INOVASI 3 - Communication Officer

Background:
Indonesia’s Vision 2045 sets the goal for Indonesia to transition from a resource-based economy towards an advanced service, technology, and knowledge-based economy by the centenary of its independence (2045). The 2025-2045 National Long Term Development Plan emphasises the urgency of Indonesia’s human resource development to fully realise 2045 goals.

Faced however with persistent low student performance that is emblematic of a learning crisis, significant improvement in student learning will be required to reach Indonesia’s 2045 goals. Government of Indonesia (GoI) has started an ambitious program of education reforms. Successive education ministers have set out to modernise the education system through reforming the national curriculum and teaching and assessment approaches, to produce citizens with strong foundational skills, open minds, and inclusive values. 

Australia is a long-term supporter of the Indonesian basic education sector, with continuous investments supporting education quality improvements for the past two decades, including through the INOVASI program (Phase 1 2016-2020; Phase 2 2020-2023) that focused on supporting acquisition of literacy and numeracy foundational skills in early grades classrooms; exploring local problems and solutions; and generating evidence to inform government policy development and practices.

This third phase of INOVASI (2024-2027) builds upon the existing program’s approach and lessons learned and takes the focus on the development of foundational skills through to the end of the primary grades. Phase 3 will engage with priority issues of Australia’s development policy: gender equality, effective inclusion of children with a disability, responses to the climate change challenge in education. It will focus on the challenge of policy implementation and the gaps that exist between national policies and practices at district and school levels, and use the well attested-success of INOVASI’s local problem-based approach to continuously support policy development for effective fit between policy and implementation context.

INOVASI Phase 3 is implemented in 25 districts and cities across Indonesia, in the provinces of West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, North Kalimantan, East Java, West Java, and Maluku. The program also works in Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN).

The Program is implemented by Palladium on behalf of DFAT.

Purpose of the Position
INOVASI is committed to strengthening the education ecosystem in Indonesia by supporting local actors in enhancing their communication capacity. Recognizing that many government officials, education advocates, and civil society partners operate in silos with limited access to upskilling opportunities, INOVASI will launch a Community of Practice (CoP) initiative to foster peer learning, shared problem-solving, and more coordinated communication strategies.

To support this initiative, INOVASI seeks a dedicated Communication Officer who will facilitate the day-to-day operations of the Community of Practice, manage engagement with members, and ensure the CoP delivers on its intended impact.

The Communication Officer will lead the facilitation, coordination, and documentation of the Community of Practice within the education sector. The role is essential in fostering an inclusive, participatory space where members share knowledge, sharpen their communication skills, align efforts, and drive collective impact.

To that end, this position will also contribute to the capacity development of key actors in crafting and delivering effective communication strategies that support behaviour change, particularly in areas such as inclusive education, climate-responsive schooling, and strengthening foundational skills.

Working with children
Is this position likely to come into contact with children?                     ☒ Yes                          ☐ No

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direction of Strategic Communications Manager, the Communication Officer’s main duties will include:

Coordinate the planning, implementation, and monitoring of Community of Practice (CoP) activities, including the development of annual work plans and reporting.Organize and facilitate regular CoP sessions, including expert-led discussions, peer learning forums, and thematic workshops.Manage all logistics for CoP meetings, including agenda setting, speaker engagement, documentation, and timely follow-up.Facilitate ongoing communication with members using digital platforms such as WhatsApp, email, and shared folders, ensuring inclusive and responsive engagement.Curate and share communication tools, resources, case studies, and good practices to support members’ capacity development and behaviour change communicationMonitor member participation, session attendance, and engagement levels; identify and address barriers to continued involvement.Design and administer simple monitoring tools, feedback forms, and short surveys to assess satisfaction, knowledge uptake, and applied learning.Support onboarding of new members, ensuring diversity in geography, institution type, and stakeholder representation, including marginalised groups.Foster a safe, inclusive, and collaborative learning environment where all members feel encouraged to contribute.Document lessons learned, member feedback, and examples of improved communication practices influenced by the CoP.Coordinate with other INOVASI teams (e.g., GEDSI, MERL, Thematic Leads) and external partners to identify opportunities for synergy and shared learning.Contribute to national and subnational messaging strategies by aligning communication efforts and promoting shared advocacy goals.Undertake other duties as assigned by the Strategic Communication Manager to support the successful implementation of the program.

Qualifications and Experience:
The Communication Officer will possess the following qualifications and experience:

A bachelor’s degree in communications, Media, Public Relations, Education, or other relevant fields. A Master’s degree will be considered an advantage.Minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience in communications, public engagement, or community facilitation, preferably in the development or education sectors.Demonstrated experience in designing and facilitating peer-learning platforms, networks, or communities of practice—both in-person and virtual.Strong understanding of behaviour change communication principles and experience supporting capacity development of stakeholders in public communication.Proven ability to engage with diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organisations, education institutions, and community-based actors.Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Bahasa Indonesia, with strong proficiency in English.Proficiency in using digital collaboration tools such as Zoom, Google Workspace, WhatsApp, Trello, or similar platforms.Some understanding of Indonesia’s education system, foundational learning challenges, and key reform agendas is preferredFamiliarity with gender equality, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) principles, with a commitment to inclusive communication is preferredStrong organisational and coordination skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines.Demonstrated problem-solving skills, adaptability, and capacity to work in complex and dynamic environments.High degree of political and cultural sensitivity, including discretion, patience, and diplomacy when engaging with government and non-government stakeholders.Computer literacy, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other relevant applications.Prior experience working with DFAT or other donor-funded programs in Indonesia will be considered an advantage.

INOVASI encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, and others from underrepresented groups.

Application closes 30 July at 23:59, Jakarta Time

INOVASI has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation. All successful candidates will be required to adhere to our Child Protection Policy and will be subject to background checks as a condition of employment.

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.
Women are encouraged to apply