Policy and Partnerships Management Consultant

About the Program

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. Building on the results, partnerships, learnings and credibility established under the first eight years of the program, IW’s new phase will extend and deepen Australia’s contribution to supporting women in the region and advancing gender equality through continuing to influence an ecosystem of policymakers, business leaders, capital providers and women’s economic empowerment actors.

Positioning women at the centre of economic resilience and recovery and accelerating their economic empowerment is critical to achieving a wide range of objectives pertaining to sustainable development in Southeast Asia. As the region recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, gender-sensitive economic recovery strategies will be critical to prevent further deterioration in women’s economic empowerment indicators seen during COVID-19. Focus on an inclusive recovery seeks to harness the productivity, skills, capacity, talent, innovation, and leadership that women offer, and realise the benefits of women’s economic empowerment for themselves, their families, and their communities.

IW continues the ambitious agenda of advancing women’s economic empowerment through:

• Workplace Gender Equality (WGE) – We support Business Coalitions that work with influential businesses on shifting workplace cultures, practices, and policy barriers to achieve workplace gender equality, with member companies together employing more than one million people;

• Enabling Policy Reforms – We support locally identified reform agendas that promote women’s workforce participation, generate support for the business case for WGE, and build the case for the value and importance of the care economy to business, the economy and women’s economic empowerment;

• Campaigns and Communities of Practice – We support locally driven campaigns in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam that highlight positive examples of gender equality to strengthen public support for women’s economic participation. Through fostering a community of gender equality advocates, IW will continuously build evidence that supports the broader adoption of progressive attitudes and behaviours; and

• Gender Lens Investing – We work to increase investment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that disproportionately benefit women in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. We do so by increasing capital providers’ demand for Gender Lens Investing strategies and products, catalysing the supply of financial instruments available to small businesses owned or led by women, and investing in the growth of SMEs that support women through a ‘fund of funds’ strategy.

In collaboration with corporations and business leaders, policy stakeholders, capital providers, entrepreneurs, and advocates, we are working with those who are driving change for women’s economic equality in our region.

IW supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda and the leveraging of private sector investments to achieve the Goals. The SDGs recognise that gender equality is not only an essential human right, but a necessary foundation for peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable societies.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has contracted Abt Associates Australia to implement IW. Abt Associates Australia is a mission-driven, global leader in research, evaluation, and implementing programs in health, social and environmental policy and international development.

IW’s new phase is anticipated to be up to AUD 80 million in value, initially for four years (from January 2023 to June 2027), with an option to extend for a further six years. Initial countries of focus will be at least Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, with some activities engaging at a regional level. Further information about IW can be found on www.investinginwomen.asia

About the Opportunity

The Policy and Partnerships Management Consultant (Workstream 2 - Vietnam) is responsible for supporting the effective delivery of partnership activities with two partners in Vietnam under IW’s initiative to test gender responsive innovations on aged care. The role focuses on relationship management, communication, coordination of technical inputs, and tracking progress to ensure partners are on track with agreed deliverables. The Consultant will work closely with IW’s Vietnam Workstream 2 Lead, the MERL team, and other internal teams to ensure smooth implementation and timely reporting of partnership activities.

The Policy and Partnerships Management Consultant’s key responsibilities are:

• Liaise between IW and partners to address concerns, provide updates, and ensure alignment to project goals

• Monitor partner performance in coordination with the Workstream 2 and MERL teams, and contribute to reporting and tracking tools.

• Provide and coordinate technical support on relevant topics (e.g., gender equality, aged care, care economy).

• Identify partnership risks, offer mitigation strategies, and ensure proper documentation and reporting of partnership activities.

Employment type and location: Short-Term Personnel, citizen role, but open to others who have legal right to work in country. Based in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Duration: 20 months, up to 31 January 2027; anticipated to commence on 1 June 2025

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: Education and Experience Tertiary education (Master’s Degree preferred) in Public Policy, Social Sciences, Development Studies/Management, or related fields with at least 4-5 years’ relevant experience in development programs.

KSC 2: Grants and Partners Management Proven experience in grants/contract management and managing partner relationships.

KSC 3: Technical Expertise Strong technical expertise and experience in gender/women’s economic empowerment programming with a preference for experience in aged care and care-related policy reform.

KSC4: Stakeholder Engagement Experience working with private sector and policy stakeholders.

KSC 5: Communication and Teamwork Strong oral and written communication skills in both English and Vietnamese with the ability to develop relationships and work collaboratively in a cross-cultural team environment.

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 Global 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: https://egpy.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/JoinAbt/job/106404/?utm_medium=jobshare&utm_source=External+Job+Share

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 without the KSC statements.

Closing Date: 11 May 2025, Sunday

Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and interviews may be conducted before the closing date. IW reserves the right to close this advertisement early if we have identified suitable candidates.