ThaiNGO

Position Announcement

Program Officer or Senior Program Officer

Southeast Asia Regional Cooperation

The Asia Foundation’s Thailand Office is seeking motivated and qualified Thai applicants for the position of Program Officer (or Senior Program Officer, depending on qualifications) for Southeast Asia Regional Cooperation. The PO/SPO will lead several ongoing programs that directly support ASEAN, Southeast Asia Regional Cooperation, and Mekong Sub-Regional Cooperation. These programs focus on several transboundary policy areas, including trafficking-in-persons, security cooperation, and natural resource management. This person will also play a leading role in shaping the future of the Foundation’s regional programs in Southeast Asia, including on development cooperation, diplomacy, security, and transboundary cooperation. The PO/SPO will lead and manage research and analytical initiatives projects, organizing regional dialogues, and providing technical input into regional policy discussions. There will also be significant opportunities for public speaking and publications.

The PO/SPO will have extensive engagement with the Australian Government officials, the Thai Foreign Ministry, ASEAN Member State governments, the ASEAN Secretariat, and experts in relevant fields. The position will involve significant regional travel throughout ASEAN, and occasional travel to the United States, Australia, and other regions. This position will report to the Thailand Country Representative, who also manages the Foundation’s Southeast Asia Regional Cooperation programs.

The Foundation’s philosophy is to hire the most capable and talented people as first priority. Successful candidates will have work experience and academic qualifications in any of the following fields:  international relations and diplomacy, development, political science, public policy, government service, economics, security cooperation, and social science research. Furthermore, the Foundation is particularly interested in candidates who are comfortable with public speaking, publishing, and engaging with government officials.  Key qualifications include:

• Extensive knowledge and interest in international relations in Southeast Asia
• Experience with ASEAN, ideally including working for, or engaging with, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN departments in Thai Government ministries, ASEAN sectoral bodies, or other ASEAN-associated entities
• Knowledge and interest in regional architecture and regional cooperation in Southeast Asia
• Experience in key trans-boundary issues, particularly trafficking-in-persons, maritime security, cyber-security, and natural resource management
• Experience conducting research, and publishing research outputs
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Experience working in government or diplomacy is strongly preferred, though not essential
• Entrepreneurial, with a track-record of building new programs or initiatives
• Thai citizenship or dual Thai-other nationality
• Advanced university degree (masters or doctorate) preferred but not required.

Contract initially 2 years with possible extension.

Please send a cover letter with your resume by email to: poonsook.pantitanonta@asiafoundation.org by November 1, 2019. (Only short-listed candidates will be notified).