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 practices 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 Technical Assistance.

 

Grow Asia is one of four regional Hubs for the World Economic Forum’s Food Action Alliance, a global platform that supports South-South learning and cooperation, and scaling and amplifying learnings from the Hubs’ national and regional pilots. Through the Food Action Alliance, Grow Asia and the World Economic Forum are supporting the Government of Viet Nam to establish a Food Innovation Hub in Viet Nam that will accelerate innovation around and adoption of climate-smart solutions and farmer-centric digital technologies.

 

THE ROLE:

 

Grow Asia is seeking an experienced program manager to oversee program implementation under a multi-stakeholder flagship program covering Agri-Food Innovation in Southeast Asia. Reporting to the Head of Programs, the Regional Manager, Programs will deliver and support donor-funded projects in Grow Asia. The Regional Manager will lead the delivery of programs, including but not limited to:

 

• ASEAN SEEDS (Smallholder Economic Empowerment through Digital Solutions) will accelerate the scale-up of social and economic development for smallholder households in Viet Nam, Cambodia, and the Philippines through agri-food innovation pilots;

 

• Community of Practice: a suite of activities to share best practices and learnings at the regional level. These activities include (but are not limited to): regular online or in-person Digital Learning Series on relevant topics; scaling and promotion of a Digital Directory of agri-food enterprises; contributing to Grow Asia’s newsletter on the topic of Agrifood Innovation.

 

We are looking for an independent thinker and problem solver, with a strong sense of self-motivation, who thrives in a highly collaborative, dynamic team environment. The successful candidate should bring experience in designing and implementing innovative digital technical assistance programs across multiple disciplines and countries.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to:

 

Program Design and Project Management

 

• Support the strategic design and implementation of Grow Asia’s agri-food innovation projects, including SEEDS, Food Innovation Hub, and digital platforms.

• Lead project management and direct support for Country Chapters to deliver agri-food innovation pilots such as innovation challenges and human-centered design training, as well as learning and leadership events.

• Support in managing other existing donor-funded programs

• Contribute to the development of new program proposals aligned with regional needs and priorities.

• Provide technical guidance on the role of digital technologies, ICT solutions, and innovations in improving the adoption of climate-smart solutions by MSMEs in Southeast Asia.

• Support the design of program monitoring tools, monitoring reports, and evaluations.

 

Partnership Development and Communications

 

• Support the development of concept notes and proposals focused on agri-food innovation and contribute to other Flagship proposals

• Proactively seek out opportunities for funding and partnerships to deliver on Flagship goals

• Engage with existing partners and donors to provide regular updates and ensure alignment with their priorities, and provide technical guidance where needed

• Engage with regional policymaking bodies (e.g. ASEAN Secretariat) to inform policy dialogues, consultations, and other processes

• Facilitate and support a strong Community of Practice around agri-food innovation amongst partners via Digital Learning Series and other events

• Lead the expansion of the Grow Asia Digital Directory to cover more solutions and update existing listings

• Work closely with the communications team to identify strategic communication opportunities for the Flagship at the national, regional, and international levels, including social media

• Represent Grow Asia in relevant internal and external conferences and events

 

 

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT:

 

• Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the position (ICT, international development, agriculture, environment, economics, business, engineering, or equivalent)

• 4 - 8 years of work experience in a multi-stakeholder environment, ideally focused on climate change and/or digitalization and/or innovation in food, agriculture, or forestry (spanning corporate, non-profit, consulting, and/or research partners)

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects effectively and concurrently, across geographies and teams

• Experience working with/for agri-food startups and small businesses in Southeast Asia

• Experience in Monitoring & Evaluation linked to sustainable development, (i.e. writing proposals and reports, developing results frameworks, designing M&E aligned to organizational outcomes)

• Experience in strategic design, execution, and management of multi-country programs, in Southeast Asia a plus

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with fluency in spoken and written English and, ideally, one other Southeast Asian language

• Excellent attention to detail

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

• Ability to work independently.

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

 

Location: Singapore (or remote Southeast Asia)

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

Start date: Immediate

 

 

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 their resume, cover letter and writing sample to careers@growasia.org by 2 August 2024. We ask that you kindly include your name and the position you are applying for in the subject line (e.g., “Application: Regional Manager, Programs – 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.