Strategic Partnerships Lead

• Contribute to efforts to end HIV transmission and health inequity
• Full-time contract until September 2028
• Applications close 31 August 2026

The Organisation 

Health Equity Matters is the peak body for Australia’s community-controlled HIV response. The organisation’s mission is to end HIV transmission and enable the achievement of a full, healthy life for our communities in Australia and across the Indo-Pacific. The organisation collaborates closely with its members to support them in realising their ambitions for their communities.  

Our members include national organisations representing people living with HIV, sex workers, people who use drugs, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Our state and territory members are the largest community-controlled providers of healthcare to priority HIV populations and LGBTIQA+ people in Australia. Through policy and advisory, government relations and health promotion, Health Equity Matters fulfils a unique role in lead Australia’s effort to end HIV transmission.

Australia has an impressive track record of responding to HIV. This response has been underpinned by a partnership model spanning community, clinical and research partners, and government. Central to this model is the leadership role of community-controlled HIV organisations. Health Equity Matters and our member organisations have delivered this leadership role across four decades.  

Since the early 1990s, we have implemented over AUD60 million in HIV programming in 22 Indo-Pacific countries. 

Across this region, we draw on our strengths to enable community leadership on HIV, health and human rights. This work is delivered in partnership with locally-led key-population organisations. Our approach is to work with these organisations and our communities where there is an identified need for our expertise and an authorising environment.  

About this Role 

This is a new foundational role for Health Equity Matters. Over the past year, initial work started on the development of a Diversified Funding Strategy (Board-approved, 2025–2028), a Resource Mobilisation Roadmap Framework, a Donor Pipeline Tracking Tool, an Ethical Funding and Partnership Screening Framework, and early donor engagement collateral. That work built the foundations — this role exists to review, stress-test and operationalise them, and to implement the strategy into practice. 

The Strategic Partnerships Lead will work directly with the Principal Director, International Programs, to build the systems, relationships and internal capability needed to sustain and grow corporate, philanthropic and major donor income over time to enable the growth and sustainability of the international program. This is genuinely new ground for the organisation. The first year is deliberately weighted toward review, foundation-building and early traction. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Review and validate the existing Diversified Funding Strategy, Roadmap Framework, Donor Pipeline Tool, Ethical Screening Framework and donor collateral, and recommend what to adopt, adapt or rebuild 
• Operationalise the Resource Mobilisation Roadmap Framework across International Programs, Communications and Corporate Services 
• Identify, qualify and progress funding leads across institutional, corporate and major donor streams, and maintain a forward funding pipeline 
• Lead the development of corporate partnership and major donor / philanthropic opportunities, starting with a small, realistic number of qualified prospects 
• Develop partnership proposals, pitch materials and engagement approaches, and provide strategic input into donor positioning, messaging and value proposition 
• Develop a targeted donor cultivation and stewardship plan 
• Work with the International Advisory Committee (IAC) to support their active engagement in resource mobilisation, including identifying opportunities for introductions, advocacy and donor engagement support 
• Coach the Board, IAC, and staff on partnership management, delivery and donor stewardship as internal capability allows 
• Support the consolidation of the Resource Mobilisation function into the International Programs team, including donor stewardship and reporting approaches 
• Align funding approaches with DFAT accreditation requirements and reporting expectations 
• Collaborate with Communications and external suppliers (e.g. creative agency) to refine funding materials 
• Contribute to Board updates and CEO reporting as required 

Key Deliverables (Year 1) 

• A written assessment of the prior resource mobilisation work, with recommendations on what is ready to use, what needs adaptation, and what should be deprioritised 
• A working donor pipeline in active use, with a realistic first set of qualified leads 
• A small number of corporate / major donor proposals in active development or submitted 
• A draft donor stewardship and cultivation plan, tested through at least one cultivation touchpoint or event 
• A refreshed core asset library: proposal templates and a small set of case studies / impact materials 
• A short recommendations paper on the future structure and resourcing of the Resource Mobilisation function, to inform Year 2 planning 

Selection Criteria 

• Demonstrated senior experience in resource mobilisation, fundraising or business development, ideally within the not-for-profit, international development or health sectors 
• A proven track record of securing funding from corporate partners, major donors and/or philanthropic sources 
• Experience designing and embedding fundraising systems, pipelines and processes within an organisation, including where those systems did not previously exist 
• Experience of, or ability to understand, DFAT / Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) accreditation requirements and donor compliance 
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to coach and build internal capability 
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including proposal and pitch development 
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and building a new function pragmatically, in an organisation doing this for the first time 
• Alignment with Health Equity Matters’ values and a commitment to working with the communities we serve 

Highly Desirable 

• Experience in the HIV sector or global health 
• Familiarity with DFAT-funded programming and the ACFID Code of Conduct 
• Existing networks across Australian corporate and philanthropic funders, particularly those supporting international programs 

Core Qualities/Attributes

The successful applicant will:

• Be a self-starter, comfortable building systems and relationships from the ground up without established precedent. 
• Bring resilience and patience, recognising that fundraising cycles are long and early progress may be incremental. 
• Be genuinely relationship-driven, building credibility and trust with donors, the Board, IAC and community stakeholders alike. 
• Exercise sound judgement and integrity, especially when navigating ethical funding and partnership decisions. 
• Balance strategic thinking with hands-on, pragmatic delivery. 
• Demonstrate cultural humility and work collaboratively across teams and with the communities Health Equity Matters serves. 

Additional Details 

• Ability and willingness to undertake limited domestic and international travel as required.
• Reports directly to the Principal Director, International Programs and works closely across International Programs, Communications and Corporate Services 
• Scope focuses on institutional, corporate and major donor funding streams. Public fundraising and community giving are not in scope 
• The role complements, and does not duplicate, other International Programs or accreditation leadership roles

How to Apply 

• A cover letter (max 2 pages) addressing the selection criteria 
• A current CV (max 3 pages) 

Applications must be submitted via the online application portal. Applications submitted by email will not be considered. Please note that this position is limited to applicants who are currently based in Sydney. For enquiries regarding the role or recruitment process, please contact Joe Elias at joe.elias@healthequitymatters.org.au.

Applications close 31 August 2026 at 11:59pm 

Health Equity Matters is an equal opportunity organisation. We value inclusion, diversity and gender equality. People from LGBTIQA+ communities, people with HIV, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply. 

In line with our Recruitment and Selection Policy and Procedure, candidates being considered for employment may be required to undergo pre-employment checks, including a National Police Check and Terrorism Check. Appointment is contingent on the satisfactory completion of all integrity checks. 

Health Equity Matters acknowledges and pays respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as traditional custodians of the land on which we work.