ThaiNGO

THE ASIA FOUNDATION

Position Description

TITLE:    Program Officer – Policy and Research           REPORTS TO:     Country Representative

CONSULTS:         Country Representative                               SUPERVISES:       

Contract term:   2 years initially, with possibility of extension

SUMMARY OF JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The Asia Foundation’s Thailand Office is seeking qualified, talented Thai applicants for the position of Program Officer for Policy and Research. The Foundation is re-orienting our programs to focus on Thailand’s most important challenges, such as the middle-income trap, education reform, inequality and regional disparities, and Thailand’s relations with ASEAN and major powers. This position will play a central role in building these new program areas.

This Program Officer for Policy and Research will lead new programs that seek to inform the Thai Government, civil society, and key stakeholders on critical issues facing the country. Some of these programs will also be intended to inform and influence Thailand’s key international partners on development and foreign policy, including the US, Australia, EU, and others. Likely program areas may include:

• Inequality and regional disparities in Thailand
• Economic competitiveness and the middle-income trap
• Education reform
• International relations and regional cooperation

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

The PO reports to the Country Representative and coordinates with the Finance Director and members of the Finance unit. The PO consults frequently with the program team and maintains communication with colleagues in other program areas.

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

The PO meets occasionally with local partners, government officials, consultants, academic specialists, and program advisors to discuss program development, implementation and other issues relevant to Foundation projects. The PO meets occasionally with counterparts in existing and potential donor agencies to update them on program progress as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

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:  political science, development, public policy, government service, diplomacy/international relations, economics, business/private sector, and social science research. Furthermore, the Foundation is particularly interested in candidates who are comfortable with public speaking, proposal writing, publishing, and engaging with government.  Key qualifications include:

• Knowledge of important public policy issues in Thailand, and/or international relations
• Experience in managing programs or initiatives to support government policy reforms
• Experience conducting research, with preference for background in social sciences and/or public perception surveys
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Experience working in government or diplomacy is strongly preferred, though not essential
• Ability to work in a fast-paced team environment
• Entrepreneurial, with a track-record of building new programs or initiatives
• Thai citizen (required)
• Advanced university degree (masters or doctorate) preferred but not required.

JOB FUNCTIONS

Intellectual Leadership:  The person in this role will shape program direction, lead intellectual and policy discussions, and strengthen partnerships with government, civil society, and leading experts. The position will also be required to play a key role in raising the Foundation’s influence and profile in Thailand, through contact with the media, influential stakeholders, and the international community.

Research:  This position will play an important role in managing research programs, including perception surveys and various qualitative methods. The successful candidate should have experience conducting rigorous research on policy-relevant issues, ideally with field experience in Thailand. Most importantly, this person will play a lead role in translating research findings into clear, understandable conclusions and stories that will captivate audiences and maximize the influence of the research.

Supporting government reform efforts:  This position will also lead the Foundation’s work on programs that support policy reformers in government. The successful candidate would ideally have experience working with policy-makers and reformers in government, and a passion for supporting reform processes through stakeholder engagement. Experience with political-economy analysis is strongly preferred.

Please send a cover letter specifying the position to which you are applying with your resume by email to: poonsook.pantitanonta@asiafoundation.org by March 16, 2018. (Only short-listed candidates will be notified).