Job Description

Deputy Team Leader, Program Enablement - PLMSP

• Full-time through to September 2028, with the possibility of extension subject to project requirements and funding.
• Location: Brisbane (or Canberra)
• This opportunity is open to suitably qualified applicants with valid work rights in Australia

Looking for a role where you can influence strategy, lead organisational change, and drive impact at scale? As Deputy Team Leader, Program Enablement, you will provide senior leadership across a complex program, optimising operations, strengthening performance, and fostering continuous improvement. This is an exciting opportunity to work closely with senior stakeholders, shape program direction, and ensure delivery remains agile, effective, and fit for purpose.

Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP)

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is a signature initiative for the Australian Government that enables workers from 9 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and Timor-Leste to work in priority sectors in Australia. The Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program’s (PLMSP) role is to provide the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and governments in 9 PICs and Timor-Leste with support to enable workers to access the PALM scheme in inclusive ways that maximise the benefits for workers and national economies while minimising risks from labour mobility participation. Palladium is contracted to deliver PLMSP on behalf of DFAT.

About the Role

The Deputy Team Leader (DTL), Program Enablement will provide senior strategic and operational leadership across PLMSP, with a focus on optimising program enablers, guiding transition and change management, and ensuring enabling functions support flexible, responsive and risk-aware delivery.

As a member of the PLMSP Senior Leadership Team, the DTL, Program Enablement will contribute to program direction, organisational change management and decision-making; strengthen program effectiveness and continuous improvement to ensure PLMSP remains agile, efficient and fit for purpose as priorities and operating environments evolve, and support effective engagement with DFAT and other senior stakeholders.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight and direction to program enabling functions, while Stream Leads retain direct accountability for the day-to-day management and delivery of their respective functions, consistent with agreed delegations and governance arrangements.
• Provide strategic oversight of program enabling functions, including contract management, procurement and workforce planning, to ensure the program has the systems, resources and support required to deliver activities effectively, respond with agility to emerging client priorities, and continuously improve delivery capability.
• Lead the development and implementation of an agreed program of organisational change, initially informed by the strategic review, with clear priorities, sequencing, accountabilities and measures of success.
• Guide transition planning for key roles and functions across the program, including informing the purpose, scope and accountabilities of new or revised roles, and ensuring continuity of leadership, decision-making and delivery during transition periods.
• Provide strategic supervision to Stream Leads responsible for program enabling and cross-cutting functions, currently including operations and people, technology and communications, while maintaining flexibility to adjust supervisory arrangements as program needs evolve.
• Provide strategic advice and support to PLMSP’s broader Senior Leadership Team, including contributing to organisational planning and decision-making, mentoring and supporting senior leaders in their management responsibilities, and fostering a collaborative and high-performing leadership culture.
• Collaborate closely with Palladium Corporate to ensure DFAT receives timely and accurate information to support its effective contract management.
• Drive a streamlined approach to risk governance, escalation and reporting that enables senior leaders and DFAT to focus on material risks, emerging issues, strategic opportunities and decision points.
• Mentor and coach others both formally and informally, investing time in their success and ensuring messages from leadership are supported and clearly cascaded.

Please refer to the Terms of Reference to learn more about the role: ToR Deputy Team Leader Program Enablement.pdf

About You

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as business administration, organisational leadership, change management, public policy, international development, program management or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years' experience in senior leadership roles within complex programs, organisations or business functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading organisational change, business improvement, governance reform, strategic risk management or organisational transformation initiatives.
• Experience operating in complex, politically sensitive or rapidly evolving environments, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and stakeholder expectations while maintaining delivery outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, exercise sound judgement and make effective decisions in uncertain environments.
• Strong experience engaging and influencing senior stakeholders, including government, client or executive-level audiences. Experience working with DFAT or comparable government stakeholders is highly desirable.
• Proven people leadership capability, including mentoring senior staff, leading through change and fostering collaborative, high-performing and values-driven cultures.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and cross-cultural engagement skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse teams and stakeholder groups.
• Flexibility to undertake domestic and international travel as required.

How we work here

At PLMSP, our PROUD ways of working guide how we work with each other, our partners and the communities we support. We value Positivity, Respect, Openness, Unwavering Integrity, and Diversity and Inclusion. We look for people who work collaboratively, communicate respectfully across cultures, follow through on commitments, act with integrity, and contribute to an environment where everyone feels safe, valued and able to contribute.

How to apply and what happens next

Please apply online through the Palladium careers website with:

• your CV
• a Cover Letter outlining responses to the application questions below, with each response no more than 200 words. Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be considered.

Application questions: (Please limit each response to a maximum of 200 words)

• What interests you about the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme and DFAT's investment through the Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP)? How do you see the program contributing to labour mobility, regional partnerships, and broader economic and development outcomes across Australia, the Pacific and Timor-Leste?
• Describe a time when you led a team or function in a complex and agile environment requiring both strategic thinking and hands-on operational delivery. How did you balance competing priorities and adapt to changing circumstances?
• Describe your leadership approach and how you build a positive, high-performing team culture. How do you influence stakeholders, navigate sensitive issues, and foster collaboration across diverse teams and partners?

Please refer to the Applicant Information to learn more about what we are looking for in our Deputy Team Leader: Applicant Information_DTL Program Enablement.pdf

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a short work sample, scenario, technical exercise or structured interview. We will explain the process and available adjustments before each stage.

We are committed to building a diverse, geographically dispersed workforce to maximise our support. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including First Nations peoples, people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and people with disabilities - disclosure will not affect your application, and we will work with you to provide appropriate adjustments.

To be considered for this position, you must have valid work rights in Australia. Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

While this role does not involve direct work with children, the successful candidate will still be required to complete a police check and relevant due diligence checks as part of Palladium’s commitment to being a child-safe organisation

How to Apply

Click the "Apply Now" button

Closing date: Thursday 24th September 2026 11:59 pm AEST

If this opportunity interests you, we encourage you to apply promptly. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

About Palladium

Palladium is a global development and consulting firm, part of the GISI Consulting Group, working alongside some of the world’s leading project management and engineering organisations. We partner with governments, businesses, investors and communities to design and deliver complex programs that create lasting impact. With a presence across more than 90 countries, Palladium offers the opportunity to work on meaningful challenges, alongside talented colleagues, in environments where your work can truly make a difference.

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 accommodations 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.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as all the actions taken by Palladium to protect our people, communities where we work and our clients from harm, including Sexual Exploitation, Abuse or Sexual Harassment; Child Abuse in any form; Trafficking for sexual exploitation of adults or children and any form of Trafficking of children. We have zero tolerance for all forms of child abuse as well as sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and zero-tolerance for inaction to prevent, protect against, respond to and report 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. Our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding and Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Guidelines have additional details.