- Location: Australia (Canberra or Brisbane preferred). Domestic and international travel may be required.
- Commencement: August 2026
- Duration of contract: 1 August 2026 to 30 June 2027
- Open to those with full work rights for Australia
About the Program
The Australia Pacific Leaders Program (APLP) is an Australian Government initiative that seeks to empower current and emerging Pacific leaders to deliver outcomes in their communities, strengthen their skills and build relationships with Australian agencies and institutions.
Activities include study tours, high-level visits, professional development and support for locally led projects, including assistance to deliver community-level initiatives.
APLP aims to:
empower leaders to deliver practical outcomes in their communities
build stronger, long-term relationships between Pacific leaders and Australia
strengthen leadership capability across the Pacific.
About the Program Support Unit (PSU)
The Program Support Unit (PSU) supports DFAT to deliver the program. Abt Global is contracted to deliver the PSU.
The PSU provides the practical support needed to deliver activities including planning, logistics, procurement and coordination. This includes supporting DFAT-led study tours and visits to Australia, coordinating training and events and supporting the delivery of grants and other program activities.
The PSU works closely with DFAT in Canberra and Posts across the Pacific to ensure activities are delivered to a high standard.
About the Opportunity
Abt are seeking to engage a MEL and Communications Officer to support data collection and analysis across activities, capture insights from delivery, and translate these into short reports, case studies and communications content.
Key Responsibilities
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Support
- Support implementation of the APLP MEL framework, including application of indicators, tools and reporting processes established by the MEL and MIS Lead.
- Assist in the collection, collation and management of activity-level data including participant feedback and associated records across study tours, visits, and training.
- Contribute to maintaining data quality, consistency and completeness in line with established data governance and reporting standards.
- Support synthesis of data and evidence to inform reporting, briefings and communications products.
- Assist with capturing lessons learned and supporting reflection processes to inform adaptive management and continuous improvement.
Program Delivery Hub and Data Management
- Support the initial population, structuring, and ongoing maintenance of the Program Delivery Hub as a central, structured and reliable repository of program information.
- Assist in consolidating activity, participant, travel and results data to support visibility, coordination and reporting across the program and to strengthen its function as an integrated source of program information.
- Assist in establishing and maintaining systems for capturing activity data, participant feedback, communications content and consent records.
- Contribute to ongoing improvements to data management tools and processes under guidance from the MEL and MIS Lead.
Reporting and Knowledge Products
- Support preparation of MEL inputs to program reporting, briefs and responses to DFAT requests, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
- Translate data and evidence into clear, concise outputs, including summaries, case studies and internal briefs.
- Maintain organised and accessible records of MEL data, reporting outputs and supporting documentation.
Communications and Public Diplomacy Support
- Support implementation of the APLP Communications Strategy, messaging and content pipelines developed by the Communications and Public Diplomacy Lead.
- Assist in developing communications content that showcases program outcomes and Pacific leadership, including activity summaries, case studies and digital content.
- Support integration of communications considerations into activity delivery, including early identification of content opportunities and coordination with delivery teams.
Communications Support to Activities and Events
- Assist in the preparation of communications materials for study tours, high-level visits and events, including briefing materials, content capture and post-activity outputs.
- Support coordination of communications inputs for events, ensuring alignment with DFAT messaging, branding and public diplomacy objectives.
- Contribute to content capture (e.g. participant insights, stories, imagery) in line with safeguarding, consent and communications protocols.
Quality Assurance and Coordination
- Liaise with program teams to gather inputs, verify information and ensure consistency across MEL and communications outputs.
- Apply quality assurance processes to ensure outputs are accurate, high quality, timely, and aligned with DFAT and program requirements.
- Support continuous improvement of MEL and communications systems, tools and workflows.
About You
We are seeking an individual for this role who brings:
Skills and Experience
- Demonstrated experience in monitoring, evaluation or program support within development or government-funded programs.
- Strong analytical skills, with experience in data collection, basic analysis and synthesis of findings into clear outputs.
- Proven ability to produce high-quality written materials, including reports, summaries and communications content for diverse audiences.
- Experience developing communications products (e.g. case studies, web or social media content) that clearly articulate program impact.
- High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong interpersonal and coordination skills, with the ability to work across teams and engage stakeholders.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (SharePoint, Excel, Word. Etc.); familiarity with data management or MIS systems is an advantage.
- Understanding of safeguarding, consent and ethical considerations in data collection and communications.
Desirable
- Experience working with DFAT-funded programs or in the Pacific region.
- Familiarity with MEL frameworks, indicators and reporting in complex, multi-activity programs.
Don’t meet every requirement? Studies have shown that women and people with sexual diversity or disability, 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 across our programs.
How to Apply
Applications close at 11:59 PM (AEST) on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.
Please apply online through Abt Careers addressing the Key Selection Criteria (See: About You) in your cover letter, and submit your application online, along with your CV as a single document.
Applications must be submitted personally by individuals only. Applications submitted by a company or organisation will not be accepted.
About Abt
Abt Global Australia (Abt) is a mission-driven company working in partnership with governments and communities to help create a more equitable, prosperous and sustainable future for people worldwide.
Drawing on 60 years’ experience, Abt designs, tests and applies evidence-based approaches to development challenges – from design to implementation and technical assistance through to evaluation. Abt has expertise in governance, economic growth, health, education, gender equality, disability and social inclusion, climate and environment, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and infrastructure.
Abt manages complex development programs on behalf of clients including the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Asia Development Bank, and various Australian state governments. These programs are based in over 15 countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Commitment to Equity
Abt Global values individuality and celebrates difference with a strong commitment to diversity, equality, racial equity, gender, 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 backgrounds. We provide equitable opportunities for local talent who apply for this position and reasonable accommodation for people with a disability.
Commitment to 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.
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