Program Coordinator, Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship

ABOUT GOOD RETURN

Good Return's mission is to enable those living in poverty to achieve economic empowerment through responsible financial inclusion and capability development. We do this by engaging with partners across the Asia Pacific, where two-thirds of the world’s poor live. We help them deliver better financial services and economic opportunities to those living in poverty.

Our work focuses on promoting responsible inclusive finance, building financial capability & consumer empowerment, and providing access to credit through our micro lending platform and impact investment programming to support SMEs in the agricultural sector. 

Good Return is the registered business name of World Education Australia, an Australian Aid accredited agency and member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID). We hold Australia Financial Services License granted by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Visit www.goodreturn.org.au for more information.

About the Good Return Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship Program

Good Return is an international non-governmental organisation specialising in women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion. We work mainly with rural women running agricultural businesses throughout Asia and the Pacific.  In Northern Australia, we work exclusively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women leaders creating businesses related to their cultural knowledge and connected to their traditional homelands. Our work is led by Indigenous women living on their Country with the support of locally engaged Program Managers.  We deeply respect their cultural authority and self-determination and are committed to social justice.

This work is funded by numerous sources, including the Sir Robert Menzies Foundation, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, the Visa Foundation and other philanthropic donations.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders are encouraged to apply for this job.

Sponsorships are not available for this position, therefore you must be an Australian citizen or have permanent residency to apply. Applicants not meeting this requirement will not be considered.

Scope of position  

The Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator supports the Program Director through detail-oriented administration and coordination of agreements with implementation partners, the Good Return IWE Programme Budget, and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) strategy. Your role will also provide confidential, patient support for women applying for loans via an online portal. 
 

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Provide Administrative support to Program Director and Program Ambassador (25%)

• Assist the Program Director in planning and coordinating program-related activities such as co-design workshops, preparing documentation, organising facilities, resources, and stakeholders, and assisting with execution.
• Supporting the Program Director and Program Ambassadors in travel arrangements and expense tracking
• Provide project administrative support. Including:

Coordination and management of the monthly reporting cycle for program status and financial position

Performing the secretariat role for the Collaboration Team

KPIs

1. High-quality project coordination strategy in place at all times
2. Successful project implementation, with overall project expenditure not exceeding budget

2. Coordinate Program Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Activities (25%)

• Support the Program Director and partners in designing evaluation projects. This may include client workshops, development of evaluation frameworks and other key components of evaluations.
• Support the management and administration of evaluation projects. This may include assisting with monitoring project plans and budgets, coordinating project meetings, organising focus groups and progress reporting.
• Contribute to preparing evaluation reports, presentations, and other outputs for internal and external audiences.

KPIs

    3. Consistent execution and coordination of the agreed MEL framework with our  implementation partners.

3. Assist Indigenous women to Access no and low-interest financial products  (Tomorrow Fund) (50%)

• Receiving referrals from our Program Managers, triage and process women’s applications for no (or very low) interest micro-loans for essential personal (family) or business expenses 
• Adhere to all guidelines for all microfinance offerings (handbook and training will be provided)
• Liaise with locally engaged Program Managers to market and promote the Tomorrow Fund

KPIs

     4. Number of Partner referrals resulting in applications submitted via the GSANZ portal  and referred across the Tomorrow Fund blended capital instruments.

    5. Positive feedback and assessment from Participants and Partner (timely, supportive, educative).

4. Other Duties as required 

Qualifications

Essential

• Applicants must demonstrate a strong understanding of the historical and contemporary issues affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples; particularly those living in remote, rural locations.
• Demonstrated project/program experience in an administrative project coordination role or similar, including experience in developing and maintaining budgets and process documentation and reporting on project statuses and activity.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of low-income consumers' challenges and commitment to promoting financial inclusion. Demonstrated ability to maintain positive public relations with external stakeholders and partners.
• Excellent numeracy skills, verbal communication, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, competence to manage sensitive matters and material
• Demonstrated high-level organisational and coordination skills with a diligent, energetic, and positive approach and the ability to work, use initiative, prioritise workloads and maintain flexibility.
• Solid experience in using cloud-based document and file creation/storage (Google Docs) and the ability to quickly acquire skills in other software and ICT systems.

Desirable

• 2-3 years’ work experience in the community services sector
• Certificate IV or Tertiary Qualification in finance, accounting or bookkeeping
• Experience in microfinance or financial services 
• Experience in providing services to people living in very remote areas

Additional information

To be considered for this role PLEASE APPLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE: https://www.goodreturn.org.au/work-with-us

Please provide a CV and a cover letter that addresses the selection criteria when applying. 

Applications close: Please apply as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed continually.

Eligibility: Candidates must have the legal right to work in Australia to be considered for this role.

Location: Ideally, it is based in Top End NT, East Arnhem or the East Kimberley (WA). Work can be done remotely.

Level of Effort: Part-time, 30 hours per week (over 4 or 5 days, flexible)

Enquiries can be directed via the Good Return website https://goodreturn.org.au/contact/

Additional notes: 

• Good Return is an inclusive organisation. We strive to build a team that truly represents our diverse society and those of the Asia-Pacific communities we operate in. We actively encourage all applicants, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, and sexuality, to apply. If you require adjustments to the recruitment or interview process to accommodate your specific needs, let us know and we will try to provide them.
• Good Return is a child-safe organisation. Our recruitment processes reflect our commitment to the protection of children from abuse; successful candidates will need to comply with our Child Protection Policy and undergo pre-employment checks.