ABOUT GOOD RETURN

Good Return’s mission is to enable those living in poverty to achieve economic empowerment. We do this by working in partnerships that innovate and strengthen financial services and provide economic opportunities for those living in poverty across the Asia Pacific Region.

Our work focuses on promoting responsible inclusive finance, building financial capability & consumer empowerment, and developing smallholder agribusiness solutions. We also deliver interest free loan capital raised from the Australian public. Together these powerful tools empower people to create lasting change for themselves. 

Good Return is an initiative of World Education Australia, an international development agency accredited by Australian Aid and a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID). Good Return has no religious affiliations. Visit www.goodreturn.org.au for more information.

ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

We have been working in partnership with various Financial Service Providers across the Asia Pacific Region since 2010. Our current partners are located in Cambodia, Nepal, Laos, Philippines, Solomon Islands,  Fiji, Tonga & Samoa. 

Our partnerships are based on a shared mission to provide responsible microfinance services to people living in poverty as well as build the financial capability of their clients. Our partners are committed to improving their social performance management systems, which includes implementing the seven client protection principles. For more information Social Performance Management & Client Protection: 

• http://www.microfinancegateway.org/p/site/m/template.rc/1.11.48260/1.26.9231/ 
• http://www.smartcampaign.org/about-the-campaign/smart-microfinance-and-the-client-protection-principles

Please visit our website (www.goodreturn.org.au) for further information on our partners.

ABOUT CAMBODIA MICROFINANCE ASSOCIATION

The Cambodia Microfinance Association is an NGO and professional association that aims to ensure the prosperity and sustainability of the microfinance sector in Cambodia. CMA plays a vital role in creating local and international networks as well as seeking equity and loan funds, new technologies and overseeing conflict resolution between microfinance operators.

All of these activities have led each member microfinance institution to become stronger and more successful and thereby attract support from the international market to enable industry expansion. Visit https://cma-network.org/ for more information. 

FSO Program Objectives 

The objectives of the Field Support Officer (FSO) Volunteer Program are for FSOs to: 

• Gain valuable experience living and working in a developing country as part of a professional team
• Assist with the implementation of Good Return and partner objectives and specific programs 
• Strengthen relationships with partners by enhancing communication and coordination 
• Support Good Return’s communications and marketing

The FSO Program has enabled previous volunteers to build their careers in the international development sector, with a number now in paid roles both in Australia and overseas.

Assignment Objectives

The assignment objectives of the Financial Inclusion Field Support Officer are to provide support to the Cambodia Microfinance Association (https://cma-network.org/) on a number of activities. Good Return is partnering with CMA:

• on delivering financial literacy programs to microfinance clients
• on organising the delivery of training to its MFI members
• on supporting various initiatives led by CMA, such as the lending guidelines initiative. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Under the coordination of CMA management team:

• Support CMA in its strategic objective of improving financial literacy of MFI clients in Cambodia. 
• Promote financial literacy programs, including Good Return’s CAFE Initiative, among CMA’s members.
• Work with CMA team to develop and implement financial awareness tools.
• Support CMA in the implementation of its training strategy, especially in the use of Good Return’s RIF Academy, a private, internally managed eLearning platform
• Support effective communications between CMA and Good Return teams
• Provide support for CMA and Good Return to organize reflection and learning events related to project implementation.
• Produce content for print and digital including, interviews & case studies for marketing & promotional materials, feature stories for e-newsletters, short blogs, photographs and video for Good Return website
• Research, identify and follow up on funding opportunities and support proposal writing
• Other activities may arise with the partner organisation during the course of the FSO year and responsibilities will be agreed in accordance with the needs of the partnership.

CITIZENSHIP

You must be an Australian citizen or have permanent residency to apply for this position. Applicants not meeting this requirement will not be considered.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• A degree in Economics, Finance/Business, International Development, Education or similar is required
• At least 1 year of work experience (paid or unpaid) relevant to Good Return’s program areas, such as international development, finance/banking, adult education or social inclusion
• Independent living or travel experience, preferably in Asia
• Willingness and ability to travel to the field
• Self-motivation and desire to learn
• Interest and passion for social inclusion, particularly gender and disability inclusion
• Strong written & verbal communication skills, including report writing and ability to adapt communication style for various stakeholders 
• Experience working in a cross-cultural context, especially in teams
• Experience in conducting monitoring and evaluation activities
• IT skills, particularly Microsoft Word and Excel

DESIRABLE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• A postgraduate degree in a relevant field (International Development, Finance, Business, Education, etc.) 
• Experience in coaching, training or mentoring
• Experience conducting interviews including researching a subject and story
• Experience in social inclusion (particularly gender and disability inclusion)
• Desire and interest to learn local language

ESSENTIAL PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Independence and resilience
• Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Patience, tolerance and open-mindedness
• Responsible (for own actions, upholding integrity)
• Initiative and ability to adapt to isolated settings with limited resources
• A sense of humour!

ALLOWANCES AND SUPPORT

Pre-departure:

• Induction training at Sydney office (4 days)
• Health check and vaccination expenses
• Visa expenses
• International airfares at the commencement and conclusion of the assignment

Settling in:

• Initial accommodation arranged; it is the responsibility of the FSO to secure long-term accommodation
• First 2 monthly allowance payments paid in advance to assist with set-up costs in-country
• Orientation support (negotiating lease agreements, shopping options, etc.)

During assignment:

• Support, monitoring and security guidance from Supervisor and Good Return regional & Sydney offices
• Monthly allowance (to cover living and accommodation expenses) 
• Language allowance 
• Travel insurance
• Professional development opportunities
• Debrief following conclusion of placement

The placement will commence in-country in July 2020. Applicants must be available for a four day induction course (held in May 2020 at Good Return’s Sydney office), prior to the commencement of their placement. Later commencement dates and/or periods of less than 12 months will not be considered.

Good Return will provide international airfares at the commencement and conclusion of the assignment, certain pre-departure medical costs, visa expenses, insurance and a monthly living allowance (including accommodation costs).

How to apply: Applications can be submitted by selecting the 'I'm interested' link below.

Applicants should provide a CV and a cover letter that addresses the selection criteria listed in the full position description, along with your phone and Skype contact details. Cover letters can be included in the messages section or uploaded together with a CV file.

Please indicate in your cover letter which role/s you wish to be considered for, but apply only for your preferred role (you do not need to submit multiple applications).

We would love to hear how you heard about the position.

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

Applications close: Sunday, 9 February 2020

Note: Interviews are expected to start late February/early March. It is still possible to apply after that date.

Note: Good Return is an inclusive organisation. In our recruitment activities we strive to build a diverse team that represents our society and the communities that we operate in - in terms of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, culture and sexuality.

Good Return is a child safe organisation. The successful candidate will be required to comply with our child protection policy and will be subject to pre-hire checks.