Operations and Risk Manager – Asia Pacific

JOB TITLE: Operations and Risk Manager – Asia Pacific

TEAM: Asia Pacific

REPORTS TO: Head of Programs, Asia-Pacific

LOCATION: Sydney or Bangkok

Adam Smith International (ASI) is a global advisory company that works locally to transform lives by making economies stronger, societies more stable, and governments more effective. ASI is headquartered in London, and our Asia Pacific regional office, Adam Smith International (Australia) Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of ASI. It was established in 2012, in Sydney, as the company’s regional APAC headquarters. Since then, we have worked in 26 countries across the region, with live operations in 16 Asia-Pacific countries. Our team is engaged in BD, project management and consulting activities across a range of sectors including private sector and market systems development, economic governance and public financial management, agriculture and agribusiness, sustainable infrastructure, energy transition, climate adaption, extractives regulation, gender equality and social inclusion, criminal justice and security sector reform.

In 2021, ASI Australia established a regional representative office in Bangkok, Thailand, to service our growing Southeast Asia portfolio.

The Operations and Risk Manager plays a critical role in ensuring that operations run smoothly, and risks are effectively managed across all ASI's country operations in the region. This is a key leadership position, reporting to the Head of Program, Asia Pacific Region. This role ensures the development and implementation of robust operational systems, compliance frameworks, and risk management strategies. This position is key to maintaining the efficiency of operations, upholding duty-of-care standards, and ensuring the safety and well-being of all staff. The role also supports the effective execution of high-impact projects in collaboration with country teams.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal:

• Head of Program, APAC: line reporting and collaboration to identify operational priorities, agree work plans and escalation of critical issues.

• Senior Management Team (APAC):  Collaboration on strategic operational initiatives.

• Program Managers/Program Directors (APAC): Close interaction to ensure operational consistency and risk mitigation across projects.

• Finance, Risk, LEC and Security Teams: Collaboration and coordination to implement new systems and processes and identify improvements to operational efficiency and compliance.

External:

• Clients (Donors and Governments): Collaborate to ensure compliance and address operational challenges.

• Local Legal and Compliance Partners: Ensure that local laws are adhered to in each country of operation.

• Security and Health & Safety Providers: Ensure robust duty-of-care frameworks are maintained.

KEY TASKS

1.Operational Leadership

• Develop, document and provide training on new operational processes, including standardisation, where appropriate, of program operations manuals and other program delivery frameworks.

• Provide support to Program Managers for the smooth execution of operational tasks.

• Monitor and improve compliance for teams to the operational processes and procedures.

• Maintain operational task trackers and coordinate regional operations meetings with key internal stakeholders

2. Risk Management

• Maintain a comprehensive risk management framework tailored to the challenges faced in the region, including quarterly reporting to SMT for escalation to ASI Risk Register.

• Monitor, mitigate and address key operational and programme risks, escalating issues as necessary.

• Lead the implementation of duty-of-care measures, ensuring health, safety, and security protocols are followed in all offices.

3. Safeguarding

• Coordinate the delivery of safeguarding training to program personnel, including subcontractors and downstream partners as required

4. Compliance & Legal Oversight

• Ensure compliance with local legal and regulatory requirements in all countries, including tax, labour laws, and corporate governance.

• Collaborate with the internal audit team to address compliance issues and mitigate risks.

• Develop, manage and report against a regional compliance checklist/matrix.

• Identify and implement required changes to ensure ongoing compliance with Australian Commonwealth and DFAT requirements.

5. Financial & Resource Management

• Work closely with the Head of Programs and Regional Finance Lead to ensure strong portfolio financial management, including meeting client billing deadlines.

• Work closely with Program Managers and finance teams to ensure efficient funds transfers to country offices and timely certification of client invoices to reduce payment processing time.

6. Programme Support

• Support the delivery of major programmes by ensuring that operational challenges are addressed in a timely manner.

• Provide operational and risk-related advice to project managers and teams.

• Collaborate closely with Finance and People & Talent teams to ensure new processes, policy revisions or system changes, in particular the OS, support compliant and efficient program delivery.

7. Crisis Management & Business Continuity

• Support the response to operational crises, ensuring that the company recovers quickly and maintains project delivery momentum

SELECTION CRITERIA

Minimum Qualification:

A degree in a relevant field, such as operations management, risk management, business administration, change management or international development.

Experience:

• A proven track record in managing complex operations across multiple countries, particularly in fragile/conflict-affected regions.

• Extensive experience in risk management, health and safety, and compliance.

• Experience in leading large teams and managing multi-million-dollar budgets.

Altitude:

• Strong problem-solving abilities with a proactive, solution-oriented mindset.

• Resilience and adaptability in challenging environments.

• Strong commitment to ethical behaviour, inclusivity, and maintaining a high standard of care for staff.

Competencies:

Strong operational management skills with the ability to lead and implement efficient systems.

Ability to work under pressure and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced environment.

Knowledge:

• In-depth knowledge of operational best practices, including health and safety regulations and compliance.

• Familiarity with the legal and regulatory environment within the Region.

• Knowledge of duty-of-care standards and how to apply them in complex operational environments.

Skills & Values:

• Advanced project management and operational oversight skills.

• Strong financial and budget management abilities.

• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills.

• Strong problem-solving abilities

• The Operations and Risk Manager for the region will champion ASI’s core values, including ethical behaviour, transparency, and a commitment to inclusion. The role requires a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours not aligned with these values and demands leadership by example.

What We Offer You

We offer you a dynamic and friendly team environment and the opportunity to work on a highly successful portfolio of programs. We have a strong commitment to our people and strive to live by our values:

• Partnership: Bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, we adopt an inclusive approach to work, communicating effectively, sharing information, and building relationships.

• Impact: Creating lasting impact in complex, challenging situations and using resources responsibly, being accountable to and making decisions in line with our triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

• Creativity: Finding new ways to create value through innovative thinking, technology and better ways of working, we challenge the status quo, make it personal, and learn from others.

We’ve built a culture to reflect our values, full of likeminded professionals who are smart, passionate and great at what they do.

ASI is committed to continually improve the diversity of our workforce through the attraction, retention and development of a diverse range of talented people. We want people to be comfortable bringing their whole self to work and recognize that inclusion brings further opportunities for innovation and creativity.

#Happy to talk flexible working

Heard Enough? Ready to Apply?

We would love to hear from you.* Please submit a CV (no more than 2 pages) and separate cover letter which addresses the “About You” selection criteria above no later than Monday, 3rd March 2025.

A full position description will be provided to shortlisted candidates.

To be considered for this position, the successful applicant must have pre-existing work rights in Australia or Thailand.

Adam Smith International values a diverse workforce and encourages applications from candidates of all background, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.