Good Return is an innovative social enterprise whose mission is to enable those living in poverty to achieve economic empowerment through responsible financial inclusion and capability development. We do this by engaging with partners across the Asia Pacific, where two-thirds of the world’s poor live. Through innovative approaches including Human Centred Design, data analytics and digital tools, we help our partners deliver better financial services and economic opportunities to those living in poverty. 

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 Australian Aid accredited agency and member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID). We currently run programs in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Philippines, Tonga and Fiji.  Our main office is in Crows Nest, NSW and overseas staff operate in several of these countries.

Good Return has no religious affiliations. Visit www.goodreturn.org for more information. 

Good Return is offering a number of volunteer opportunities (ideally suited to ages 24-35) who are seeking to establish or build a career in the international development sector.

• Live and work for 12 months in a developing country
• Work with leading microfinance institutions across the Asia Pacific Region
• Help empower women & men from low-income backgrounds to invest in their own lives

The Good Return Field Support Officer (FSO) Volunteer Program provides opportunities for skilled volunteers to work with Good Return’s partner microfinance institutions (MFIs) through 12-month placements.

FSOs will support the implementation of Good Return’s financial capability & consumer empowerment and social performance management activities with partner MFIs.

FSOs will collect case studies, videos, blogs and images of Good Return partners and clients. Additionally, there is an opportunity for FSOs to share their own specific skills and expertise based on the needs of the partner MFI, for example, skills in business management, android app development, e-learning content development, teaching/training and research & evaluation.

There are a number of generalist FSO positions currently available across several Asia Pacific locations, in addition to 2 specialist FSO positions: Software Developer and e-Learning Content Creator. Please refer to the position descriptions via the link below.

Selection Criteria:

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

Qualifications: A degree in Economics, Finance/Business, Statistics, IT/Software Engineering, International Development, Education, e-Learning Design or similar is required. A master’s degree in a relevant field (International Development, Economics, Education, etc.) is preferred.

Essential skills and experience:

• At least 1 year of work experience (paid or unpaid) relevant to Good Return’s program areas, such as international development, finance/banking or adult education
• Independent living or travel experience, preferably in a developing country 
• Willingness and ability to travel to the field
• Self-motivation and desire to learn
• Strong communication skills
• Strong writing skills—particularly report writing and blogging—and an ability to adapt content for various channels and audiences
• IT skills, particularly Microsoft Word and Excel
• Experience working in a cross-cultural context
• Team work skills
• Indonesia: intermediate Bahasa Indonesia skills

Desirable skills and experience:

• Experience living and working in a developing country (preferably in the Asia Pacific region)
• Knowledge of/experience in monitoring and evaluation
• Experience in coaching, training or mentoring
• Photography and digital media skills
• Experience conducting interviews including researching a subject and story
• Experience curating and producing content for social medial platforms including Instagram
• Foreign language skills (especially Asia Pacific languages)
• Indonesia: advanced Bahasa Indonesia skills

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!

Applicants must be available for a one week induction course in February/March 2016 (at Good Return’s Sydney office), and will commence their placement in the field immediately thereafter. Later commencement dates and/or periods of less than 12 months will not be considered.

Good Return will provide international airfares from Sydney, certain pre-departure medical costs, visa expenses, insurance and a monthly living allowance (including accommodation costs).

Position Descriptions: please visit https://goodreturn.org.au/contact/opportunities/ 

How to apply: 

Applications can be submitted by selecting the 'I'm interested' link below.

Please provide your CV and a cover letter addressing how you meet the selection criteria listed in the Position Description. Your cover letter can be uploaded in step 2 'Additional attachments' or included in the message section. 

Only one application for all FSO positions is required. Please indicate if you are applying for a specialist FSO role (Software Developer / e-Learning Content Creator).

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

Applications close: [extended to] Sunday 6th December 2015

Note: Recruitment will commence immediately and interviews will be conducted over a number of weeks. Please apply as soon as possible.