Deputy Country Representative- Timor-Leste

Dili, Timor-Leste

Full time

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives and expanding opportunities across Asia and the Pacific. Informed by 70 years of experience and deep local knowledge, our work is focused on governance, climate action, gender equity, education and leadership, inclusive growth, and international cooperation. We work in more than 20 countries through our 17 permanent country offices and programs across Asia and the Pacific, supported by a headquarters in San Francisco and an office in Washington, DC. Our funding comes from a diverse array of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.

The Foundation seeks a dynamic and experienced professional to serve as the Deputy Country Representative (DCR) for Timor-Leste in Dili. For over two decades, The Asia Foundation has worked alongside civil society, community, and government partners in Timor-Leste to expand opportunities and overcome challenges. Currently, the Foundation has fifty-five operations and program staff to implement its diverse portfolio of initiatives focused on strengthening governance and policy; ending violence against women and children; supporting private sector development and economic diversification, particularly through growth of the tourism sector; and promoting peace, justice, and security. The Foundation continually calibrates its portfolio to align with the evolving opportunities and challenges facing Timor-Leste. Reporting to the Country Representative, the DCR will oversee Foundation operations in Timor-Leste and support program design and delivery.

The DCR will oversee Foundation operations, including financial, administrative, and personnel management. The DCR will have direct oversight of the Human Resources, Contract, and Subaward, and Office Administration Units, ensuring alignment with TAF and donor requirements and continually identifying areas for efficiency gains and synergies across operations and programs. This will include coordinating inputs from Foundation headquarters teams, including but not limited to People and Culture, Global Information Systems, Program Management and Support, Asia Operations and Coordination, and Finance units.

In collaboration with the Country Representative (CR) and senior leadership team, the DCR will identify and lead program development for emerging engagement areas. This will include coordinating inputs from the Foundation’s regional specialists, evaluation and learning unit, and program development team, as well as external experts. The DCR will provide program delivery input and operational guidance to large-scale program implementing teams. As required, the DCR will directly oversee the inception or implementation of standalone activities and new projects.

The Timor-Leste country office places a high value on the professional growth of its staff. In turn, across all responsibilities, the DCR will take a mentorship approach to continually grow the capacity of staff under his/her supervision. In alignment with the country office’s culture, the DCR will exemplify a “no task too small” approach to his/her work. That is, the DCR will engage in tasks ranging from contributing to office-wide strategic planning to undertaking routine event planning.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership:

Contribute to office-wide strategic planning for operations and programs.
Identify and oversee the implementation of approaches that increase synergies and efficiencies within and between programs and operations in alignment with the Foundation’s strategic objectives and fiduciary responsibilities.
Strategic and proactive engagement with a diverse array of stakeholders to identify emerging trends and issues and opportunities for Foundation programming.
Ensure alignment of systems and processes with organizational objectives and goals, as well as donor and TAF requirements.

Operational Management and Compliance:

Develops and tracks office-wide operational budgets and expenditures in collaboration with the finance and contracts and subawards units.
Oversee operations team, ensuring compliance with grant and contract requirements, financial policies, and practices, as well as related regulations and procedures, ensuring alignment with TAF policies and country regulations. This includes:
- Due diligence requirements of sub-grants and sub-contracts.
- Financial procedures and reporting
- Personnel management
- Workplace ethics and health and safety.
Engage with Foundation headquarters and other country offices to identify, design, and implement operational best practices.

Programs:

Thought leadership on emerging areas for programmatic engagement for the Foundation.
Provide technical guidance to existing programming to ensure the achievement of long-term outcomes for the Foundation and its programs.
Directly manage projects, as required, across the full program cycle (from design and implementation to close out).
Contributes to or leads the development of fundraising strategies and plans; prepares proposals in accordance with Foundation and donor protocols and guidelines.
Accountability for all project expenditures under his/her direct purview, ensuring alignment with donor and Foundation policies.
Responsible for developing budgets and spending projections for existing and potential new programs.

Supervision and Staff Development:

Participates in the recruitment, orientation, training, supervision, and development of staff under their purview, including developing job descriptions and terms of reference, as needed.
Undertakes staff performance reviews.
Utilizing a mentoring approach provides regular, ongoing performance feedback to staff.
Identifies and coordinates opportunities for the professional development of staff.

Representation:

Assists the Country Representative in establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with the host government, national institutions, program partners, development assistance agencies, donors, diplomatic missions, national and international NGOs, professional associations, and academic and national institutions.
Participates in Foundation meetings and other relevant professional forums and events

Relationships:

Internal

Daily contact with the Country Representative, national and international staff; regular direction of consultants, interns, and external Foundation contractors.
Regular contact with the Foundation’s home office units in San Francisco and Washington DC, as well as other country offices and regional hubs.

External

Regular contact with host government officials and agencies in Timor-Leste, national and international partners, consultants, and grantees.
Regular contact with bi-lateral and multi-lateral development assistance agencies, private sector and individual donors, diplomatic missions, national and international NGO directors and staff, professional associations, and academic and national institutions. Engagement with national and international media as required by the Country Representative.

Requirements:

Master’s degree or equivalent years of relevant experience
10+ years of relevant professional experience, including team leadership, program development and management in international settings.
Experience leading operations management (including personnel, finance, and administration), preferably in international development organizations.
Experience in program design and implementation, as well as financial and grants management.
Demonstrated experience identifying emerging areas for programming, and leading proposal development and project inception.
Experience with program- and organization-level monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
Experience managing diverse teams and supporting staff’s professional development.
Experience working and/or living in Timor-Leste or in a country with similar development opportunities.
Demonstrated ability in team management, building, and supervision through a mentoring approach.
Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, and comfortable moving between managing day-to-day tasks and strategic office-wide initiatives within a dynamic environment.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate and summarize complex information into simple concepts for broad communication to multiple types of audiences and stakeholders.
Flexibility, optimism, and intercultural and interpersonal sensitivity.
A personal commitment to promoting gender equality and social inclusion and to modeling individual behaviors consistent with Foundation values.
Ability to provide guidance and support to office-wide teams on operations, as well as program management, development, and delivery.
Existing, or ability to quickly develop an, understanding of the donor landscape and key stakeholders in Timor-Leste.
Strong oral and written communication skills in English. Fluency in Tetun preferred.

How to Apply:

Applications should be submitted by visiting our website. To be considered, please upload your cover letter and resume/CV in one document. You can also upload both in separate documents, but please note that to do so, you will have to sign out of the system and go back into your record for additional documents. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2024.

The Asia Foundation offers excellent salaries commensurate with experience. We are an equal-opportunity employer. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply.

No phone calls, please.

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Deputy Country Representative- Timor-Leste