Technical Review Panel – REnew Pacific

*Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM AEST on Monday, 25 August 2025. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close sooner if a suitable candidate is found.

Position: Short Term (up to 20 days per year)Reports To: Team LeaderLocation: Ideally Australia or Pacific Islands

REnew Pacific

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with governments, businesses, and investors to 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, and, most importantly, people's lives. 

REnew Pacific is a $75m investment by the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) under the Pacific Climate Infrastructure Financing Partnership (PCIFP), that will help deliver off-grid and community scale renewable energy in remote and rural parts of the Pacific. It is to be delivered over a five-year period from 2024-2029. The goal of REnew Pacific is to demonstrate Australia's role as a climate infrastructure partner of choice in the Pacific. This will be achieved by increasing access to affordable and reliable electricity, which will create opportunities for improved human development.  

Through the program, Australia will also support Pacific Island countries (PICs) to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by electrifying rural communities and avoiding Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions commensurate with the program’s capacity. The program will run a grant application and management process for projects that will enable lighting, access to water, improved agriculture, better food security, quality education and health services, reliable communications connectivity and enhanced incomes. The program covers all Pacific Island countries eligible for overseas development assistance and Timor Leste. 

Purpose of Position

The Technical Review Panel (TRP) for the REnew Pacific program plays an important role in the review and selection of REnew Pacific project proposals. The TRP will review project proposals regularly for technical and social feasibility and, if necessary, provide guidance to partners to refine proposals. The TRP will make recommendations to The Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) to finalise investment decisions.

We are looking for renewable energy experts and development specialists to be engaged on an as-needed basis to be part of the TRP.  Specifically, we are looking for the following professionals:

Subject matter expert: Gender, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)
Subject matter expert: International Development

The TRP will meet virtually at the conclusion of each round of REnew Pacific calls for proposals to assess full proposals and make recommendations to AIFFP on which projects to fund. The frequency of these calls is set at twice a year but may fluctuate.

The TRP role is short-term for up to 20 days per year.  

Other:

Travel within Australia may be required if meetings are called in-person

Reporting Requirements

This role reports into the REnew Pacific Team Leader.

Minimum Education and Experience Required

Experience reviewing grant proposals and an understanding of Commonwealth grant rules and guidance.
Demonstrated experience in international development, GEDSI, climate change policy, environmental management, social impact or related field
Knowledge of renewable energy projects and systems, with a focus on the Pacific is desirable
Experience and ability to evaluate the social, economic, and environmental benefit of proposed renewable energy systems in the context of the Pacific region.
Experience reviewing proposals to determine risk and efficacy of mitigation measures during implementation and operation, especially on the safeguarding and financial aspects of proposals 
Experience and understanding of how effective partnership models contribute to a donor-funded projects’ success 
Excellent written and oral communications skills with demonstrated experience in synthesizing information and sharing recommendations
Experience working on similar panels and with a diverse range of expertise and backgrounds would be an asset
Ability to work autonomously with limited supervision, to work to deadlines, and to balance competing priorities
Highly developed information management and analytical skills
Commitment to diversity and inclusion, particularly in a cross-cultural context