U-S Asean Business Council Associate Position

Associate Position at U-S Asean Business Council

Associate

Reports to:  Director
Based in: Washington, DC

Overview

The Council’s Associate position is based in Washington, DC and supports a number of the Council’s programs and initiatives pertaining to specific countries and industry sectors represented by the Council’s members.  The successful candidate will monitor media/press in Southeast Asia and internationally on the industry/country areas s/he is assigned, which may include a mixture of the following:  Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Defense & Security, Energy, Health & Life Sciences, Infrastructure and Manufacturing.  S/he will identify partnership opportunities with relevant stakeholders including the U.S. government, ASEAN member governments and other trade/sector-specific organizations and associations.  S/he will also identify, monitor and address policy challenges and opportunities affecting those stakeholders and is expected to have the ability to develop and grow contacts with them.  In addition, s/he is expected to develop contacts with leading business executives, academics, think tank leaders and the media in Washington, DC and beyond.  S/he will interact regularly with the leadership of the Council’s pertinent committees and with the ASEAN-based liaisons as well as representatives of the Council’s member companies throughout ASEAN, Asia and the United States.  S/he will also provide support to the membership team’s goals of expanding the Council and assist in the retention of current Council members, potential upgrades and recruitment of new members.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead public initiatives around trade policy in specific industries as well as country focuses
• Monitor media/press in each country as assigned, regionally and internationally, to ensure members and colleagues are aware of the latest developments in the industry or country area s/he is assigned
• Work directly with Council members to drive initiatives in countries across ASEAN by identifying local government priorities and expanding on public-private engagement opportunities such as regular dialogues and consultations
• Develop and execute programming such as roundtables, briefings, seminars, workshops and business missions advancing the objectives of the member companies
• Build relationships with U.S. and ASEAN government officials and policy makers/influencers
• Build a network of industry partners and relationships with key industry associations
• Work cross-functionally to position corporate messages, create advocacy among stakeholders and reinforce efforts to properly position private sector views
• Conduct research on trade policy
• Work with the staff in Washington, DC and throughout Southeast Asia to ensure all projects and daily workload are being completed and escalated to the supervisor as needed
• Monitor implications of policy and political activity on sector-specific business areas and provide regular updates to member companies, including staying up to date on key contacts and regional and U.S.-based events
• In concert with the Council’s senior leadership, undertake necessary and appropriate steps to provide strategic advice on policy matters to member companies as well as government stakeholders.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Business Administration, International Relations, Political Science, East Asian Studies or a related field.  A Master’s Degree is a plus.
• Exposure to and experience with American companies is preferred.
• A minimum requirement for this U.S.-based position is the ability to work legally in the United States on a permanent basis (U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or Qualifying Asylee/Refugee).
• 1-3 years of work experience, including government, government relations, research, business development and/or multinational management.
• Demonstrated experience successfully managing programs and budgets, and tracking and advocating on key policy issues.
• Must be able to work independently without significant direction and achieve concrete results.
• Must be organized, detail-oriented and be able to successfully handle multiple tasks at the same time and function in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be willing to work beyond normal business hours in order to speak with colleagues in Southeast Asia, participate in regular staff calls and consult with Council members based in Asia.
• Needs to be member-focused and maintain good and open working relationships with the Council’s 150+ member companies and their representatives.
• Must be fluent in English with excellent written and verbal communication skills.  Should be able to demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality English-language publications.
• Must be proficient in Windows Office software including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Must have good research skills and be able to learn and absorb quickly.
• Must be able to interact with all organizational levels including senior management of member companies, senior business leaders from ASEAN countries, senior government leaders from ASEAN countries, academics, think tanks and media.
• Must have a good sense of logistics and ability to plan, run and execute programs.
• Must be a strategic thinker who understands key variables and can execute a plan to move members’ issues forward. 
• Needs to have knowledge of Southeast Asia, including its history, culture, politics and business environment.
• Knowledge of ASEAN as an organization and its key programs and players is a plus.
• Written and verbal language skills in a Southeast Asian language is a plus.

To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to jobs@usasean.org.