Scholar and Alumni Engagement Adviser - Australia Awards Global Support Unit (AA GSU)

Scholar and Alumni Engagement Adviser - Australia Awards Global Support Unit (AA GSU)

• Fixed term contract up to 30 June 2029
• Competitive salary and hybrid work arrangement
• Friendly and supportive work environment
• Canberra preferred other locations within Australia considered

About Palladium

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social, climate and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to help solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 4,000 employees operating in 90-plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies, the environment, and, most importantly, people's lives.

The program

The Australia Awards Global Support Mechanism (AAGSM) is an initiative designed to enhance the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) international scholarship program -by providing operational, technical and analytical services to DFAT and the broader scholarship delivery network (scholars, Universities, Industry, DFAT posts). In doing so, the AAGSM enhances DFAT's capacity to drive policy, partnerships and respond to the demand for evolved scholarship program delivery architecture. The AAGSM consists of the Global Support Unit (GSU) - responsible for operational and technical services to DFAT's International Education and Scholarships Branch (EDB) and scholarship network, and the Global Research Unit (GRU).

The role

The Scholar and Alumni Engagement Adviser plays a key role in advancing strategic objectives by providing high quality, coherent and fit for purpose scholar and alumni engagement support services that promote gender equality, disability and social inclusion outcomes across DFAT's international scholarship programs network.

The role is responsible for delivering technical advice, strategic guidance and ongoing support to DFAT EDB, country programs (in Canberra and overseas) and partner institutions on best practice scholar and alumni engagement across the scholarship lifecycle. This includes strengthening engagement approaches that enrich the scholar and alumni experience, build leadership capability and foster meaningful professional and institutional linkages.

The Scholar and Alumni Engagement Adviser supports placing scholars and alumni at the centre of service delivery and contributes to the development of consistent, high quality engagement approaches that enhance program impact and sustainability across the network.

Responsibilities will ensure:

• Provide strategic leadership on scholar and alumni engagement, collaborating with DFAT to design and implement a renewed, equitable and whole of lifecycle approach to Australia Awards alumni engagement across country programs.
• Lead the review and development of alumni engagement frameworks and guidance, including refreshing key Australia Awards documents and developing practical resources (guidelines, templates, tools and case studies) to support best practice.
• Deliver technical advice and on demand support to country programs, including leading a global stocktake of alumni engagement practices and databases, supporting country level strategies, plans, activities and events, and informing the development and maintenance of a central alumni database.
• Design and implement strategic scholar and alumni engagement initiatives, including alumni advisory groups, ambassador programs and alumni talent banks, and explore opportunities to broaden linkages with other DFAT funded programs, Australian organisations, the private sector and communities.
• Facilitate learning, collaboration and knowledge sharing across the network, including promoting peer to peer learning through communities of practice and supporting evidence based innovation in scholar and alumni engagement.
• Monitor, analyse and report on engagement outcomes, delivering activities in line with Six Monthly Work Plans, contributing data and insights to MEL and research processes, supporting analysis of long term global alumni outcomes, and ensuring alignment with GEDSI, First Nations engagement, public diplomacy and broader DFAT priorities.

About you

You will bring demonstrated expertise in strategic scholarship and alumni engagement within international education, development and/or public diplomacy contexts, including experience influencing policy and program design and strengthening stakeholder engagement across diverse institutional and country settings.

Additional key requirements include:

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as international development, public relations or social sciences.
• Demonstrated capability in leadership development and/or professional development programming is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated excellence in client management and stakeholder engagement to maintain engaged and productive relationships.
• Proven capability in the collection and analysis of data to inform strategies, activities and reporting.
• A working knowledge of mainstreaming gender equality, disability and social inclusion and First Nations engagement into program delivery.
• Excellent interpersonal and social skills including cross-cultural experience and communication skills, strategic writing skills and the ability to engage and support a wide range of stakeholders

To Apply

Please submit your application online, including your CV and brief cover letter (maximum 2 pages), outlining your suitability in line with the requirements of the position.

Established working rights required for suitable candidates; there is no visa sponsorship or relocation support available.

For further information please email HR.AAGSM@thepalladiumgroup.com

Closing date: Monday 27 April 2026, 11.59pm AEST

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success, and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability, or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as "the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm". We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.