Country Representative

Position description

The country representative is the senior-most Asia Foundation employee in Vietnam. This key leadership position sets the direction and tone for TAF in Vietnam, maintains critical external relationships, interacts regularly with senior officials in the government, private sector, and development community, and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the office.

The country representative oversees all aspects of TAF’s work, including design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on program activities; fundraising; and the development and cultivation of effective working relationships with the host government, donors, partner agencies, diplomatic missions, national and international institutions, and the media.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Development

• Lead the development and execution of an integrated country strategy aligned with TAF-wide goals and its 2030 development agenda.
• Design and oversee programs that support Vietnam’s transition to a digital economy, enhance workforce readiness, advance sustainable energy goals, and promote environmental sustainability and resilience.
• Assess the opportunities and barriers that contribute to the determination of TAF’s core areas of work in Vietnam over the immediate and longer term.
• Ensure implementation quality through robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems.
• Promote adaptive management and innovation, with a focus on scalable and sustainable development solutions.

Fundraising & Partnerships

• Develop and execute a resource mobilization and partnership strategy targeting bilateral and multilateral donors, private and corporate foundations, private sector businesses and business associations, and emerging philanthropic actors in Vietnam and the region.
• Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with key donor agencies to ensure program alignment and long-term partnerships.
• Oversee proposal development, negotiation of funding agreements, and donor compliance.

Private Sector & Corporate Foundation Engagement

• Develop strategic partnerships with domestic and international private sector actors to co-create initiatives supporting inclusive growth, digital innovation, and green development.
• Promote public–private partnerships to enhance development impact and leverage technical expertise, innovation, and resources.
• Represent TAF in business and multi-stakeholder platforms to advocate for policy and regulatory reform conducive to sustainable development.

Government Relations & Policy Dialogue

• Maintain strong working relationships with key government ministries and agencies, including those overseeing planning, digital transformation, energy, trade, and environmental policy.
• Collaborate with national and subnational authorities to support evidence-based policy solutions in priority program areas.
• Represent TAF in official dialogues and development coordination forums to advance shared objectives.

Operations, Finance & Human Resources

• Ensure effective financial and grant management aligned with TAF policies and donor requirements.
• Oversee office operations, including compliance, risk management, and staff security.
• Recruit, develop, and manage a high-performing team; promote a culture of accountability, diversity, and innovation.

Representation & Communications

• Serve as TAF’s primary representative in Vietnam, responsible for public engagement and strategic communications.
• Build visibility through participation in development dialogues, policy forums, and media outreach.
• Foster collaboration with academia, think tanks, and civil society to amplify TAF’s thought leadership and program impact.

Qualifications

• Excellent written communication skills, including proposal writing and report editing.
• Advanced degree in public policy, international development, economics, or related field required.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience working on international development/international business in Asia in senior roles within international NGOs or development organizations.
• Experience working in Vietnam and knowledge of government stakeholders.
• Comprehensive understanding of Vietnamese history, politics, and administrative processes.
• Established networks with key donor agencies and development stakeholders in Vietnam.
• Demonstrated capacity to work effectively in a political environment including a demonstrated capacity to build collaborations with the related government agencies, donor and business communities.
• Successful record of fundraising from bilateral, multilateral, foundations, and private donors, including experience in proposal writing, managing proposal teams, and building and maintaining relationships with donors.
• Strong experience developing and managing public–private partnerships and engaging with corporate and private foundations.
• Strong representational and diplomatic skills along with intercultural competence, vision and commitment to the Foundation and office’s mission.
• Recognized contributor to policy dialogues or development thought leadership.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking skills.
• Experience leading multicultural teams and managing complex programs.
• Excellent communication skills in English; proficiency in Vietnamese is an advantage but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate and summarize complex information into simple concepts for broad communication to multiple types of audiences and stakeholders.
• Skilled at leading, motivating, and managing teams, as well as running effective meetings and demonstrated outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong program management skills and experience in designing new programs, establishing monitoring, evaluation, and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with donor regulations, coordinating efforts across multiple programs, and identifying solutions to implementation challenges.
• Recognized knowledge and demonstrated leadership in at least one of the office’s key current programming areas: Digital Economy and Transformation; Workforce Development; Sustainable Energy; Environmental Sustainability and Resilience; and Inclusive Economic Development.

Application instructions

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