ACIAR is a small agency with a domestic and international focus. It comprises three branches: Research, Partnerships and Corporate.

The Senior Program Officer, Country Partnerships (SPO) provides high-level program, operational and corporate support to the Country Partnership Lead in the effective management and coordination of ACIAR’s network of international offices and broader country partnership activities.

The position plays a key role in connecting ACIAR’s international offices with Canberra-based functions and ensuring that operational, financial, contractual, administrative and reporting requirements are delivered effectively and consistently across the international network. The SPO is responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of activities, including contract and financial management for international offices; procurement and contract administration for Country Partnerships activities; coordination of high-level international and domestic visits, meetings and events; support for international office recruitment and personnel matters; corporate reporting and briefing; and the development and implementation of effective business processes.

Working in an international and culturally diverse workplace, the SPO develops and maintains productive relationships with ACIAR staff, Australian Government stakeholders, international partners, service providers and other stakeholders. The position is required to exercise sound judgement and discretion when dealing with sensitive, complex or confidential matters and to provide practical advice consistent with relevant Commonwealth and ACIAR policies, procedures and governance requirements.

The role requires a motivated and highly organised individual who can work autonomously, manage competing priorities and deadlines, and respond flexibly to emerging requirements and competing priorities. The successful candidate will have strong written and interpersonal communication skills, excellent judgement and attention to detail, and a demonstrated ability to collaborate across organisational and cultural boundaries.

The SPO is expected to take a proactive approach to identifying and implementing improvements to systems, processes and ways of working, including opportunities to improve data quality, reporting, workflow management and automation. Experience coordinating complex events, high-level delegations or international engagement activities is highly desirable.

The key duties of the position include:





Under the general direction of the Country Partnership Lead, the Senior Program Officer will:

1. Support the effective operation and coordination of ACIAR’s international office network, working closely with international office staff and Canberra-based teams to support country partnership, stakeholder engagement and corporate requirements.
2. Build and maintain productive working relationships across ACIAR’s international network and provide timely, accurate and confidential advice and support on operational, program and corporate administration matters, recognising the different cultural and operating environments across countries.
3. Coordinate financial administration for international offices and Country Partnerships activities, including budget monitoring, expenditure tracking, forecasting, reconciliation and reporting, and work with relevant corporate areas to resolve financial and administrative issues.
4. Coordinate procurement and contract administration activities for the Country Partnerships function, including procurement planning, approaches to market, evaluation and approval documentation, contracts, variations, expenditure, milestones, deliverables and contract expiry dates, in accordance with relevant Commonwealth and ACIAR requirements.
5. Plan and coordinate meetings, workshops, official visits and high-level international engagements, including the annual meeting of ACIAR international offices, delegations to Australia, Policy Advisory Council meetings and other forums, coordinating programs, budgets, travel, accommodation, stakeholder engagement, briefing requirements and logistics.
6. Facilitate effective coordination and information flow between ACIAR’s international offices and Canberra-based teams, including coordinating international office contributions to corporate planning, reporting and other organisational requirements and ensuring information is accurate, timely and appropriately quality assured.
7. Research, prepare and coordinate high-quality briefs, correspondence, reports, submissions, talking points and supporting materials for the Executive, senior officials,



ministerial engagements, official visits and other high-level domestic and international activities.
8. Support recruitment and onboarding for ACIAR international offices, working with relevant corporate areas and international offices to coordinate associated administrative, contractual and logistical requirements.
9. Maintain effective governance, records and business systems for Country Partnerships activities, including contracts, finances, meetings, stakeholder engagement and international office operations, and identify and appropriately escalate operational, financial, contractual and program risks.
10. Develop and improve Country Partnerships business processes, systems and tools, including procedures, templates, guidance materials, registers, data collection, workflow management, reporting and automation, and support the implementation and embedding of agreed improvements.
11. Contribute flexibly to broader Country Partnerships priorities and undertake other duties as required.

Eligibility

- Australian Citizenship - the successful candidate must be an Australian citizen.
- Security clearance - the successful candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance.

Getting to know the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is a statutory agency within the Australian Government’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio. It operates under the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Act 1982. ACIAR invests in collaborative research and knowledge-sharing partnerships to improve the livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farming, fishing and forestry communities in Africa, South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. We work with governments and institutions to grow food more efficiently, increase food system resilience, improve human nutrition, empower women and girls, reduce poverty, and manage natural resources sustainably. Our partnerships prioritise economic, social and environmental benefits for partner countries, and contribute to the development of our international and Australian partner institutions’ research, policy and leadership capabilities. Further information on our current projects, programs and priorities can be found at https://www.aciar.gov.au/. It’s important to note that ACIAR are responsible for commissioning research, not undertaking research.

📌 Senior Program Officer, Country Partnerships (Canberra)
🏢 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)
📍 Canberra