Deputy Country Representative Malaysia

Deputy Country Representative Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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 Asia Foundation’s Malaysia office in Kuala Lumpur is seeking a Deputy Country Representative. This position is a member of the senior management team of The Asia Foundation (Foundation) in Malaysia and supports all programs, operations, and external relations in accordance with Foundation strategies and policy guidelines. The Deputy Country Representative is responsible for supporting the management of all aspects of the Foundation’s work in Malaysia, including new program development; the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of program activities; and the development of effective working relationships with the host government, donors, partner agencies, diplomatic missions, national and international institutions, and the media.

This position also supports oversight of financial and grants management, administration, and security; human resources, including the recruitment, guidance, and appraisal of office staff; and fundraising and the diversification of donor support. Additionally, the Deputy Country Representative works with other Asia Foundation offices on multi-country programs, events, and exchanges on issues of regional and international importance. The Deputy Country Representative is based in Kuala Lumpur and reports to the Country Representative of Malaysia.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

Financial Management and Administration

• Develop and manage project and country budgets, ensuring spending targets are consistently met.
• Ensure compliance with financial policies and grant requirements.
• Promote financial accountability and transparency.

Program Development and Management

• Contribute to the development of country strategies and annual plans.
• Lead program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Develop fundraising strategies and prepare proposals.
• Coordinate engagement of technical expertise to support programs.
• Contribute to technical leadership of program design and implementation, in particular with regard to digital and future skilling programs.

Supervision and Staff Development

• Recruit, train, and supervise staff, consultants, and interns.
• Participate in staff performance evaluations and professional development.
• Lead development and supervision of P&C processes including personnel management, benefits and compensation policies and practices.

Representation

• Build and maintain relationships with the host government, donors, partners, and media.
• Enhance public awareness and the Foundation’s professional network.
• Contribute to publications and represent the Foundation at meetings and events.

Other

• Serve as Acting Representative in the absence of the Country Representative.
• Promote staff safety, lead risk assessments, and develop crisis management plans.
• Support other Foundation offices and participate in organizational initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in a relevant field, such as economics, political science, law, public policy, education, business, or international development.
• Minimum 10 years of experience managing international development programs, offices, businesses, or organizations, preferably in Asia.
• Experience in fundraising from private and public sector sources (experience in proposal writing, managing proposal teams, building and maintaining relationships with funders, etc.)
• Demonstrated experience managing diverse agreements (contracts, cooperative agreements, grants, partnerships, and other bilateral/multilateral contractual arrangements) from public and private donors
• Strong program management skills and experience, including designing new programs, establishing monitoring and reporting systems, ensuring compliance with donor regulations, coordinating across multiple programs, and identifying solutions to implementation challenges.
• Deep technical knowledge in at least one of the office’s key programming areas: women’s empowerment, economic growth, digital/future skilling, care economy, environmental resilience and renewable energy.
• Strong skills in supervising, motivating, and building the capacity of multicultural staff and teams in order to cultivate a culture of innovation and accountability.
• Excellent financial management skills including effective budget oversight.
• Experience with implementation of IT-based compliance systems.
• Good representational and diplomatic skills; as well as interpersonal and intercultural competence.
• Demonstrable decision-making capacity and good judgment.
• Record of recruiting, retaining, and developing top, diverse talent.
• Demonstrable analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent English-language written communication skills, including proposal writing and report editing.
• Excellent Bahasa Melayu speaking skills, including ability to participate in government meetings using Bahasa Melayu.

How to Apply:

Applications should be submitted by visiting our website. To be considered, please upload your cover letter and resume/CV in one document. You can also upload both in separate documents but please note to do so, you will have to sign out of the system and go back into your record for additional documents.

The Asia Foundation offers excellent salaries commensurate with experience. We are an equal-opportunity employer. Women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Must be legally eligible to work in Malaysia without sponsorship from The Asia Foundation.

No relocation assistance will be provided for this position.

No phone calls, please.