Philippines Technical and Policy Reform Lead

Thank you for your interest in joining Investing in Women.

Investing in Women: Women in Inclusive Sustainable Economic Recovery (IW) is a multi-country Australian Government initiative in Southeast Asia that seeks to accelerate women’s economic empowerment through increased and equitable opportunities in the private sector, contributing to inclusive, sustainable economic recovery and growth in targeted countries. Our objective is to support women to thrive in the workplace and succeed in business.

Building on the results, partnerships and lessons established under the first seven years of the program, IW’s new phase will extend and deepen Australia’s contribution to advancing gender equality in Southeast Asia through influencing and growing an ecosystem of policymakers, business leaders, capital providers and women’s economic empowerment actors.

If you are interested in joining our small, dynamic team and applying your skills, experience and passion to this mission, we want to hear from you.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking an individual who will ensure that IW effectively collaborates, coordinates and cooperates with multiple stakeholders, including the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, representatives of the Government of the Philippines and a range of Filipino implementing and policy partners for strong communication and take-up of strategic opportunities to advance end-of-program outcomes.

The Philippines Technical and Policy Reform Lead will:

Client Management

• • Promoting and supporting strong linkages between IW and Post.
  • Provide the Embassy with current and relevant information relating to program implementation and provide entry points for enhanced knowledge sharing with other DFAT programs.
  • Work with the Embassy to identify public diplomacy opportunities to build DFAT’s private sector relationships, advance DFAT’s bilateral policy reform agendas, and create opportunities for DFAT dialogue on contemporary gender issues with key actors.
  • Support regular coordination mechanisms with DFAT Post including quarterly Country Sub-Committee Meetings, annual Staff Planning meetings, the annual review of the Philippines Country Strategy, and program reporting.

Policy Leadership

• • Develop and maintain networks with relevant policy stakeholders across the Philippines to identify potential for policy reforms impacting the care economy.
  • Work with Workstream 2 Director to develop initiatives and establish partnerships to enable policy reform impacting the care economy in the Philippines in line with IW’s Enabling Care Policy Reform Strategy, including identifying opportunities, collaborative design, procurement, contracting, negotiation and stakeholder management.
  • Lead the delivery of Workstream 2 partnerships and policy interventions in the Philippines, including partnership and contract management.
  • Work with IW’s Monitoring, evaluation, learning and research (MERL) team to support the monitoring of Workstream 2 partner progress and impact assessment in the Philippines.
  • Work with the Workstream 2 Director and Technical Coherence Senior Manager to support Workstream 2 reporting of partner progress and impact in the Philippines.
  • Work with the Workstream 2 Director to develop and deliver multi-country initiatives, including knowledge sharing forums.

Technical Leadership

• • Lead the development and annual review/update of IW’s country-level strategy for the Philippines, reflecting an analysis of context, stakeholders, country and regional level priorities, and synergies with other DFAT programs, in consultation with DFAT.
  • Ensure IW activities are adaptive and responsive to the Philippine country context and are delivered in line with country-level economic prospects, private sector interests, policy context and prevalent social norms.
  • Work with IW Workstream Directors to support strategic local and regional partnerships that demonstrate the links between improving the enabling environment for women’s economic participation and their empowerment, and support IW’s End of Program Outcomes (EOPOs):
    • EOPO1 – Workplace Gender Equality: More workplaces adopt and implement workplace gender equality organisational changes.
    • EOPO2 – Enabling Policy Reform: Policy stakeholders are influenced by private sector perspectives and other evidence related to care economy and/or WEE.
    • EOPO3 – Campaigns and Communities of Practice: More early adopters of gender equality demonstrate progressive behaviour and advocate for broader change.
    • EOPO4 – Gender Lens Investing: Increase investment in businesses that disproportionately benefit women across targeted countries.
  • Ensure IW complements and amplifies the relevant agendas of development actors and other key stakeholders in the Philippines, including but not limited to: UNWomen, IFC, ADB, UNESCAP, Oxfam Pilipinas.
  • Support IW Workstreams and partners to identify entry points that specifically target women who experience intersecting forms of bias and disadvantage, including women with disabilities.

Employment type and location: A citizen role, but open to others who have legal right to work in country under a local compensation package.  Based in Manila, Philippines.

Duration:  Three (3) years, up to 30 June 2027; anticipated to commence in May 2024.

Key Selection Criteria

For your application to be considered by the Panel, interested applicants must submit a response to each of the following Key Selection Criteria (KSC):

• KSC 1: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in experience in development, gender studies, public policy, economics, or related fields.
• KSC 2: Track record in policy engagement and analysis, partnership management, and program management/delivery.
• KSC 3: Demonstrated knowledge or experience working on advancing gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, or care economy.
• KSC 4: Demonstrated strong engagement skills, liaising with a wide range of government, private sector, civil society, and donor organisations in the Philippines.
• KSC 5: Excellent influencing and negotiation skills, including an ability to deal with people at all levels with credibility.
• KSC 6:  Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate with clarity and influence.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single requirement for a position. At Abt Associates we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every role requirement, we encourage you to apply in any case. You may be just the right candidate for this or for other roles.

How to Apply

We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from experienced and capable women.

Please submit your application online.  Upload your cover letter, CV and response to the KSCs.  Submit your CV and KSC response as a single Word or PDF document, and address how you meet the requirements of this role. We are unable to proceed with an application that has not addressed the KSCs.

Application close: 10 March 2024, Sunday  

About Abt Associates

Abt Associates a mission-driven, global leader with a proven track record in complex program implementation in the international development sector. We offer bold solutions and technical excellence in Health, Economic Growth, Governance, Research & Evaluation, Environment & Energy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion. Working with our many partners, we have driven measurable social impact for more than 55 years, to achieve our mission of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people worldwide. We operate in remote and challenging environments and employ more than 3,700 staff in over 50 countries. For more information about us and what we do, visit our website at www.abtassociates.com.

Equity

Abt Associates values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to all forms of diversity and equality including racial equity, gender, sexual diversity and disability inclusion. We strongly encourage people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for this position. We offer flexible work arrangements and a culturally safe environment for staff members from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Safeguarding

We are deeply committed to safeguarding, to protect and prevent harm and abuse to individuals we work for and who work for us. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, child abuse, sexual abuse or exploitation in any form, and expect everyone to be treated with respect and dignity.