Programme Manager - ASLI Community Centre

Role Summary

The ASLI Community Centre is a cornerstone of our work to move Indigenous communities toward stable, resilient, and middle-class outcomes. As Programme Manager, you’ll oversee implementation of our village-based centres, leading logistics, compliance, support systems, and the wellbeing of our team members in the field.

You will be the bridge between HQ and the field, ensuring the centres run smoothly, staff are supported, and communities are engaged. You’ll also be responsible for monitoring impact, resolving grievances, managing risks, and ensuring each centre delivers on its promise of high-quality, community-first service.

Key Responsibilities

1 . Programme Implementation

• Lead the rollout and operations of ASLI Centres across designated villages
• Coordinate start-up logistics (procurement, transport, basic setup)
• Monitor centre activities, performance, and compliance with project plans
• Conduct quarterly field visits for centre quality checks and stakeholder meetings

2 . Staff Management & Support

• Onboard, coach and monitor Community Centre Managers and Teachers
• Ensure staff wellbeing and problem-solve rural placement challenges
• Host monthly team calls and provide one-on-one supervision where needed
• Facilitate peer learning and mid-year check-ins for field teams

3 . Systems & Safeguards

• Set up and run grievance redress mechanisms
• Identify and address operational risks (e.g., security, isolation, burnout, community conflict)
• Oversee community feedback loops and programme improvement processes
• Maintain accurate project documentation and escalation protocols

4 . Coordination & Reporting

• Liaise with HQ teams: Education, M&E, Comms, Finance, etc.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly progress reports for donors and leadership
• Attend cross-departmental planning sessions and stakeholder briefings
• Document best practices for scale-up or replication in new villages

What Success Looks Like

• All ASLI Centres under your supervision operate safely, smoothly and on schedule
• Team feels supported, heard, and empowered to do their best work
• Grievances are resolved promptly and transparently
• Field data and stories are collected consistently and feed into impact reporting
• Communities trust the programme and participate actively in activities
• Programme is ready to scale to new sites with replicable systems in place

Qualifications

Minimum:

• 2+ years experience in project or programme management
• Proven coordination skills with multiple stakeholders
• Comfortable managing rural or field-based teams
• Strong documentation and reporting skills
• Able to travel 3–5 days/month to rural Orang Asli villages

Preferred:

• Experience in rural development, community programmes or education
• Familiarity with Indigenous contexts and/or working with marginalised communities
• Strong spoken and written Bahasa Malaysia and English
• Knowledge of safeguarding, grievance systems, or compliance work
• Experience in handling risk, crisis response, or sensitive community dynamics
• Driving/motorbike license

Culture and Personality Fit

We’re not just looking for someone to manage tasks. We’re looking for someone who believes in people, their potential, their dignity, and in their right to lead their own development. If you’re the kind of person who:

• Compassionate but leads with strength: You support, coach and guide staff without micromanaging, and step in confidently when things get tough.
• Understands both system and human spirit: You value processes, structure, and reporting but also care about stories, emotions, and the invisible dynamics that make or break fieldwork.
• Doesn’t break under pressure: You’re used to plans going off track, and you can make decisions with clarity, integrity, and calm.

Cares about leaving people and systems better than you found them: You don’t chase credit. You build long-term solutions that others can carry forward.

International candidates are encouraged to apply and visa processing will be arranged by the company.