Join the Shared Services Platform supporting Australia’s partnerships with Timor-Leste
The Shared Services Platform is the operational backbone of the Timor-Leste Australia Partnerships for Health, Education and Disability Rights. We are seeking skilled professionals based in Timor-Leste for long-term Officer, Senior Officer and Specialist roles in finance, grants, human resources, procurement, logistics, fleet and administration.
The team behind Australia and Timor-Leste’s human development partnerships
The Australia Timor-Leste development partnership aims to contribute to a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and resilient Timor-Leste. Core to achieving this goal is improving outcomes in health, education and strengthening disability rights and disability inclusive services.
Three new five-year human development programs are being launched in Timor-Leste: the Timor-Leste Australia Partnership for Health; the Timor-Leste Australia Partnership for Education; and the Timor-Leste Australia Partnership for Disability Rights. Each program has its own technical team focused on results in its sector.
The Shared Services Platform supports the three programs. It is a dedicated unit that provides centralised finance, grants, human resources, procurement, logistics, fleet and administration support, so each program can focus on delivery while working to consistent, high standards and achieving efficiencies across the partnership.
We are opening an EOI to help build a team of locally-based professionals for long-term roles with the Shared Services Platform in Timor-Leste: people who can build strong, trusted systems and make them work well for the three programs, their partners and the Timorese institutions they support.
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Why join the Shared Services Platform Expression of Interest?
Join the team that keeps three major development programs running. We value professionals who build reliable systems, serve their colleagues well and strengthen local capability.
Enable impact across three sectors
Your work supports the health, education and disability rights programs at once, giving their teams the finance, grants, people, procurement and logistics support they need to deliver.
Build strong systems
Help establish and run corporate systems that meet Australian Government standards for accountability, value for money, safeguarding and risk management.
Grow your career
Long-term roles offer the chance to develop your skills, take on greater responsibility and work alongside experienced Timorese and international colleagues.
Building relationships
Work closely with program teams, the Australian Embassy, government counterparts, partners and suppliers, and see the tangible results of your work.
Who we are looking for
This EOI is for people based in Timor-Leste, applying for long-term, locally engaged roles at Officer, Senior Officer or Specialist level.
Finance
Officers, Senior Officers and Specialists in accounts payable and receivable, payroll processing, bank reconciliations, budgeting and forecasting, tax and statutory compliance, financial reporting, audit preparation and financial controls.
Grants
Officers, Senior Officers and Specialists in grants administration, partner due diligence and capacity assessment, grant agreements, disbursement and acquittal tracking, grant reporting and compliance monitoring.
Human resources
Officers, Senior Officers and Specialists in recruitment and onboarding, employment contracts and Timor-Leste Labour Code compliance, payroll inputs and leave administration, performance and appraisal processes, learning and development, staff wellbeing and HR records.
Procurement
Officers, Senior Officers and Specialists in procurement planning, quotations and tenders, supplier due diligence and vetting, purchase orders and contract administration, value for money assessment, asset registers and Commonwealth Procurement Rules compliance.
Logistics
Officers, Senior Officers and Specialists in travel and accommodation arrangements, event and workshop logistics, movement of goods and equipment, stock control, and visa, permit and travel security coordination.
Fleet
Officers, Senior Officers and Specialists in vehicle scheduling and dispatch, driver management and road safety, vehicle maintenance and servicing, fuel and logbook control, and vehicle registration and insurance.
Administration
Officers, Senior Officers and Specialists in office and facilities management, reception and front-of-house, records and document control, correspondence, office supplies and administrative support to program teams.
View position profiles (coming soon): duties, selection criteria, grade and minimum entry standard for each role family and level.
How to apply
You apply once, through a single online form in three steps. It helps to have the following ready before you start.
What you will need
- An up-to-date CV in PDF format (maximum 5MB).
- Names, email addresses and phone numbers for at least two referees. We contact referees only if you are being considered for a specific role.
- The role families you want to be considered for (Finance, Grants, Human Resources, Procurement, Logistics, Fleet and Administration) and the level you are applying at (Officer, Senior Officer or Specialist).
- Written responses to the six selection criteria below, of up to 200 words each.
The selection criteria
- Professional experience: your background, the organisations you have worked in, your level of seniority and the roles you have held.
- Technical expertise: your skills, knowledge and qualifications in the role families you select, with examples of systems, processes or functions you have led or contributed to.
- Local knowledge and context: your knowledge of and experience working in Timor-Leste, such as local laws and regulations, government systems, local languages and the local supplier market.
- Stakeholder engagement and communication: how you work with program teams, managers, donors, government agencies, partner organisations and suppliers.
- Delivery and results: examples of results you have delivered, and how you manage quality, timelines, compliance and accountability.
- Safeguarding, GEDSI and ethical conduct: your understanding of and commitment to safeguarding, child protection, PSEAH, gender equality, disability inclusion and ethical conduct.
How your application is assessed
Your application is assessed once, against each role family and level you select. For each role family and level, you need an overall score of at least 70%, and at least 50% on each of the six criteria.
You may be found suitable for some role families and not others, and at a different level in each. We will tell you the outcome for each role family you selected in writing.
The three steps
- Step 1: your personal and contact details.
- Step 2: your current and previous employers, your industry experience, the role families you are applying for and your years of experience.
- Step 3: your availability, work type and level, your responses to the selection criteria, your referees and your CV.
You can apply in Tetun, English, Portuguese or Bahasa Indonesia, online or on paper.
What does joining the EOI mean?
Understanding the process and what to expect if your EOI is successful.
Pre-vetted eligibility
Submitting an EOI is not a job offer, and being found suitable does not guarantee that you will be offered work. You compete once, through this open Expression of Interest and a full assessment. Applications are scored against the six published selection criteria, once for each role family you select. To be found suitable for a role family and level, you need an overall score of at least 70%, and at least 50% on each criterion, including Safeguarding, GEDSI and Ethical Conduct.
Successful applicants are not ranked. Everyone who meets the entry standard for a role family and level is equally eligible to be considered when a suitable role comes up. AI-assisted tools support the initial screening, but every decision on who is found suitable is made by our HR team.
Role families
The EOI covers seven role families: Finance, Grants, Human Resources, Procurement, Logistics, Fleet and Administration. You submit one application and select all the families that interest you; you do not need a separate application for each.
We will assess whether you meet the entry standard for each selected role family and at what level - Officer, Senior Officer or Specialist. You may be found suitable for some role families but not others, and at different levels in different role families, depending on the capabilities you show.
You can be considered for a role only if you have been approved for that role family and level.
Long-term, locally engaged roles
This EOI is for long-term, locally engaged roles with the Shared Services Platform, based in Timor-Leste, at Officer, Senior Officer and Specialist level.
Appointments are made on written fixed-term contracts that comply with the Timor-Leste Labour Code. Pay is set by the grade of the role on the Cowater national staff salary scale, and equal pay applies for work of equal value.
Program specific roles, including Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader and Manager roles, short-term adviser roles and key personnel are recruited separately.
How appointments are made
When an approved role opens, we check every successful applicant for that role family and level against the requirements of the role, and shortlist everyone who meets them. If you are shortlisted, we will contact you and ask you to confirm in writing, within 5 working days, that you can start within the required timeframe. Depending on the role, we may interview one or more shortlisted applicants. Being shortlisted does not guarantee an interview. Interviews are structured and assessed against the requirements of the role. Before any offer is confirmed, we complete two referee checks, safeguarding screening (including a police check where required), sanctions and debarment checks, verification of essential qualifications and a conflict of interest declaration.
If no successful applicant is suitable, the role is advertised openly, and anyone found suitable through this EOI is welcome to apply. A successful applicant who declines three job offers without a good reason during the round is no longer considered for that role family and level.
Inclusive and accessible recruitment
No applicant is favoured or disadvantaged on grounds such as nationality, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability or age. We actively encourage Timorese candidates and people with disability to apply, and we welcome applications from women.
You can apply in Tetun, English, Portuguese or Bahasa Indonesia, online or on paper. If you need adjustments to take part in the selection process or in a role, such as accessible formats, alternative ways to communicate or workplace accommodations, tell us at any stage and we will work with you to put them in place. Information about adjustments, disability and lived experience is kept separate from your application and does not affect your score.
How long does my EOI result last?
This Expression of Interest round is open for 18 months from [advertised date]. When the round closes, all results from that round lapse and a new round is advertised. Successful applicants who have not been placed are welcome to reapply. Existing staff apply on the same terms as everyone else.
Outcomes, feedback and complaints
Every applicant is told the outcome for each role family they selected, in writing, and may ask for feedback. If you have a concern about the recruitment process, you can make a complaint to Cowater’s regional or head-office HR team, which is independent of the Shared Services Platform. Complaints are acknowledged within 5 working days, with an outcome within 30 days.
Ready to make a meaningful contribution?
We are currently accepting Expressions of Interest for long-term, locally engaged roles with the Shared Services Platform. Register today to help power Timor-Leste and Australia’s next step in supporting human development.
Register your interest