Country Representative, Malaysia

Position description

Country Representative, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Three-year employment term with the possibility of further extensions

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives and expanding opportunities across Asia and the Pacific. Informed by 70 years of experience and deep local knowledge, our work is focused on governance, climate action, gender equity, education and leadership, inclusive growth, and international cooperation. We work in more than 20 countries through our 17 permanent country offices and programs across Asia and the Pacific, supported by a headquarters in San Francisco and an office in Washington, DC. Our funding comes from a diverse array of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.

The Country Representative is the senior-most Asia Foundation employee in Malaysia. This key leadership position sets the direction and tone for the Foundation in Malaysia, 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 the Foundation’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.

This position also oversees financial and grant management, administration, security, recruitment, staff supervision and appraisal, fundraising, and donor diversification. The Country Representative is based in Kuala Lumpur and reports to the Chief of Operations for Asia and the Pacific in San Francisco.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

Representation

• Establishes and maintains effective, professional, and senior-level relationships with the host government, national institutions, program partners, development assistance agencies, national and international NGOs, professional associations, and academic and national institutions.
• Establishes and maintains effective relationships with major donor organizations and diplomatic missions, including donor agencies and embassies of the US, UK, and Australian governments, as well as other bilateral, multilateral, and private sector donors.
• Establishes and maintains constructive public relations in Malaysia; ensures a professional standard of Foundation facilities; assures a positive profile through media coverage of programs and events.
• Participates in meetings and events to enhance public awareness of the Foundation and to expand the Foundation’s professional network and access to relevant information.
• Collaborates with the Foundation’s Strategic Communications unit to develop and disseminate marketing materials that showcase the Foundation’s programmatic impact and thought leadership.
• Prepares articles, written materials, and documentation for publication.

Strategy and Program Development and Implementation

• Tracks and analyzes updated information on socioeconomic, political, and foreign policy dynamics and trends in Malaysia, with a clear understanding of significant structural reform challenges facing the country.
• Works closely with Malaysian policymakers and reformers in government, industry, leading think tanks, and civil society to develop and implement high-impact programs that support local efforts to create an innovation-based economy and modern governance systems.
• Works closely with other country offices and program units to design and carry out multi-country programs, events, and exchanges on issues of regional and international importance.
• Mobilizes in-country, regional, and international technical expertise and resources from Foundation staff and external consultants as required for program development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Develops and implements proactive fundraising strategies to diversify funding sources and achieve program and management objectives; Oversees the preparation of proposals for programming per Foundation and donor protocols.
• Oversee comprehensive program management (design, implementation, monitoring, compliance, evaluation, and reporting), ensuring programs achieve donor, Foundation, and partner objectives and comply with all necessary regulations.
• Ensures the quality, impact, scale, and cost-effectiveness of the country strategy through a combination of grants, technical assistance, and direct Foundation-implemented activities.
• Maintains, updates, and ensures the availability of accurate program information, documentation, and publications, including submission of high-quality plans and reports to donors and within the Foundation.

Office and Operational Management

• Manages and supervises country office operations, including compliance with local tax, labor law, and other regulations; establishment and maintenance of legal standing agreements and program-level memoranda as necessary; and development and strengthening of operational policies and systems.
• Provides leadership to staff, maintaining morale and fostering teamwork.
• Ensures that staff understand and comply with Foundation policies, including but not limited to ethics, conflict of interest, prevention of fraud, gender equality, child protection, and sexual harassment policies.
• Oversee the safety and security of Foundation staff and facilities, ensuring compliance with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Standards and all minimum operating safety and security standards.

Financial Management and Administration

• Oversee the development of project budgets, the fiscal year country budget, and spending projections, making optimal use of resources through cost-effective decision-making; ensure expenditures are within approved budgets and that revenue and spending targets are met.
• Ensures compliance with all financial and accounting policies and procedures, and grant and contract requirements; prepares and submits timely financial reports to the Foundation and donors.
• Establishes and maintains operational, administrative, grant management, and financial policies and practices within established Foundation requirements.

Supervision and Staff Development

• Maintains office staffing to ensure an optimal match between the office’s current workload and prospective plans, and the available skills, experience, and qualifications.
• Oversees and complies with appropriate recruitment, orientation, training, supervision, and promotion of office staff, consultants, and interns.
• Establishes and maintains transparent personnel management, benefits, and compensation policies and practices in accordance with Foundation policies and local labor laws.
• Oversee staff performance evaluation and planning systems and processes, identifying opportunities for the professional development of both national and international staff.
• Designs and implements an effective staff organizational structure, including clear reporting lines consistent with Foundation policies and commensurate with the scale and scope of the program and operational requirements.
• Encourages and supports all staff to utilize the Foundation’s knowledge management tools to promote collaboration, teamwork, and an open exchange of ideas.
• Promote staff morale to cultivate a positive and healthy office atmosphere. 

Other

• The Country Representative should ensure their performance and values align with those of the Foundation and frequently look for means of growing their skills and abilities.  
• The Country Representative is expected to keep senior Foundation staff informed about significant developments affecting Malaysia, the Foundation’s role, the safety and welfare of Foundation staff, program events, and any other relevant matters promptly.
• Participates in Foundation-led initiatives, task-force teams, committees, and strategic planning processes, as needed.
• Provides support, as warranted, to other Foundation offices in program development, proposal writing, representation, or other activities.
• Undertakes other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• 10 (or more) years of experience in Asia working on international development, international policy, or a related field.
• A master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as International Development, International Relations, Government, Business, Public Policy, Foreign Affairs, Political Science, Law, or Economics.
• Strong understanding of women’s entrepreneurship, future skills development, and digital skills development.
• Experience with corporate or private foundation donors, including cultivation and relationship management.
• Demonstrated personal capacity to work effectively at a policy level, including experience managing teams and building trust and influence in government, industry, and policy analysis circles in Malaysia.
• Malay language proficiency is preferred, with familiarity with Malaysian labor law being an asset.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Must possess the ability to strategically assess essential challenges and opportunities that contribute to the Foundation’s core areas of work.
• Skilled at leading, motivating, and managing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate and summarize complex information into simple concepts for broad communication.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to develop essential relationships with key stakeholders, and good conflict management skills.

Application instructions

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted by visiting our website.  To be considered, please upload your cover letter and resume or CV. 

The Asia Foundation offers excellent salaries commensurate with experience. The Asia Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.