SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

The Deputy Team Leader works closely with the Team Leader as part of the program’s leadership, sharing responsibility for planning, managing and delivering the program, and deputising for the Team Leader as required. With the Team Leader, the role builds and leads a high-performing, values-driven team, setting the standard for professional conduct and program culture.

The Deputy Team Leader leads internal program quality and technical quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), management information systems (MIS), gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI), risk and compliance, and coordination across the technical teams. The role is the program’s main coordination point with the Shared Services Platform and, where relevant, with TLAus4Education and The Asia Foundation. It represents the program in agreed technical, municipal and cross-partnership forums. The role makes sure the program provides high-quality advice, coordination and delivery in support of shared health outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Strategic and Technical Leadership

• Work alongside the Team Leader to provide values-driven leadership, working collaboratively with the Ministry of Health, Autonomous Agencies and the Australian Embassy to implement the program’s strategic direction.

• Support the Senior Managers to lead quality joint annual work planning and budgeting with the Ministry of Health and Autonomous Agencies, in a way that strengthens Ministry of Health ownership and institutional capability.

• Lead the drafting of and quality-assure program documents, reports and technical deliverables, including adviser workplans, grant proposals and partner reports, drawing on national and international technical advice as required.

• Broker the draw down of STA to support the team in building capability in areas of need, including, but not limited to: M&E, GEDSI, safeguarding and risk.

• Support the team to develop a fit-for-purpose, contextually appropriate M&E framework, including leading the planning of essential baseline activities or desk review of existing analyses.

• Support the Senior Managers to systematically use field monitoring, facility visits and health data to check that program support improves the quality and reach of health services and strengthens, rather than substitutes for, government systems.

• Drawing on input from the Senior Managers, oversee the technical quality and monitoring of grantee agreements within the Program pillars.

• Act as Team Leader in the Team Leader’s absence.

Governance, Risk and Safeguarding

• Act as secretariat for program governance forums, including preparing quality papers, risk information and decision records.

• Follow up agreed actions and facilitate collaborative decision-making among key stakeholders.

• Maintain the program’s risk register and compliance calendar. Make sure risk systems are properly resourced and conflicts of interest are escalated appropriately and managed.

• Report and escalate risks to the Team Leader on time, for escalation to Cowater and the Australian Embassy. This includes (but is not limited to) fraud, fiduciary, safeguarding, reputational, political, delivery, and climate- and disease-related health system shock risks.

• Support the program’s response to acute health system shocks.

• Act as the program’s focal point for safeguarding, child protection, PSEAH and do-no-harm practice, working with the Shared Services Platform. Make sure there are clear reporting, referral and compliance processes.

Team Leadership and People Management

• With the Team Leader, lead and develop a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team with a team culture of accountability and continuous learning.

• Directly manage the MEL, MIS/Data and GEDSI components, and support the management of technical leads in these components: set expectations, give regular feedback and coaching, support professional development, and address underperformance.

• Support localisation by developing Timorese staff into roles with more responsibility.

Program Quality, MEL and GEDSI

• Lead a practical MEL system and MIS that meet Australian Government requirements and link with Ministry of Health systems, including data quality, results tracking and investment performance reporting.

• Ensure evidence is used regularly for management decisions, policy dialogue, learning and changes of direction.

• With the support of dedicated technical STA, lead GEDSI strategy and action planning across the internal Program pillars, so it delivers measurable GEDSI results, supported by disaggregated data. This includes disability-inclusive health service design delivered in partnership with organisations of persons with disabilities.

Coordination, Partnerships and Representation

• Work with the Team Leader to support Senior Managers to coordinate well across the health workforce, primary health care and essential medicines pillars so the program works as one.

• Act as the program’s coordination point with the Shared Services Platform, making sure operations, finance, human resources, procurement and logistics services meet program needs and timelines.

• Lead day-to-day engagement with TLAus4Education and The Asia Foundation (TLAus4DisabilityRights) on shared priorities, including disability inclusion, school health, municipal planning and joint learning.

• Support the Senior Managers to build strong working relationships with civil society grantee partners and organisations of persons with disabilities, and represent the program in agreed technical, municipal and cross-partnership forums.

• Provide timely, accurate advice to the Australian Embassy Health team on MEL, reporting and risk, as agreed with the Team Leader.

Key working relationships

• Team Leader, Health.
• The Health Program team.
• The Shared Services Platform.
• TLAus4Education and The Asia Foundation (TLAus4DisabilityRights).
• Australian Embassy Health team, in the absence of the Team Leader.
• Development partners, civil society and organisations of persons with disabilities.

JOB REQUIREMENTS – EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITY

Essential

• Qualifications: Degree in public health, health management, a clinical health field or a related discipline (or equivalent qualifications and experience).

• Leadership/Management: 10+ years in health sector programs (or 8+ years with substantial leadership experience in the Timor-Leste health system), including senior management, technical or coordination roles and management of multi-disciplinary teams. Experience supporting program governance, including steering committees and joint decision-making forums with partner governments and donors.

• Health technical expertise: Demonstrated ability to assess the technical quality and feasibility of health programming and advise on improvements.

• Timor-Leste: Substantial experience working in or with the Timor-Leste health system at national and municipal or facility level, with a practical understanding of the constraints to deliver quality health services.

• Relationships and judgement: Strong working relationships with Ministry of Health and Autonomous Agency counterparts, with a proven ability to build credibility and coordinate across teams, partners and other key stakeholders. Sound judgement in complex, changing environments while protecting program integrity.

• GEDSI: Commitment to, and experience delivering, gender equality and disability-inclusive programs with measurable results.

• Risk: Experience managing fiduciary, fraud and safeguarding risks in government or donor-funded programs (or equivalent), including familiarity with DFAT policy requirements.

• Evidence and reporting: Experience leading outcome-focused MEL and management information systems, including using health data to track results and inform decisions. Strong communication skills, including high-quality, impactful reporting.

• Languages: Fluent professional English, written and spoken. 

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in public health, health management or a related field.

• Experience with Australian-funded or other donor-funded programs.

• Tetun highly advantageous.

EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS

Ethics and Compliance

This role must comply with all DFAT policies, contractual obligations and program operational requirements. The role must comply with:

• DFAT Child Protection and PSEAH policies

• Fraud, bribery and corruption prevention requirements

• Program Code of Conduct

• Conflict-of-interest obligations

• Privacy and confidentiality requirements.

Ways of Working

The Program works in a transparent, accountable and collaborative way. All team members are expected to work collaboratively across Health, Education, Disability Rights and Shared Services, share information early, manage risks proactively, and be clear about decisions and responsibilities. We value respect, professionalism and collective responsibility for delivery.

Performance Management

Performance will be assessed against:

• Leadership: leads agreed areas of program engagement and acts effectively as Team Leader when required.

• Technical quality: program inputs are fit for context, quality issues are caught early, and support strengthens services rather than substituting for them.

• MEL and MIS: reporting is on time and of good quality, data is reliable, and evidence drives decisions.

• Risk and safeguarding: issues are escalated on time and systems work. (Threshold, not tradeable.)

• Coordination: the technical teams, Shared Services Platform, TLAus4Education and The Asia Foundation work together without gaps or surprises.

• Team and localisation: an accountable team, with Timorese staff stepping up.

• GEDSI results: measurable, disaggregated outcomes.

Intellectual Property

All materials produced under this assignment will be the property of the Program and DFAT.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates are encouraged to apply by 18 November 2026 / as soon as possible. 

For your application to be considered, please upload your documents as followed: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.

Cowater international strives to maintain a fair, transparent, and human centered recruitment process. As part of our commitment to responsible hiring practices and compliance with evolving recruitment regulations, we may use AI assisted tools to support limited aspects of our talent acquisition workflow, such as reviewing or shortlisting applications. These tools are used only to enhance efficiency and consistency in our processes. All assessments, interviews, and final hiring decisions are made exclusively by our human recruiting managers. Candidates may request additional information about the use of these tools or reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process.

Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law.

We thank all applicants, however only those shortlisted will be contacted.

ABOUT US

Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2017.

We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow.