• Project Name: DFAT’s Equity Hub
• Job type: Contract
  
• Location of Position: Global, with a focus on Indo‑Pacific
• Reporting to: Equity Hub Operations and HR Lead
• Remuneration: In line with market rates.
• Indicative LOE/Time Frame: Varying Days
• Language Requirements: English (professional working proficiency)

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as recruitment will be conducted in phases.

Application Instructions

1. Click the“Apply Now” link to open the application page.
2. From there, download the Equity Hub Application Guidance.
3. Complete the online questionnaire.

Required Items

1. Your resume.
2. A cover letter (mandatory), refer to the Equity Hub Application Guidance for detailed instructions.
   Your cover letter must:
   • Clearly align your skills, experience, daily fee, and availability with the requirements of the role, demonstrating your experience and motivation to contribute to GEDSI advisory work.
   • For applicants seeking consideration for the Rapid Task Group, your cover letter must also demonstrate your capability and readiness to deliver high-quality advisory services within short timeframes, including availability.
   • Details of two referees.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations at any stage of the application or assessment process are encouraged to indicate their needs. Please contact [email protected] using the subject line: GEDSI Advisory Panel - Equity Hub - Flexible Location enquiry via EthicalJobs to access support. Reasonable accommodations will also be provided to advisers selected for tasks.

Only successful candidates will be contacted.

No phone calls, please.

Alinea is an international development consultancy providing technical and management expertise that helps people improve their lives. We work with governments, investors, companies, and communities to create lasting change. Over 40 years, Alinea has successfully delivered more than 1000 projects worldwide.

Alinea International does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment and hiring process. All offers of employment or job opportunities with Alinea International that include any form of a request for payment of fees or collect information on bank accounts are fraudulent. Any requests for such payment or information should be refused and reported to your local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action and to Alinea International.

DEIAB Statement Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging

At Alinea International we value diversity, equity, inclusivity, accessibility and belonging in everything we do. We are an equal opportunity employer opposed to all forms of discrimination. We actively seek and encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds recognizing that an inclusive workforce enriches our organization and achieves smarter, more innovative results.

Protection

Alinea is committed to the protection of children and vulnerable adults. Due to the nature of our work, all candidates will be subject to due diligence checks and extensive background checks where appropriate.

Project Description

Summary

DFAT’s Equity Hub, a central resource for gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion (GEDSI) advice to DFAT staff, invites suitably qualified individuals to apply for appointment to a GEDSI Advisory Panel.

The Panel will provide pre‑qualified technical advisory services to support DFAT’s international engagement, including development and humanitarian cooperation and non-ODA areas such as trade, security and foreign policy. Advisers will be engaged on individual taskings to deliver timely, evidence-based, relevant and practical support across a range of GEDSI priorities to support implementation of Australia’s International Gender Equality Strategy and International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy.

Successful applicants will enter into a Deed of Standing Offer arrangement and may be contracted through the issue of Work Orders. Appointment to the Panel does not guarantee a minimum volume of work. It does not replace DFAT procurement processes and does not imply preferred supplier status.

Equity Hub is seeking individual named advisers for the panel. Individuals may be engaged via an organisation, but must be the individual performing the work: no substitution or sub-contracting is permitted. Advisers working with several organisations should only apply once, either as an individual or with a connection to a single organisation. Advisers who are engaged through an organisation must ensure that they have the agreement of their organisation to apply to the panel.

About Equity Hub

DFAT’s Equity Hub uses evidence, research and good practice to ensure Australia is a thought leader and partner of choice for progressing gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion (GEDSI) in the Indo-Pacific and globally.

It provides joined-up GEDSI advice to DFAT staff to strengthen equity outcomes across programs, policy and advocacy, and builds good practice through research, analysis, an online Knowledge Hub and targeted events.

Equity Hub functions as a single portal for the services previously provided by DFAT’s Support Unit for Gender Equality (SURGE) and the DID4All Helpdesk, which have concluded. The Equity Hub enables DFAT staff to access timely, high‑quality and practical support. Equity Hub also services non-development areas of DFAT, and supports First Nations engagement.

Equity Hub is managed by Alinea International, in partnership with the Nossal Institute for Global Health and Social Development Direct (SDDirect). This consortium brings together complementary expertise across gender equality, disability equity, social development and international policy, alongside strong regional networks and delivery experience globally, with a particular focus in the Indo‑Pacific.
Equity Hub is managed by DFAT’s Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion Branch (GEB).

Its service model combines rapid helpdesk tasking, deeper advisory engagements, research and evidence synthesis, and learning support, with a strong focus on making advice DFAT-ready, strategic, accessible and grounded in real‑world application and improved capability for delivery. A key component of this model is a specialised technical panel, prioritising regional and local expertise and lived experience.

About the work

The Panel

The GEDSI Advisory Panel is a core mechanism through which Equity Hub will deliver its mandate. It is designed to provide DFAT with rapid access to a diverse pool of high‑quality advisers, able to respond to varied and evolving demand, with a particular focus on the Indo‑Pacific.
Panel members will deliver short‑term, demand‑driven assignments. These may range from rapid inputs (often within tight timeframes) through to more substantive advisory engagements with select portfolios or Posts. They will cover design, implementation, capability development, review, research and analysis, or strategic analysis.

Panel members will work across DFAT’s development and non-development portfolios, supporting DFAT to deliver on Australia’s International Development Policy, International Gender Equality Strategy and International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy.

DFAT’s Equity Hub is committed to strengthening regional leadership, lived experience and locally grounded expertise. Equity Hub encourages applications from national and regional advisers, young professionals, people with disability, First Nations people, people with diverse gender identities, and those connected to local movements and organisations.

Equity Hub expects applicants to integrate GEDSI domains into practical, inclusive advisory work.

Equity Hub maintains a flexible panel to respond to evolving needs and may limit onboarding based on quality, diversity and operational capacity.

The Role

Rapid Task Group

To ensure that Equity Hub is able to respond to rapid turnaround queries, we will also maintain a Rapid Task Group. This will be comprised of up to 30 panellists who confirm that they are regularly available to take on rapid tasks with short deadlines, including those associated with key DFAT compliance tasks. The Rapid Task Group will be selected from the wider panel, reflecting a range of experience, geographical areas of focus and technical expertise. It is a time-limited appointment. Rapid Task Group membership will be refreshed annually. To be considered for the Rapid Task Group, fill in the additional section of the Panel application form.

There is no guarantee of minimum volume of work for either the Panel or the Rapid Task Group.

Scope of Services

Panel members may be engaged across the full breadth of Equity Hub support, including:

• Providing targeted technical advice to strengthen GEDSI outcomes in programs, policies and partnerships, including drafting or reviewing GEDSI strategies and plans
• Supporting design, implementation and review processes across sectors and portfolios, including undertaking gender and disability analyses
• Translating evidence and global practice into clear, actionable and context‑specific recommendations
• Contributing to capacity building activities, learning products, synthesis and knowledge outputs
• Participating in peer review and quality assurance processes

Assignments will vary in scope and duration and may be delivered independently or as part of a team. Equity Hub will maintain oversight of work, including quality assurance and performance management.

Equity Hub is based in Australia. Advisory work and meetings will be remote unless otherwise specified. Should travel be required, this will be discussed as part of the tasking process. As DFAT clients will be based primarily in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, panel members will likely be expected to work in those time zones. Where travel is required, Equity Hub may prioritise panel members based in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region.

Areas of Expertise

Applicants are expected to bring expertise (which may include lived experience) in one or more GEDSI domains – gender equality, disability equity, social inclusion including LGBTQIA+ inclusion or First Nations people (Including Australia) engagement – and to demonstrate how this expertise is applied in practice.

In addition, Equity Hub seeks GEDSI expert advisers with experience in relevant sectoral or thematic areas, including but not limited to governance, health, social protection, climate change, economic development, education, WASH, trade, security, infrastructure and humanitarian contexts.

Applicants will be asked to indicate both their GEDSI specialisation and their thematic areas of experience.

Applicant Profile

The Panel particularly seeks advisers who combine strong technical knowledge with practical advisory capability.

Panellists must be able to demonstrate experience in:

• Working in development or international policy (Equity Hub has a particular focus on Indo‑Pacific contexts) with an understanding of regional dynamics and systems
• Providing advice that is practical, contextually grounded and politically/operationally relevant
• Engaging with government, development programs or policy processes
• Delivering outputs clearly and effectively, often within short timeframes and involving attending follow-up meetings as required

Experience working with DFAT or similar institutions will be highly regarded.

Consistent with Equity Hub’s model, there is a strong emphasis on regional expertise, local knowledge and lived experience, alongside traditional technical qualifications.

Panel Approach

The Panel will operate on a demand‑driven basis, with advisers engaged through Work Orders issued by Alinea International and aligned to specific tasks.

Assignments may vary significantly in scale and complexity, and may require advisers to work independently or collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams. Performance will be assessed through delivery quality, responsiveness and feedback from DFAT and Equity Hub.

Appointment to the Panel does not guarantee any minimum volume of work. Engagement will be subject to DFAT’s needs, priorities and available resources. Advisers will be identified for specific assignments through a tasking process managed by Equity Hub, based on the requirements of each task (including expertise, experience, availability and context). Shortlisted candidates may be put forward to DFAT, with final selection made in consultation with DFAT.

Equity and Inclusion

DFAT’s Equity Hub is committed to advancing inclusive practice not only through what it delivers, but how it works.

Applications are strongly encouraged from:

• People with disability
• Women
• People from the LGBTQIA+ community
• Regional and national advisers, especially those in the Indo‑Pacific
• People with lived experience of structural, identity‑based or systemic barriers to participation
• First Nations and other Indigenous peoples – including Australia
• Practitioners working within local organisations and networks including LGBTQIA+ -led organisations, organisations of people with disability and women’s rights organisations
• Young or emerging leaders in the GEDSI and development space