BACKGROUND: 

Grow Asia was established by the World Economic Forum in 2015 in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat in response to the urgent need to transform food systems to be more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient to climate change.  As a multi-stakeholder platform, Grow Asia works with more than 600 global and regional partners to broker market-driven solutions across Southeast Asia. We do this by convening leading decision makers from public, private, and civil society organizations, mobilizing partnerships and funding models, and delivering best practice through the implementation of collaborative public-private projects at a field-, national-, and regional level.

 

The Grow Asia network comprises our regional office in Singapore and five country chapters in Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. The network operates through 44 national and sectoral Working Groups and is already reaching more than 2.5 million smallholders across Southeast Asia with market-led solutions. In 2020, Grow Asia was accredited as an Entity Associated with ASEAN. This accreditation recognizes the important role Grow Asia plays in the region, particularly in facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships and acting as a delivery mechanism for ASEAN programs.

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THE ROLE:

Grow Asia is seeking an experienced Director of Partnerships and Communications to lead the development of new and innovative partnership models that strengthen our impact at the regional and global level (through engagement with new and existing donors and partners) and at the national level (by strengthening our country chapters across Southeast Asia).

 

Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will work side by side with our Director of Programs to drive outreach and support for Grow Asia’s four Regional Flagships covering: agri-food innovation, women’s economic empowerment, responsible investing, and climate resilience. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing all internal and external relationships with our country chapters, regional and global business members, and 600 partner organizations, including the ASEAN Secretariat and the World Economic Forum.

 

We are seeking a dynamic coalition-builder with deep networks and experience working with diverse stakeholders in the food and agriculture sector across Southeast Asia. The successful candidate will be an independent thinker and problem solver, who thrives in a highly collaborative environment, and is adept at distilling complex ideas and programs into multi-stakeholder solutions. Excellent people management skills and the ability to see opportunities and challenges from multiple perspectives are a must.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Include but are not limited to:

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1. Partnerships:

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• Design and implement a stakeholder engagement strategy that is aligned to Grow Asia’s strategic objectives and is responsive to the priorities of country chapters and key stakeholders, including the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Member States, and the World Economic Forum.

• Work with the Director of Programs and Flagship Leads to ensure the effective operationalization and relevance of regional flagship programs and their alignment to global and national contexts.

• Support our Country chapters in defining their strategies, workplans, and budgets, including the financial and non-financial resources needed to actualize them.

• Supervise the appointment and management of all direct hires and consultants within the country chapters, including the Managing Directors and coordinators in Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

• Guide and build the capacity of the Partnerships & Communications team at a regional level and provide relevant support to the in-country leadership teams. This includes identifying opportunities for staff development and advancement, tracking work progress, helping teams navigate ambiguity, and deploying mechanisms to support meaningful collaboration between teams.

• Work closely with the Executive Director and Director of Programs to ensure best practice from within the network is acknowledged and shared, and that global and regional knowledge is made available to all country chapters (e.g., through reports, events, and regular touchpoints).

• Put in place metrics and tools for tracking partners’ satisfaction with Grow Asia’s services.

• Monitor public and policy-maker opinions and trends that are relevant to Grow Asia and work with the Director of Programs to deploy partnerships-based programs in response.

• Represent Grow Asia at public fora.

 

2. Communications:

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• Oversee the design and implementation of an effective regional communications strategy to further enhance Grow Asia’s profile as a leader in building multi-stakeholder, market-driven and action-oriented partnerships for more inclusive, resilient and sustainable food systems.

• Guide the Flagship Leads and country chapters in developing communications plans that translate their long-term strategy into highly effective marketing and communications initiatives that support their key fundraising objectives.

• Support Grow Asia’s engagement at key opportunities such as the World Economic Forum Annual meeting (Davos), and special meetings of the Food Action Alliance.

• Put in place relevant structures and protocols to support the Executive Director in the selection and delivery of key speaking opportunities, including providing briefings and speaking points as required.

• Identify and supervise agency partners and consulting firms that are well-placed to support Grow Asia’s communications objectives.

• Identify and exploit opportunities to raise Grow Asia’s global profile with media, policy-makers, implementing agencies, donors, and the public.

• Oversee the execution of major events, including the Grow Asia Forum, Grow Asia’s Governance Council Meetings, and other key regional events.

 

3. Membership:

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• Work with the Executive Director to design and implement a Membership Engagement strategy that allows Grow Asia to provide value to its members while promoting revenue growth in line with Grow Asia's objectives.

• Oversee the effective management of Council meetings, including adherence to all documented procedures and processes.

• Develop a suite of standard operating procedures to ensure that members’ queries are responded to in a timely and accurate manner by the relevant member of Grow Asia Secretariat staff.

• Support the design and improvement of membership systems and processes, including applications, renewals, suspensions/resignations, on-boarding of new members, and the maintenance of the Membership portal on the Grow Asia website.

• Maintain a membership database and produce monthly membership reports for internal and external stakeholders, including analysis of membership data and trends, and recommendations to meet membership goals.

• Manage relationships and projects with external service providers and ensure projects are completed within the agreed contractual obligations.

• Oversee the appointment of staff to support and deliver operational excellence in line with Membership Growth.

• Apart from the duties stated above, perform any duty or duties reasonably assigned by senior management.

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THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT:

• Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the position (e.g., political science, communications, sociology, international development, agriculture, or business).

• A minimum of 10 years of work experience in increasingly senior roles in corporate affairs, public affairs, or related functions, ideally in the food and agriculture space.

• Experience in a global environment, working with diverse groups of stakeholders, including civil society and non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, government agencies, and development organizations.

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interface at all levels of seniority both internally and with our partners in the public, private, and civil society space.

• Excellent written and oral communications skills, with fluency in spoken and written English and, ideally, another Southeast Asian language.

• Ability to distill complex ideas and programs for stakeholders.

• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and/or projects across complex geographies.

• High level of integrity and commitment to socio-economic development and food systems transformation.

• Emotional maturity, patience, curiosity, and a sustained willingness to change one’s mind.

• Forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions.

 

Location: Singapore or Remote (Southeast Asia)

Travel requirement: Up to 40%, mainly within Southeast Asia

Start date: Immediate

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WHAT’S ON OFFER:

In addition to a competitive salary, this role provides a unique opportunity to (1) develop your capabilities and broaden your skill set in an organization that supports continuous growth, (2) work with a highly motivated, collaborative, efficient and compassionate team that also values autonomy, (3) be part of a dynamic, well-respected and credible entity in Southeast Asia, (4) connect with the World Economic Forum and its Food Action Alliance, participating in the global agenda on food security and agricultural development, and (5) contribute to social, economic and environmental progress in Southeast Asia and beyond.

 

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified applicants are invited to send your resume, cover letter and writing sample to careers@growasia.org by Monday, 16 January 2023. We ask that you kindly include your name and the position you are applying for in the subject line (e.g., “Application: Director, Partnerships & Communications – Your Name”). Due to the volume of applications expected, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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As a multi-stakeholder platform we believe all voices matter, and we actively seek to bring them to the table. Aligned with this ethos, Grow Asia is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity.