ThaiNGO

Position Title:                       SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MANAGER

Supervisor:                            Senior AFOLU Advisor

Type of Appointment:          Full time, local hire position

Organization:                        Pact

Location:                               Bangkok, Thailand

Pact Overview

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. A nonprofit international development organization founded in 1971, Pact works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to improve the lives of those who are challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we serve are heard, capable, and vibrant.

Pact is a recognized global leader in international development. Our staff have a range of expertise in areas including public health, capacity development, governance and civil society, natural resource management, poverty, fragile states, monitoring and evaluation, small-scale and artisanal mining, microfinance and more. This expertise is combined in Pact’s unique integrated approach, which focuses on systemic changes needed to improve people’s lives.

Department Overview

Pact strives for a world where all people are heard, capable, and vibrant. The USAID Green Invest Asia project helps realize this objective by working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by catalyzing private sector finance to upscale and drive investment in the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector toward low-emission yet profitable business models. To achieve this, the project is:

• Identifying a pipeline of investments in land use and land management;
• Encouraging investments by banks, financial institutions, and funds into sustainable, lowemission land use management business; and
• Building a community of practice in sustainable landscape finance to tackle systemic issues that block the development and financing of lowemissions land use management.

Position Purpose

The Sustainable Business Manager will be based in the Bangkok office and have a lead role in managing the project’s sustainable, climate-smart agriculture and forestry business development pipeline. The position will work in collaboration with other team members to assess investment opportunities, build and manage corporate partnerships, and assist in delivering technical assistance to companies designing and implementing sustainable landscapes activities that are profitable, enhance sustainable land management, and contribute to reducing emissions. He/she will contribute to ensuring successful functioning of project activities, including working with the Senior AFOLU Advisor and team members to ensure overall quality of project planning, production of annual work plans, operating budgets, etc. Occasional travel to/in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam is expected for this position.

Key Responsibilities

The ideal candidate has a passion for, and knowledge of, environmental sustainability in the agriculture-forestry sector, experience working with private sector businesses, solid understanding of land use issues in the Southeast Asia region, and excellent management and communication skills. S/he will be responsible for supporting the development and management of a pipeline of investment projects in sustainable land management in the AFOLU sector in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The Sustainable Business Manager reports to the Senior AFOLU Advisor and collaborates with other team members as appropriate. Key responsibilities include:

Pipeline development

• Strategically plan, manage, and implement pipeline development process, including, but not limited to: screening and evaluation of investment opportunities, planning and implementing due diligence assessments, drafting and negotiating of terms of references for memorandum of agreement, development of SOWs for technical assistance, and coordination with Financial Advisors to secure financing and deal structuring for the businesses in the pipeline.
• Provide expert assistance and thought leadership to support business development and work with other technical staff to identify promising business models and enterprises in sustainable and economically viable agriculture, forestry, and other land use sectors.
• Support development of database of experts and supervise sustainable landscapes technical staff, consultants, and partners across Southeast Asia region to develop pipeline and deliver technical assistance.
• Collaborate to design low-emission strategies for businesses using tailored tools, methodologies, and technologies.

Partnership creation and coordination

• Build productive partnerships with the potential to sustain and scale up low emission land use investments.
• Support activities to enable USAID Green Invest Asia to develop relationships and secure business opportunities with prospective partners. This may include, but is not limited to, support for the preparation of market research, knowledge products, and delivery of presentations in conferences.

Program management

• Contribute to the preparation and submission of annual work plans and periodic progress reports and assist with monitoring relevant program indicators and evaluating program results.
• Develop, maintain, and monitor a set of client contacts using SalesForce, in collaboration with the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Advisor.
• Support Senior AFOLU Advisor as needed with other duties.

Basic Requirements

• Thai Nationality
• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in sustainability, business administration, agribusiness, agricultural/natural resource economics, agriculture/forestry sciences, climate change mitigation, or other relevant subject with a sustainability focus
• At least seven years of professional experience in business sustainability, sustainable agriculture/forestry, carbon finance, or related fields
• Demonstrated experience in business pipeline development and management; previous experience using SalesForce for pipeline management and analysis preferred
• Experience in corporate environmental sustainability and/or corporate social responsibility
• Demonstrated understanding of AFOLU sector in Southeast Asia, with sufficient relevant experience to perform effectively under complex national and regional operating environments.
• Strong partnership development and client management skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively as part of a team
• Strong written and oral English communication skills
• Competence in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• Ability to work independently and produce timely and high-quality results
• Ability to travel to targeted Southeast Asian countries (~20%)

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated competence in project management, with knowledge of USAID policies and procedures.
• Prior experience working on programs in relevant areas such as sustainable natural resource management, sustainable landscapes, agriculture, private sector investment or related field.
• Experience working with maps and geospatial tools (i.e. Global Forest Watch)

How to Apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and CV to Pact Thailand Human Resources Unit via thailandrecruitment@pactworld.org to subject the position “SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MANAGER” by 20 September 2019.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Pact is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.