Tara Climate Foundation is a philanthropic climate foundation dedicated to fostering a future where Asia’s unwavering commitment to climate action paves the way for just, thriving and resilient societies. Tara operates in East, Southeast and South Asia, excluding India and China.

Our mission is to support a diverse group of partners in accelerating Asia’s energy transformation and championing climate action. Tara plays three main roles in the region:

• Grantmaker: Tara works closely with mission-aligned foundations and philanthropists to pool resources and grant funds to organisations working to accelerate Asia’s energy transition and climate action (excluding China and India).
• Convenor: Tara cultivates networks that facilitate the exchange of ideas between business, civil society, and government throughout and beyond Asia.
• Local and regional expert: With strong networks spanning civil society, businesses and government, Tara funds thorough research and analysis to address knowledge gaps, stay abreast of emerging trends, and craft evidence-based strategies to advance our mission.

Despite heightened global focus on climate issues, philanthropic giving toward climate change initiatives remains disproportionately low, constituting just 2% of worldwide philanthropic giving, with an even smaller percentage allocated to Asia. In response to this challenge, in 2021 Tara established its headquarters in Singapore and has experienced significant growth, expanding our funding base to include more than a dozen philanthropic foundations. Currently, we provide grants to over 300 organisations operating across 13 countries and jurisdictions in the Asia region. Our team of over 50 experts is spread across the Asia-Pacific region, working to combat climate change in this decisive decade.

As the Systems & Automation Technologist, you will be an integral individual contributor driving innovation across Tara’s digital tools and systems. You will be responsible for managing and supporting multiple enterprise applications, including our Grant Management System (GMS), automation platforms, CRM, and FP&A systems. You will also play a key role in exploring and laying the groundwork for the future use of AI/ML tools to enhance operational efficiency.

This role blends technical depth with cross-functional collaboration and emphasizes regional coordination with diverse stakeholders across Asia. Your contributions will directly enhance Tara’s ability to support impactful climate action in the region. The successful candidate will not only execute but also lead technical projects that improve organisational efficiency and effectiveness.

Key responsibilities

Enterprise Systems (60%)

• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Fluxx Grant Management System, ensuring configuration, access, and continuous improvement meet evolving needs.
• Provide light-touch support for Grantelligence (based on Domo), with the ability to troubleshoot issues and assist report owners when problems arise.
• Administer and support CRM and FP&A systems, ensuring availability, stability, and functionality.
• Collaborate with business users and external vendors/system integrators to troubleshoot and resolve technical and functional issues.

Automation & Workflow Optimization (15%)

• Design, develop, and maintain automations using Microsoft Power Automate and Python scripting.
• Improve cross-platform efficiency by reducing manual tasks and streamlining data flows.

AI/ML Enablement (15%)

• Leverage prebuilt AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to support workflow enhancements.
• Contribute to early-stage AI/ML workflows by applying basic understanding of machine learning concepts and Python-based automation.

IT Operations, Web Apps, & Security Support (10%)

• Act as an internal IT/business partner, helping bridge business needs with digital tools and platforms.
• Provide basic IT support to team members when necessary, and serve as a liaison with the outsourced service desk to ensure smooth coordination and ticket resolution.
• Coordinate website maintenance and backups in collaboration with third-party vendors.
• Develop and deliver IT security training and awareness modules for team members to support best practices in digital safety.

As and when required other responsibilities and projects will be allocated by line management.

Person Specification

Excited by the prospect of working for a dynamic and fast-growing international organisation with a mission to solve the climate crisis, the ideal candidate will have:

• At least 5 years of relevant work experience,

In addition, the ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Proficiency in HTML and Liquid templating languages, especially for customizing forms and templates within grant management or SaaS systems.
• Experience with automation tools, particularly Microsoft Power Automate, to streamline workflows and reduce manual processes.
• Working knowledge of APIs, including how to understand, configure, and integrate systems using RESTful endpoints or low-code connectors.
• Basic knowledge of Python scripting, especially for automation, data handling, or working alongside AI/ML tools.
• Familiarity with AI/ML tools and concepts, including how prebuilt tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be leveraged to enhance productivity or automate tasks.
• Working knowledge of databases, including how data is structured, queried, and integrated across platforms.
• Solid foundational IT skills, including troubleshooting, configuration, and systems administration across cloud-based platforms.
• Understanding of general IT security principles, such as data access, secure configurations, and user permissions.
• Fluency in English and another Asian language would be desirable.

Personal attributes

• Strong project management skills, with the ability to lead small-scale implementations, manage timelines, and coordinate stakeholders.
• A self-motivated and adaptable mindset, with a demonstrated ability to quickly learn new tools and independently manage responsibilities.
• Analytical and critical thinking skills, enabling you to break down complex workflows and design practical, scalable solutions.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with cultural sensitivity and the ability to work across diverse regional teams.
• A commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and well-documented code, automation logic, and configurations that can be scaled and supported by others.
• Intrinsic motivation, excellent organisational and self-management skills.
• Deeply collaborative.
• Flexibility over working hours to accommodate global time zones.
• Willingness to travel both regionally and internationally with up to 3 travels annually.
• Embraces Tara’s mission and identifies with and is committed to living the Tara values, and demonstrates a passion for making a positive impact in the community.

Education

• BSc in Computer Science, or any IT discipline

Location

• The candidate must be based in any of the following countries/geographies: Singapore, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Malaysia or Taiwan and be a citizen or have long-term residency status with legal permit to reside and work in the country.

What Tara Foundation can offer

• The unique opportunity to work as part of a highly dynamic, international team who combine their passion to make a difference with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for career develop and challenge yourself
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• A collaborative, fun and thriving team, driven by our mission and live our values

To Apply:

Please submit an A4 covering letter outlining your skills and achievements against the role responsibilities, why you would like to join us and your salary expectations, along with your up-to-date CV at Recruitment@taraclimate.org. Please use the job title: Systems and Automation Technologist as the subject in your email. Applications without a cover letter will not be assessed.

Tara is committed to building leadership capacity within Asia. This position is based in any of the following countries/geographies: Singapore, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Applicants must have the right to work status or long term residency in any of these countries.