Risk & Safeguarding Manager, NCP MASS

Risk & Safeguarding Manager, NCP MASS

About Palladium

Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities.

About the Program

The New Colombo Plan (NCP) is an initiative of the Australian Government which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region. Students undertake scholarship programs, participate in Mobility projects, and on completion become alumni. About the New Colombo Plan | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Palladium is contracted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to manage the NCP Managed Administrative and Support Services (MASS) program which underpins the effective operation of the Scholarship, Semester and Mobility programs as well as alumni engagement, and provides the cross-cutting functions of funds management, communications, stakeholder engagement, risk management, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).

Palladium provides the risk management cross cutting support function to the NCP, ensuring that appropriate risk assurance, risk and incident management, as well as safety, security and safeguarding systems and processes are implemented across the NCP program areas in line with the head contract requirements and relevant DFAT, NCP and Palladium policies and operational procedures.

This Opportunity

The role of Risk and Safeguarding Manager is responsible for leading the cross-cutting risk management function, helping to instil a risk and safety culture across the program that is responsive and adaptable to evolving policy, program and operational contexts, as well as emerging lessons and experience, including findings of formal reviews, assurance processes and audits. The role will coordinate and advise on risk, safeguarding and incident management processes, including for the Scholarship, Semester and Mobility Programs, and for engagement with alumni and stakeholders, working closely with MASS program area teams and NCP stakeholders, helping to build capability in this key area.

The role is expected also :

To liaise with the relevant counterparts in the New Colombo Plan Secretariat (NCS) for the Scholarship Program, Semester and Mobility Program and the wider NCS and DFAT teams as required.

To work collaboratively with other NCP MASS roles / teams, including the wider scholar support services team, semester and mobility team, alumni and engagement teams. The role promotes a collaborative and supportive team culture, where risk, safety and safeguarding are a core focus.

To engage with key MASS suppliers including the Insurance broker, emergency assistance provider and specialist consultants / advisers contracted to work on key risk or safeguarding related projects or initiatives.

To engage with relevant NCP stakeholders, including scholar host organisations (universities, language training providers, internship providers), home university ILOs.

The role carries a high degree of autonomy and is required to coordinate on all risk escalations and incident management processes, as well as advise Palladium and DFAT on ensuring the program has appropriate risk management policies, systems and processes to help instil a risk and safety culture across the relevant program areas and functions.

Location

This is a full-time,

fixed-term position with a contract running until 30 June 2026 , and with

the possibility of extension . The role will be based in either

Palladium's Adelaide or Brisbane office. Palladium

encourages flexible work practices to enhance wellbeing, productivity and team

culture in line with the Flexible Work Policy.

Reporting Lines and Requirements

This role reports into the Director, NCP MASS and works closely with the Scholarships Manager, Semester and Mobility Manager, and Deputy Director (Operations), and is a member of the senior management team for MASS.

Reporting requirements may include but are not limited to :

Attendance at client and team meetings, other requested meetings with stakeholders.

Regular (minimum of monthly) one to one meetings with your line manager on the status of personal performance, career development discussions and any other matters.

Palladium encourages flexible work practices to enhance wellbeing, productivity and team culture. For this role, we require that employees maintain an in-office presence for the majority of their working week. For example, if an employee works five days a week, they must spend at least three days physically in the office.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

1. Manage the NCP risk management support service function

Oversee implementation of risk management assurance requirements for Scholarships, Semester and Mobility Programs, working closely with the relevant program managers and DFAT counterparts.

Lead on final review and approval of risk assessments for scholars, mobility and semester projects, providing feedback and advice that can be used by relevant program team members in their engagement with scholars and university international offers and can inform system and process improvements.

Advise and train both the MASS team and stakeholders (scholars, ILOs etc) on risk and incident management processes, developing and helping to implement user friendly tools, templates and materials guided by best practice, operational experience. This will include inputs to the pre-departure training program for new scholars that focuses on risk, safety, security and safeguarding.

Implement risk assurance processes and protocols across NCP such as audits, spot checks and business improvement activities, based on lessons, with the aim

Lead on all risk escalations and incident management processes, coordinating with DFAT, MASS, emergency assistance providers and other stakeholders (e.g. Australian universities), and ensure lessons are used to inform ongoing updates to incident management policies and procedures.

Advise on risk management plans for key projects and events organised by MASS.

Contribute to engagement with the NCP insurer and emergency assistance provider for the Scholarships Program, supporting the operations and scholarships teams in managing these contracts.

Ensure the NCP program areas comply with all relevant risk related policies, including DFAT's safeguarding and fraud prevention policies, engaging with the Palladium corporate risk and safeguarding teams where appropriate, and / or overseeing specialist advice or inputs from contractors or consultants where needed.

Maintain databases and records management systems for tracking and reporting on risks, issues and incident, and recommend updates or improvements where appropriate.

Contribute to MASS planning activity, ensuring appropriate risk management activities are integrated into the annual workplan and relevant plans for program areas.

Contribute to MASS reporting activity such as reporting on risks and issues, incident management reports, mandatory reporting to DFAT on safeguarding and fraud

2. Lead on learning, review and business improvement processes for the risk function

Create a practical and prioritised schedule of business improvements for the NCP support services that can be implemented in 2026 building on the findings of a review of the NCP risk management function, carried out in late 2025.

Review and update risk management operational policies, tools and templates, building on the review findings, and best practice from corporate Palladium risk and safeguarding functions or other industry sources

Facilitate reflection and learning processes across the MASS team and where relevant with NCP stakeholders, including rapid reviews following incidents and in response to changing risk contexts.

Coordinate any actions relevant to the risk management function required for the transition to a new support services contract and the next phase of NCP, working with the MASS contract management team and advising where appropriate on how the risk management function needs to adapt to the requirements of NCP reforms.

3. Other duties, as required :

Assist in the development and ongoing review of program documentation and resources.

Contribute to contract and program risk management requirements as required

Other duties as required.

Skills and Experience

Essential

Minimum 5 years' experience in senior risk and safeguarding roles within DFAT-funded or international education / scholarships programs in the Indo Pacific.

Proven experience applying DFAT's Aid Risk Management Framework and safeguarding policies.

Strong cross-cultural communication, stakeholder engagement, and incident management skills.

Excellent project management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage a high-volume and varied workload, including setting priorities and managing workflows, coordinating cross function teams

Strong interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication, and ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Effective problem-solving skills, including the ability to gather relevant information, make decisions based on evidence and escalate issues appropriately.

Demonstrated sound judgement and ability to work within and apply guidelines and policies appropriately, including implementing and adapting to policy changes.

A flexible and pragmatic approach to work, with the ability to respond to changing or unexpected circumstances and adjust to surge periods when required.

A strong commitment to continuous business improvement and excellent service delivery standards.

Desired

Experience of designing and implementing risk and safety systems and processes for student, youth or volunteer programs in the Indo Pacific is highly desirable.

Certification in risk management (e.g., ISO 31000, IRM)

Familiarity with higher education systems in Australia and the Indo-Pacific.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV through the Palladium International Careers Page : Palladium - Career . Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis. The closing date is Thursday, 18 December 2025 . For more information about the role, please send your inquiry to : NCP Recruitment at ncp.recruitment@thepalladiumgroup.com .

Please note :

We are only accepting applications from job seekers with full working rights within Australia as this role is unable to be sponsored.

We are not accepting resumes from recruitment agencies for this role.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success, and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include : (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodation to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Palladium recognizes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the country throughout Australia, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future.

Safeguarding

We define Safeguarding as "the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm". We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.

Apply now

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