• Based in Melbourne or Canberra
• Permanent, Full Time

CARE is a leading international humanitarian aid organisation fighting global poverty, with a special focus on working with women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities.

About the Role

The Head, Capability and Impact Unit (CIU) provides strong, decisive leadership, development and management of a critical strategic function within CARE Australia. The role is required to work proactively and collaboratively across other Units in the Department particularly, Program Delivery, Pacific Program and Business Development to ensure that CARE has robust systems, organisational policies and approaches that deliver high quality programs, measure impact and provide specialist technical advice and thought leadership on relevant issues.

The role is focused primarily on CARE Australia programs, with an emphasis on the Australian funded portfolio and policy landscape. The Head CIU leads a team of three specialist advisors: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion/Economic Justice, DRM/Climate Justice and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. The Unit also provides technical support to program staff and program partners in MEL, GESI/Economic Resilience and DRM/Climate Change and promotes sharing of successful approaches and lessons. The Head CIU will ensure that CARE’s overall program impact can be measured and evidenced at a portfolio level and will work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to achieve program effectiveness targets and standards.

Key Responsibilities

Under very limited direction:

• Provide leadership in implementing and promoting a climate of change and continuous improvement in the way CARE Australia understands, measures and delivers impact and specialist technical advice within a ‘localisation’ agenda
• Oversee development and implementation of quality assurance processes, systems and tools for CA’s international programs
• Actively contribute to the development of CA’s GESI strategy and related policies and approaches, including advocacy and representing CA to external audiences including the media
• Work collaboratively with the Director and other departmental Unit Heads to develop and implement a robust program quality framework that is able to evaluate, document and measure impact at the project, community and organisational levels
• Drawing on good practice and existing tools and approaches within CI and the wider sector identify and trial innovative ways to improve CA’s program quality, impact and capability
• Build and lead a team of highly-skilled technical practitioners to work as a cohesive, collaborative and focused unit
• Actively contribute to organisation-wide quality improvement and strategic development as a member of the Senior Leadership Group
• Contribute specialist knowledge and thought leadership that supports the provision of technical advice and capacity development support to CARE Australia program staff and partners particularly in areas of Gender and Social Inclusion
• Lead the development of specialist CA policy/strategy in relevant areas (Gender, Climate Change Evaluation, Research, Advocacy) and oversee or monitor implementation.
• Provide strategic policy advice and support to Director and CARE Executives and support senior-level policy engagement opportunities
• Represent CA at external forums such as CARE International Programming forums, regional and sectoral conferences, ACFID and similar bodies on relevant topics

Ideally you will have:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field (GESI related preferred) and a minimum of six years’ relevant experience in an international development and or humanitarian INGO
• A strong, nuanced understanding of program impact assessment and quality (including MEL) a demonstrated track record of measuring the impact and effectiveness of international projects and programs
• Track record of GESI focused thought leadership and programming within an INGO
• Demonstrated understanding and experience of developing and implementing GESI programming in development and humanitarian contexts preferably in SE Asia and/or the Pacific
• A track record of working effectively with local partners (NGOs, CSOs, community groups) to deliver development/humanitarian projects/programs including building the capacity, knowledge and skills of local partners in relevant areas
• Proven leadership ability and personal attributes of a high order including, strong people management and team building skills and a demonstrated ability to effectively lead changes in working culture and approaches
• Strong initiative and drive, a record of innovation and achievement and demonstrated experience in the implementation of program policies and strategies including reporting on program quality, performance and impact
• High level written communication skills, analytical skills, coordination and representation skills
• Demonstrated ability to respond effectively to challenges, to work effectively in a small, diverse and busy team environment with minimal supervision
• An understanding of the importance of empowering women and girls and a commitment to the protection of children and the prevention of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse

What we can offer you

• A flexible and supportive working environment
• Generous salary packaging benefits
• 17.5% leave loading
• Professional development and training opportunities

CARE Australia reserves the right to seek information from job applicants’ previous employers about incidents of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment, and/or child abuse the applicant may have been found guilty to have committed or about which an investigation was in the process of being carried out at the time of the termination of the applicant’s employment with that employer. By submitting the application, the job applicant confirms that s/he has no objection to CARE Australia requesting the information specified above.

CARE Australia is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from people living with a disability and/or have lived experience of disability. We also encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to apply.