View Vacancy - SIN - Programme Officer - ASEAN Economic Reform Prosperity Fund Programme, B3(L)

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Economic and Prosperity

The UK Government’s £1.2bn Prosperity Fund aims to promote inclusive economic growth and reduce poverty across the globe, while also creating opportunities for international business, including for UK companies. The Prosperity Fund Programme Office in Singapore leads an ASEAN wide programme under the Prosperity Fund that promotes Economic Reform by improving the business environment and financial markets in ASEAN. We are recruiting a Regional Programme officer to support delivery of this Programme.

This new role will provide programme management support for the programme, working to the head of programme, and reporting into the overall programme director (Head of SE Asia Economic & Trade Policy) and ultimately to the Senior Responsible Owner (HM High Commissioner, Singapore). The successful candidate will be required to support delivery of a total of £19m of official development assistance (ODA) until 2021, particularly targeted at six SE Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) as well as some work with the ASEAN secretariat. The programme has recently moved from planning to delivery and a number of implementing partners have been appointed to the programme., including multilateral agencies (UNDP on fairer business environment and OECD on competition), UK agencies (on regulation and intellectual property) and a large contract with a development consultancy (on capital markets, fintech and intellectual property).

This is a challenging and exciting opportunity to play an influential role in a high-profile and strategic development initiative in South East Asia on behalf of the UK Government, which aims to have a positive impact on socially inclusive economic development and trade, as well as strengthening the relationship between the UK and South East Asia.

We are looking for a pro-active, engaged individual to support the delivery of these programmes through effective financial management and strong collaboration with UK diplomatic missions in the region.

Programme Co-ordination & Management (70%)

The successful candidate will have day-to-day responsibility for ensuring the coordination and delivery of the ASEAN Economic Reform Programme. This is a complex programme with a number of implementing partners and diplomatic missions involved. Responsibilities will include:

  • Programme Governance - Day-to-day responsibility for the governance of the programme including secretariat functions, working to ensure effective programme governance, including for example maintenance of records and governance, such as key decisions made, core programme documents, and financial decisions. Respond to requests from the central Prosperity Fund team in London. Ensure implementing partners provide regular programme updates and lead on development of quarterly reports on programme progress.#
  • Communications - The Officer will lead on regional communications (internal and external) strategy and delivery in relation to the programme. This includes co-ordinating production of regional communications tools, ensuring high-quality communications for implementing partners and assisting Posts with producing country Communications Plans.
  • Monitoring and Reporting - Ensure programmes meet central requirements of the Prosperity Fund including on monitoring, reporting, evaluation and learning (MREL); support the external annual review exercise for the programme; coordinate the network of posts delivering the programme to provide their technical input into MREL and leading on data monitoring data gathering for all posts.
  • Ad-hoc Deployable Support – Provide surge support to programme managers in region in times of stretch or during key events.
  • Learning & Development - Ensure programme colleagues in the region are well equipped with the skills and expertise they need to deliver the programme through facilitation of learning and development, liaising closely with the central Prosperity fund teams in London.
  • Commercial Benefits - Support the secondary prosperity benefits of the programme by engaging with PF Secondary Benefit Advisors, Department for International Trade colleagues and delivery partners to develop an overview of secondary benefit activity and successes. Feed that information into formal reporting and decision making in order to expand the market for international (including UK) trade and investment. Work to maximise synergies across other complementary PF Programmes to ensure these maximum value for money and impact.
  • Gender & inclusion - Ensure Gender Equality Act compliance and support PF ambitions on women’s economic opportunities, inclusive growth and poverty reduction through your department / team

Financial Management (30%)

The role will manage programme finance for the ASEAN Economic Reform programme, working closely with the wider team to ensure robust financial management of the programmes, preparing financial reporting for stakeholders in London, programme Working Groups and Steering Boards in the region.

  • Ensure robust financial management of the programme in the region, by embedding financial best practices on budgeting, forecasting and accruals.
  • Provide support to head of programme on contract management, particularly in relation to validating programme transactions, including by challenging and rectifying suspicious transactions.
  • Partner with regional programme managers on programme spend forecasts, providing financial input to discussions on alternative programme spend.
  • Report of programme financial position to stakeholders in London, Programme Working Group and Steering Boards, including through the use of the FCO’s finance systems: Hyperion and OBIEE.
  • Monitor and oversee programme spend against forecasts, reporting issues to the Programme director as required.
  • Day-to-day management of programme finances, collaborating with finance colleagues in the UK and the regional finance hub in Manila.
  • At least 2 years experience working with finance in the public sector
  • Experience of International development programming, including delivering complex programmes and managing implementing partners
  • Good people skills and able to work within a varied team environment.
  • Effective communication skills
  • At least 2 years experience working in a programme environment, ideally in a development context
  • Experience of working with Southeast Asian countries, ideally in a regional context
  • Experience/knowledge of UK ODA programmes
  • Project or programme management related accreditation
  • Knowledge of relevant policy areas
23 June 2019
Executive Officer (EO)
Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal
37.5
Asia Pacific
Singapore
Singapore
British High Commission
1
SGD
4,316
29 July 2019

Successful candidates will be offered an annual contract, renewable on a yearly basis depending on staff performance and availability of programme funds.

We place a strong emphasis on learning and development.  You will be encouraged to undertake developmental training and get involved in corporate activities.  You will have access to existing and new Project & Programme Management L&D as well as wider job-relevant L&D and support for your own personal development, such as:

  • Working in a diplomatic mission; and
  • Understanding how UK international development assistance is managed / implemented.

This is being advertised as a full time post. The post holder would be able to work flexibly in the following ways:

  • Occasional altered working hours (e.g. starting early or late) to ensure the post holder is able to make calls with colleagues in the UK when necessary.
  • Opportunity for some regional travel to attend programme delivery and coordination meetings and to provide surge support to posts.
  • Working from home 1-2 days a week

We will consider applications for this role as part time at four days a week.

Normal working hours are 37.5 per week: 8.30am to 5.00pm from Monday to Friday.  Some out of hours work to be expected for events and media work. Time off in lieu can be claimed back. 

BHC Singapore supports and promotes flexible working as a crucial part of our inclusive offering. This particular role allows for flexibility in start and end times, working compressed hours, working remotely on one or a couple of days in a week, and the possibility of a job share arrangement, subject to agreement with management.

All applications must be received before 11:55PM (Singapore Time) on 23 June 2019.

Incomplete application forms will not be taken into consideration, so please ensure you provide the information requested. We regret to advise that we will only be contacting short-listed candidates. Applicants called for an interview will be assessed on the core competencies listed above.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted regarding the next phase of the selection process. To those applicants not short-listed, we extend our appreciation for considering the British Government as a potential employer.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.