Workforce Development and Training Manager

Job reference

1281303

Location

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Sector

Energy - Oil & Gas

Function

Human Resources

Employment type

Contract

Date published

October 3, 2026

1.ABOUT LABA

Laba Holdings Limited is the umbrella landowner company of Porebada, Boera, Papa and Rea Rea in Central Province, Papua New Guinea. Laba delivers services into the PNG LNG and Papua LNG projects and operates a group of businesses across construction, logistics, training, technology and community services.

The Laba Training Academy is a Laba Holdings business being established to hold all of Laba's training work: onboarding and construction trades training for the Papua LNG workforce, driver training for Laba Logistics, and the training needs of Laba's joint venture partners.

2.PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

Build the Laba Training Academy from a Phase 1 workforce development team into the training business for the Papua LNG workforce, starting with onboarding training for Papua New Guinean workers on the Downstream Papua LNG Project. In year one the position runs the candidate pipeline from the four Caution Bay villages into ExxonMobil's training providers, owns the interface with ExxonMobil National Content and the training providers, and reports national content outcomes monthly. The position is the general manager of the Academy in all but name and is expected to hand over to a PNG national successor.

3.LABA STANDARD RESPONSIBILITIES

• Uphold and live by the Laba Holdings vision, mission and values: more than just a landowner company.
• Comply with Laba's contractual obligations to its clients, and with Laba policies, procedures and delegations of authority.
• Work to the QHSE policy. Stop work authority applies to every person.
• Give first preference to the people of Porebada, Boera, Papa and Rea Rea in every hiring, training and procurement decision, as the Project Labour Agreement requires.

4.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Phase 1 team of five PNG nationals: recruit, induct, set objectives, coach and review.
• Own the candidate identification protocol with ExxonMobil National Content and the in-house recruitment and application processing run by the Laba team, so that candidates identified in the villages flow into the training providers on schedule.
• Build and run the annual training calendar, starting with the January 2027 intake.
• Mobilise the training delivery organisation and the Academy facility on Laba land as contracts are awarded.
• Establish the Academy's registered training organisation pathway, curricula sign-off with ExxonMobil, assessment standards, competency registers and certification to DHERST and international standards (Australia, Indonesia, Singapore).
• Deliver the client's monthly socio-economic reporting return and a one-page dashboard by day ten of each month.
• Manage the twelve-month budget and report variance monthly.
• Set up the Academy as a business: entity, bank account, policies, systems, supplier panel, safety management, pricing model and placement relationships beyond the project.
• Develop the PNG national successor for the position within the term.

5.KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Phase 1 pool of 150 to 200 candidates identified, verified and medically cleared by December 2026.
• January 2027 intake delivered into training on schedule.
• Monthly reports on time, twelve of twelve.
• Village-of-origin share of candidates from the four villages at or above 90 per cent.
• Budget within plus or minus 5 per cent.
• Academy incorporated in the term.

6.MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Ten or more years in workforce development, vocational training or national content delivery on major resource projects, five in a leadership position.
• Experience standing up a training organisation or RTO, including curriculum accreditation and audit.
• Experience in Papua New Guinea or Melanesia strongly preferred; landowner company experience an advantage.
• Commercial capability: budgets, proposals, contracts and client reporting to an operator standard.
• Degree in education, human resources, business or engineering. Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or equivalent an advantage.
• Eligible for a PNG work permit and clean pre-employment medical.

7.HOW TO APPLY

Applications and enquiries are handled by Airswift (Air Energi Pacifica Limited) on Laba's behalf. Please attach your curriculum vitae setting out your relevant experience. Preference is given to candidates from Porebada, Boera, Papa and Rea Rea, then to Papua New Guinean citizens. International candidates will only be considered if no suitable national citizen is found. All appointments are merit-based.

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