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ISSARA INSTITUTE

Job Description | Country Director - Thailand

Job Title:                           Country Director - Thailand

Location:                           Bangkok, Thailand

POSITION SUMMARY

The Country Director - Thailand is a key leadership position in an organization that is growing and rapidly testing and implementing approaches to improving labour conditions across extended global supply chains and a range of industries. The Country Director is responsible for managing operations in-country, ensuring smart growth and sound coordination with technical advisors and other directors, and providing support to a team of over 20 across multiple program approaches and operations. They will work closely with other leadership to interface with the Royal Thai Government, global corporate partners and private sector representatives in-country, international governments and missions, civil society organizations and other stakeholders supporting labour migrants and victims of exploitation. The ideal candidate will be able to contribute at a strategic level, but also practically support efficient operations and capable and dynamic multi-cultural teams.  A unique opportunity to truly operate at the nexus of public and private sector and drive meaningful, tangible impact on the ground as well as in the board room. 

BACKGROUND

The Issara Institute is an independent non-profit organization based in Thailand, Myanmar, and the United States tackling issues of human trafficking and forced labour in global supply chains through data, technology, partnership, and innovation. The Institute was established in 2014 by a team of anti- trafficking experts coming out of the United Nations who created an alliance of private sector, civil society, and government partners committed to addressing labour issues in global supply chains with practical, measurable, and scalable results. It is staffed by leading regional and international experts in labour rights, business consulting, and ethical sourcing, with additional technical advisors in the US and UK supporting the Institute’s work on an ongoing basis.

Issara Institute programming is run by four inter-linked teams:

1. Outreach and Empowerment – The O&E Team is comprised of professionals who are the nationality of the workers in the country of operations.  Together the team has expertise in counseling, case management, hotline management, and digital communications, and are the key team linking Issara operations to the populations we aim to empower - jobseekers and workers.

2. Business and Human Rights - The BHR Team is comprised of locally-based, locally-informed professionals in the country of operations.  The BHR Team’s main objective is to provide ongoing support and technical assistance to suppliers, recruiters, and industries to improve ethical labour recruitment and management practices, taking guidance from worker feedback and other empirically-based means of risk assessment.

3. Strategy and Global Partnerships - This team cultivates the connection and engagement between global brands, retailers, and importers, and the situation on the ground in their supply chains and more broadly.  Transformations in how responsible sourcing is done globally are not possible without global buyers understanding and incentivizing more ethical labour recruitment and management systems within their supplier base.

4. Technology and Innovation includes research, technology, and worker voice tools and channels (the Issara multi-lingual hotline, Golden Dreams Android smartphone app, and social media) to better understand labour conditions in supply chains.  People – including worker voice and feedback – are at the center of Issara’s data and intelligence work, and we conduct a wide range of research, analytics, and technology development related to human trafficking and global supply chains – the people, the policies, the impact, and how to eliminate it.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Country Director’s responsibilities will cut across all key program components, day-to-day operations in Thailand, and regional and global collaboration. Specific aspects of the scope of work include:

1. Strategic Planning and Innovation

• Communicate a clear vision of present and future program strategies to team members and stakeholders in Thailand that translate into concrete approaches and work plans. 
• Contribute to annual and ongoing planning exercises on strategic approaches and organizational needs.  
• Ensure a focus on innovation that results in practical application, including supporting new data management systems and relevant analysis and behavior change frameworks to build knowledge and practices of the private sector. 
• Contribute to design processes and proposals.

2. Program Quality and Expansion

• Ensure timely delivery of workplan activities and outputs in Thailand.
• Promote collaboration across teams and regional activities, including links to Issara activities in Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia.  Support assessments and learning, and contribute to research and communications products.
• Assist teams in the planning and implementation of activities to reach Burmese, Cambodian and Thai workers throughout Thailand, including how to leverage information channels and responsibly collect and analyze data.
• Support teams in the design and communication of recommended remedial responses, as well as longer-term capacity building, on the part of employers (supplier businesses).
• Ensure an ethics-focused approach to all program activities, including consistent and thorough risk analysis for workers, staff, and the organization.

3. Operations and Team Management
   • Provide consistent management and mentorship to direct reports and team leaders, and support and direction to an office of over 20 staff.
   • Ensure accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback and support to sustain high quality performance.
   • Ensure operational systems and policies are in place and in compliance with Issara and donor standards. Work with all teams and leadership to ensure program and operational structures are adapted to ongoing needs.
   • Work closely with senior management to ensure sound management of budgeting and finances.
   • Ensure effective and transparent use of resources in compliance with Issara and donor standards, and requirements by the Royal Thai Government.  Ensure quality and timely reporting to the Royal Thai Government on annual activities and budgets.
   • Oversee the development of Issara’s human resources, including staff orientation, professional development, and supervisory oversight and mentoring by managers and team leaders.
   • Create a collaborative, supportive, and secure environment for all Issara staff in the Bangkok office.

4. Key Partnerships and Representation

• Be proactive about building and maintaining partnerships with relevant program partners, including in the anti-trafficking and labour rights communities, local representatives of Strategic Partner businesses, Royal Thai Government, industry associations, businesses in Strategic Partner supply chains, and workers.
• Represent Issara in key meetings, workshops, and other events.  Maintain productive relationships with civil society partners, government actors, and private sector representatives.
• Support the Strategy & Global Partnerships team in their supply chain reporting to Strategic Partners, including developing local relationships, providing representation at key meetings, and identifying new opportunities for partnership.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERTISE

Issara has a lean, dynamic, and seasoned team that is committed to change, innovation, and impact.  We hold a high standard of care for our beneficiaries, and understand that we have to be able to work effectively with partners spanning the largest multinational corporations to the smallest grassroots CBOs. 

Our work ecosystem is multi-cultural, respectful, and energetic.  We aim to ensure that there are many opportunities for sharing, learning, and growth on our team, and are looking for individuals who would flourish in our unique environment.  The Country Director - Thailand should have:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field, such as in the social sciences, business, non-profit management, or law.

• Minimum of 15 years’ relevant work experience, with demonstrated experience in international development programs and skillsets in management and capacity building roles.

• Demonstrated understanding of labour and social issues in global supply chains, and experience working in or with the corporate sector on social issues including responsible sourcing and/or supply chain management.

• Flexibility and ability to function in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment, re-adjusting and re-prioritizing tasks when needed.

• Strong inter-personal and communications skills, including sensitivity to and appreciation for diverse viewpoints and different communication styles in a multi-cultural environment.

• Demonstrated program management skills and experience in overseeing non-profit programs and operations.

• Ability to multi-task and maneuver between high-level strategic thinking and day-to-day oversight of program and administration.

• Fluency in English required, with excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills.  Proficiency in Thai language and a familiarity with Southeast Asian cultures are both preferred.

LIVING CONDITIONS

The position is based in Bangkok, Thailand at the Issara office in the Ekkamai area. The position requires 20-25% travel to areas in Thailand where Issara has existing activities or is conducting assessments; occasionally there may be opportunities to travel to regional or global strategic meetings or events. 

If you are interested in applying for this position, please send a CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and relevant expertise to admin@issarainstitute.org.  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Closing Date               :      19 April 2026 (11:59 PM, Bangkok Time)