The Pacific Agriculture Scholarships and Support Program (PASS) is a five year $7.5m investment in the agricultural research capacities of partners in the Pacific. ACIAR delivers the PASS investment in close partnership with the University of the South Pacific (USP) and Fiji National University (FNU). ACIAR, USP, and FNU are mutually accountable for achievement of PASS outcomes. PASS is entering a new phase that was collaboratively designed in 2025 and commenced implementation in 2026. PASS continues to support Master and PhD level studies for agricultural research scholars from Pacific Island Countries, and a range of wraparound support activities for scholars, such as work placements. PASS also provides support and collaborations at the institutional level with our key partners. The PASS Manager is responsible for delivery of the PASS program and will report to the Director, Capacity Development. This position will work in close collaboration with internal stakeholders including ACIAR Country Office, Impact and Learning, Outreach, Research, and Corporate teams, as well as external stakeholders including our USP and FNU partners, scholars, and alumni. The role will take the lead responsibility for all aspects of ACIAR's PASS program, working under broad direction of the Director. This will include stakeholder management, risk management, performance management of resources, financial management, planning, implementation, compliance, operations, monitoring, evaluation and learning, coordination of internal inputs, and reporting. The PASS Manager will promote good governance, value for money, gender, disability and social inclusion, safeguarding, and evidence-based decisions for PASS. The position requires strategic and operational leadership skills, sound judgement, resilience, and high-level representational skills. It is essential that the occupant has excellent program management skills, knowledge of scholarship policies, and an understanding of capacity development in an international context. An understanding of Pacific culture, cross-cutting priorities, and public diplomacy is highly desirable. The role will work collaboratively within a small capacity development team, actively contributing to team activities, and providing support to other activities, as needed. The key duties of the position include Under the direction of the Director, Capacity Development, the PASS Manager will be required to: Broker and manage internal and external stakeholder relationships with a lens to effective collaboration, positive relationship equity, strengthened institutional capacities, and enhanced reputational capital for ACIAR. Manage performance, oversee inputs, and quality assure deliverables of human resources contracted by ACIAR, including a JobReady Officer, GEDSI Adviser, MEL Adviser, Partnership Broker, and other suppliers engaged by ACIAR to support PASS implementation. Manage risk management for PASS, Identify, monitor, mitigate, and report on risk events, mitigation strategies, and residual risks for PASS at the agency and partnership levels. Continually review the internal risk register, maintain a program risk framework, and support a partnership co-developed risk register. Design, deliver, monitor, review, and report on ancillary activities and public diplomacy initiatives that will enhance the PASS program and partnership engagements. This will include activities and events informed by partners, GEDSI and MEL reviews, and Alumni contributions. Engage with data and use evidence to make recommendations to improve program activities. Promote good practice in program monitoring, evaluation, and learning and ensure reflective exercises are built into all PASS activities. Co-develop, refine, and continually improve a PASS Scholarships Policy to govern decisions and responsibilities for PASS. Benchmark the policy against other Australian Government Scholarship policies, ensuring the PASS Scholarships Policy remains contextually grounded and responsive to our learning. Prepare high quality reports, workplans, papers, and documents for internal and external audiences, with little or no need for editing. Identify and develop positive public diplomacy opportunities for PASS, working closely with partners, Outreach, and the Country Office Teams to plan events, activities, and digital content. Maintain accurate, detailed, and compliantly stored records for all aspects of PASS, including ACIAR advice, decisions made, minutes, event records, scholar records, and critical and welfare incident records. Represent the Capacity Development Team and ACIAR in international forums and as a contributor to working groups, as required. Engage with other ACIAR initiatives and identify ways to harmonise these with PASS. This will include the online ACIAR Learn platform, Alumni 360, and research partnerships. Perform other ad-hoc activities as required or requested.
