Gender Equality, Disability & Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Manager - REnew Pacific

*Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM AEST on Tuesday 3 June 2025. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close sooner if a suitable candidate is found.

*Candidates must have valid right to work in the country where they are based. Palladium cannot consider applicants who require work authorization sponsorship for this role.

• Position: Long Term (Full Time)
• Classification: Level 15
• Reports To: Team Leader
• Location: Australia or Pacific Island Based

REnew Pacific

REnew Pacific is a $75m investment by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) under the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), that will help deliver off-grid and community scale renewable energy in remote and rural parts of the Pacific. It is to be delivered over an initial five-year period from 2024-2029 and involves a contract option period for a further five years subject to performance and policy alignment. The goal of REnew Pacific is to demonstrate Australia's role as a climate infrastructure partner of choice in the Pacific. This will be achieved by increasing access to affordable and reliable electricity, which will create opportunities for improved human development.

Through the program, Australia will also support Pacific Island countries (PICs) to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by electrifying rural communities and avoiding Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions commensurate with the program’s capacity. The program will enable lighting, access to water, improved agriculture, better food security, quality education and health services, reliable communications connectivity and enhanced incomes. The program covers all Pacific Island countries eligible for overseas development assistance and Timor-Leste.

REnew Pacific has two End of Program Outcomes, and four Intermediate Outcomes, with a strong focus on gender equality and social inclusion, as follows:

End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs):

EOPO 1: Rural and remote villages, communities, and facilities have improved and inclusive access to renewable energy.

EOPO 2: Rural and remote communities, including women and people with disabilities, benefit from provision of renewable energy.

Intermediate Outcomes (IOs):

IO 1: Brokered partnerships enable construction or provision of informed, innovative, and effective off-grid renewable energy infrastructure.

IO 2: Co-financing and project designs deliver renewable energy technologies.

IO 3: Communities and delivery partners have improved systems and capacity to install, operate, maintain, and replace/dispose of renewable energy technology effectively.

IO 4: Rural and remote facilities and communities, especially women and people with disabilities, have access to useful and impactful electrical appliances and applications.

Palladium International (Palladium) is the implementing partner for REnew Pacific. Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. Palladium works with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90-plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies, and, most importantly, people's lives. 

Purpose of Position

The Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Manager is the lead project position on GEDSI in REnew Pacific. The GEDSI Manager will lead implementation of the program’s GEDSI Plan and act as the focal point for GEDSI performance and results. The role will report to the REnew Pacific Team Leader.

The GEDSI Manager has four primary responsibilities:

• Supporting staff awareness, capacity and whole-of-team implementation of the REnew Pacific GEDSI Plan;
   
• Effectively integrating GEDSI elements across other relevant REnew strategies, tools, and guidance, including the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), Grant Management and Risk Frameworks;
   
• Supporting partners to develop and implement their own associated GEDSI action plans; and
   
• Working closely with implementing partner, Save the Children, to develop a joint workplan and approach to achieving the EOPOs and fulfilling social safeguard standards.

The GEDSI Manager will also ensure that REnew Pacific’s work is in alignment with relevant DFAT Policies including the International Gender Equality Strategy, International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy and the International Development Policy and its associated Performance Assessment Framework.

REnew Pacific has engaged Save the Children as an implementing partner to support GEDSI and social safeguards. Save the Children has engaged a Partnership Manager who will oversee and support implementation of Save the Children’s program of work under REnew Pacific. They also have GEDSI and Safeguards Leads based in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu who will coordinate with GEDSI Manager on collaborative support with project partners.

Primary Responsibilities

The GEDSI Manager will:

• Work with the safeguards team and Save the Children to provide training to REnew Pacific staff on the GEDSI Plan to ensure a consistent approach to GEDSI, Child Protection (CP) and the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) across the team.
   
• Support REnew Pacific staff to implement actions from the GEDSI Plan relevant to their work.
   
• Assess project concepts and proposals and provide advice on how they can be strengthened to align with and deliver against GEDSI objectives.
   
• Provide advice and training to grantee partners including in the development of their GEDSI action plans, in annual planning, in grantee partner monitoring and evaluation plans, and reporting.
   
• Draw on best practice and ensure alignment with relevant DFAT Policies and Standards.
   
• Coordinate closely with Save the Children Partnership Coordinator/s to ensure effective coordination with partners in the training and implementation of partner GEDSI action plans. The GEDSI Manager will lead the planning of joint country missions, training and workshops.
   
• Provide content and/or review of REnew Pacific’s progress reports, and of partner reports.
   
• Engage with, including to seek advice and support from, the REnew Senior GEDSI Adviser who will primarily be responsible for assessing GEDSI aspects of Project Concepts and Proposals as part of the REnew Pacific Technical Review Panel (TRP).
   

Other:

• Travel locally and internationally, as required.
   
• Support other tasks requested by the Team Leader, as appropriate to the role.
   
• Advocate for Australian development priorities.
   
• Foster equality, diversity and inclusion, drawing on capabilities from within the country/region, wherever possible.
   
• In tandem with the Team Leader and safeguards team, comply with and contribute to the monitoring of compliance with DFAT’s policies including on gender equality, disability equity and rights, fraud and anti-corruption, CP, PSEAH, and environmental and social safeguards. This includes incorporating policy principles into planning and everyday work, promoting process improvements, and reporting concerns to the Team Leader.
   
• Operate with high levels of integrity, consistent with the intent of DFAT’s Ethics, Integrity and Professional Standards Policy Manual.

It is possible that the incumbent may be expected to undertake duties that fall outside the remit of their original Terms of Reference, as reasonably required to ensure the ongoing success of the program.

Reporting Requirements

This role reports into the Team Leader. Reporting requirements may include but are not limited to:

• Attendance at team meetings, other requested meetings and regional meetings; and
•  Participate in TRP meetings every quarter, provide advice and recommendations to strengthen the GEDSI performance of the project portfolio.

Minimum Education and Experience Required

• Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline, such as Social Sciences, International Development, Community Development or Anthropology.
   
• Extensive professional experience working on GEDSI issues in programs related to international development contexts, preferably in the Pacific.
   
• Proven success in coordinating program activities in multiple country contexts.
   
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders across multiple cross-cultural contexts.
   
• Ability to build partnerships to achieve a common objective.
   
• Strong skills in written communication and report writing.
   
• Highly developed information management and analytical skills, evidence-based judgement, ability to prioritise, and work calmly under pressure.
   
• Ability to work autonomously with limited supervision, to work to deadlines, and to balance competing priorities.
  Commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly in a cross-cultural context.