Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager - Program and Pilots (PLMSP)

Alinea International; City of Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Alinea International is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager to lead MEL design for the PLMSP program and pilots, delivering high-quality MEL systems and evaluations in collaboration with Palladium and DFAT. The role requires extensive MEL leadership, strong report writing, and GEDSI mainstreaming experience, with travel as needed and a fixed-term contract to September 2028.

You will oversee sub-program evaluations, ensure data integrity, and support reintegration outcomes for

Qualifications

• Minimum education: tertiary degree in a relevant field; international development preferred.
• At least 10 years designing, managing and delivering MEL systems and evaluations.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of MEL systems for high-priority pilots and sub-programs.
• Guide evaluations aligned with key audiences (DFAT, Labour Sending Units, PLMSP).
• Develop credible, ethical data collection, storage and analysis methods.
• Draft concise, evidence-based outputs (reports, briefings, presentations).
• Support annual program-level reflection and reporting processes.

Skills

MEL design

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Program management

GEDSI mainstreaming

Education

Master's degree in international development

Job description

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager - Program and Pilots (PLMSP)

Project Name: Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP)

Job Type: Full-time

Location of Position: Preferred location: Australia (Brisbane/Meanjin or Canberra/Ngunnawal Country). Timor-Leste and Pacific locations with a Palladium office may also be considered for exceptional candidates. A minimum 50% in-office presence is required, with hybrid working arrangements available.

Reporting to: MEL Senior Manager - Program and Pilots

Remuneration: Salary aligned with market expectations

Time Frame: Fixed-term contract to September 2028

Application Deadline: 5 October 2026

Alinea is an international development consultancy providing technical and management expertise that helps people improve their lives. Alinea works with governments, investors, companies, and communities to create lasting change. Over 39 years, Alinea has successfully delivered more than 1,000 projects worldwide. For more information, please visit Alinea International website.

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 recognising that an inclusive workforce enriches our organisation and achieves smarter, more innovative results.

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

Alinea International provides Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) services to the Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP), which is managed by Palladium on behalf of the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager - Program and Pilots will be employed by Alinea International and work as part of the PLMSP MERL team in close collaboration with Palladium and program stakeholders.

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is a signature initiative for the Australian Government that enables workers from 9 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and Timor-Leste to work in priority sectors in Australia. The Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP) builds on the successes of the Pacific Labour Facility (PLF) program, with a renewed focus on the provision of tailored support to worker sending countries to address their specific needs and priorities. Palladium is contracted to deliver PLMSP on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

PLMSP's role is to provide DFAT and governments in 9 PICs and Timor-Leste with support to enable workers to access PALM scheme in inclusive ways that maximise the benefits for the workers and national economies while minimising risks from labour mobility participation. PLMSP's primary functions include capacity building for PALM scheme labour sending units; skills development and training for PALM workers; support for returning PALM workers and their families; information system management; monitoring, evaluation, research and learning; and communications.

About the Work

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager - Program and Pilots will be responsible for managing design and delivery of high-quality MEL services under the PLMSP program. This includes support to program-level annual reflection and reporting processes as well as management of discrete MEL systems and evaluations for high-priority pilots and sub-programs, with a focus on the thematic area of worker reintegration i.e. supporting PALM scheme workers and families to successfully navigate the transition home and thrive after labour mobility.

Key Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of the MEL Manager - Program and Pilots can be broadly described as follows:

• Lead design and implementation of MEL systems for high-priority PALM scheme pilots and sub-programs, including program logic development, with a focus on reintegration pilots and programming.
• Lead design and implementation of priority evaluations, in line with the information needs of primary audiences e.g. DFAT, Labour Sending Units, PLMSP.
• As part of above MEL systems and evaluations, design and deliver fit-for-purpose, credible and ethically sound methods for data collection, storage, and analysis; and facilitate useful, inclusive, and evidence-informed learning and reflection processes.
• Draft, review and quality assure concise, evidence-based, and logically structured written outputs, including reports, briefings, and presentations. Ensure that these outputs are appropriate for the intended audience and meet their information needs.
• Contribute to PLMSP's annual program-level reflection and reporting process.
• As required, supervise junior staff and manage contracted evaluation teams.
• Ensure that cross-cutting priorities, particularly in relation to GEDSI, are mainstreamed in all activities and outputs.
• Understand how innovation and technology shape the way we work and introduce new ways of working through AI, data and technology.

Relationships, Communication & Development

• Develop and maintain client and stakeholder relationships across assignments and maintain professional, respectful and effective relationships with your colleagues.
• Proactively lead internal initiatives to seek improvements, encouraging team participation and sharing of new ideas.
• Train or buddy more junior colleagues; as well as support the onboarding and training of project teams on company policies and guidelines.
• Focus on self-development by assessing individual contribution against the capability framework, welcoming and embracing regular feedback from others and developing skills in providing balanced feedback to others.
• Create, promote and maintain an equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment through respecting the views of others, listening with empathy and resolving differences in a positive and constructive manner through applying effective conflict resolution techniques.

Other

• Other tasks as reasonably requested by the MEL Senior Manager - Program and Pilots.
• Travel locally and internationally, as required.
• Foster equality, diversity and inclusion, drawing on capabilities from within the country/region wherever possible;
• Comply with, and advocate for, DFAT's policies in all aspects of implementation, including gender, disability, fraud and anti-corruption, PSEAH, child protection and environmental and social safeguards. This includes incorporating policy principles into planning and everyday work, promoting process improvements, and reporting concerns to your Line Manager, Alinea International, or Palladium's Integrity Hotline.
• Operate with high levels of integrity, consistent with the intent of DFAT's Ethics, Integrity and Professional Standards Policy Manual.

Minimum Education and Experience Required

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline, such as international development, evaluation, social science, or related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in the design, management, and conduct of utilisation-focused MEL systems and evaluations.
• Demonstrated experience with design and conduct of credible, fit for purpose and ethically sound quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Experience working with international development programs, preferably DFAT-funded programs and/or in the Pacific or Timor-Leste.
• Excellent report writing skills with the ability to analyse complex information in a clear, evidence-based and accessible manner for government audiences.
• Excellent project and time management skills, including an ability to initiate and follow up tasks, delegate, prioritise and monitor progress, manage team inputs to achieve results.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills including internal and external stakeholders in Australia and in partner countries.
• Experience working in the Pacific and/or Timor-Leste would be highly regarded.

Due to the evolving nature of our program, it is possible that the incumbent may be expected to undertake duties that fall outside the remit of their original Terms of Reference as reasonably required to ensure the ongoing success of the program.

Where this is required, the following will occur:

• The successful candidate has the skills and experience to fulfill the duties.
• This arrangement will be short term in nature.