified) training programs or workshops. The Alumni & Professional Development Coordinator will also support, when needed, the implementation of the long-term scholarship cycle and associated activities and will act as a senior support to the Program Manager.

Key Responsibilities:

Stakeholder engagement:

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders including scholarship recipients (long and short), Alumni, Registered Training Organisations, DFAT, Government of Fiji (GoF) representatives, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities etc.
• Provide accurate advice to external stakeholders on all facets of the Awards program and related matters in line with policies and procedures.

Alumni Engagement:

• Lead the annual planning of alumni engagement activities, aligned to the Fiji Alumni Engagement Strategy, and associated coordination and implementation of activities.
• Oversight the Fiji Alumni Database ensuring data-integrity and maintenance. This includes ensuring that all alumni from all modalities are invited to update their contact details on the database.
• Act as the first point of contact and coordinate Alumni related tasks.
• Oversee Alumni-related Service Provider contracts.

Advisory Board related tasks:

• Act as the first point of contact and coordinate the Alumni Advisory Board related tasks.
• Provide secretariat support and participate in the Alumni Advisory Board meetings.

Operational planning:

• At the beginning of each new intake and Annual Work Plan, contribute to the previous intake review, analysis, and planning process for the next cycle or short course.
• Develop and maintain a reliable understanding of the Australia awards requirements and relevant DFAT policies i.e. Handbook/s (scholarship and short course), Online Australia Scholarships Information System (OASIS) manual, etc.

Professional development:

• Work closely with the Program Manager and DFAT to identify, plan and implement professional development activities, including the procurement and contracting of training organisations.
• Promote approved professional development activities in consultation with training providers.
• Manage eligibility checking, assessment and selection related activities of each professional development activities
• Oversee mobilisation activities such as visa application support (where relevant), medicals, biometrics and travel.
• Liaise with training providers on welfare/critical incidents. 
• Ensure training providers embed a commitment to GEDSI including identifying entry points and mainstreaming in all activities.
• General scholarship support including application support. This may also include attending roadshows or responding to applicant enquiries via phone, information centre and/or the generic email.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting and Data Management:

• Ensure all alumni & professional development related activities have appropriate MEL indicators and tools incorporated to report on the activity’s effectiveness and progress toward the Programs long-term objectives. 
• Provide input and contribute to the Program’s overall continuous improvement. 
• Collaborate with the GEDSI Team to represent Awards team as requested by the Program Manager. 
• Support the Awards team in the implementation of other scholarship related MEL activities such as the ADIS interviews.

Other requirements:

• Actively participate at a senior level in team meetings, operational planning, reporting and continuous improvement. 
• Contribute to budgeting and forecasting activities (as required) and taking a lead in professional development training related activities. 
• Support the development, implementation and reporting against annual plans. 
• Other relevant duties as directed by the Program Manager.
   

Selection Criteria

Qualifications:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in an area related to Education, Human Resource Development (HRD), Management, Development Studies. 

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder management and communication. 
• Office or Program administration and coordination experience is required. 
• Previous experience or participation in an alumni network is desirable.
• Experience in organising / coordinating events, workshops and logistics.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and web-based systems is desirable

Skills and Knowledge:

• An understanding of international development principles and practices is desirable. 
• An understanding of Australia Awards and/or other donor or government funded scholarships program is desirable 
• Familiarity with the Fiji and Australian higher education systems is desirable.

Personal Attributes

• Demonstrated strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently in a flexible and diverse team environment. 
• Ability to set and review priorities and meet deadlines.
   

About Abt

Abt Global is a mission-driven, global leader with a proven track record in complex program implementation in the international development sector. We offer bold solutions and technical excellence in Health, Economic Growth, Governance, Research & Evaluation, Environment & Energy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion. Working with our many partners, we have driven measurable social impact for more than 55 years, to achieve our mission of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. We operate in remote and challenging environments and employ more than 3,700 staff in over 50 countries. For more information about us and what we do, visit our website at www.abtglobal.com. 
 

Commitment to Equity 

Abt Global values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to diversity, equality, racial equity, gender, and disability inclusion. We strongly encourage women, men, people with diverse backgrounds and people living with disabilities to apply for this position. 

Commitment to Safeguarding 

We are deeply committed to safeguarding, to protect and prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, child abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation in any form, and expect everyone to be treated with respect and dignity.

How to apply

Applications close on midday 21 November 2024.  
Please apply online by submitting a cover letter addressing how you meet the requirements of this role and up-to-date comprehensive CV. 
#LI-AUSBRIT #LI-HN1