Employment Opportunities
CONSULTANT OPPORTUNITIES
The Asia Foundation is an international organization based in San Francisco with 17 offices in Asia, and an office in Washington, D.C. The Human Resources Department in San Francisco handles all employment and internship inquiries for the entire organization. The Asia Foundation is committed to a policy of providing equal opportunities in recruiting and selecting employees.
The Asia Foundation believes in providing equal opportunities without regard to age, color, country of origin, handicap, veteran status, religion, sex or sexual orientation. For U.S.-based positions, you must be legally eligible to work in the U.S.
We are currently seeking qualified motivated individuals for the following consultant positions:
ASIA
Administrative Law Experts for China Rule of Law Program, China
Executive Staff Officer, Afghanistan
Director Government Media Centre, Afghanistan
Donor Liaison Advisor, Afghanistan
Business Advisor, Vietnam
UNITED STATES
No opportunities at this time.
For U.S.-based positions you must be legally eligible to work in
the U.S.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Please follow the guidelines below to ensure timely consideration of your application for the above positions:
Please send cover letter and resume to:
- Human Resources Department
The Asia Foundation
465 California Street, 9th Floor
PO Box 193223
San Francisco, CA 94119-3223 - Fax cover letter and resume to: 415-956-4857
- Or e-mail cover letters and resumes to: consultantssf@asiafound.org.
- NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
Administrative Law Experts for China Rule of Law Program, China
The Asia Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, and open Asia-Pacific region, is seeking qualified administrative law specialists with expertise in: administrative procedural rights enforcement; transparency and compliance with administrative laws and procedures; administrative procedural strengthening; public participation in decision-making; training judges, lawyers, and legal aid workers on administrative procedures; and/or legal education focused on administrative law.
Experience working in China and managing donor-funded international development programs is highly desired. English language skills required. Mandarin language skills highly desirable.
Interested applicants are requested to send a cover letter and CV to consultantssf@asiafound.org. Please indicate if you are interested in a short-term or long-term position.
PROJECT DIRECTOR, AFGHANISTAN
Position: Project Director, Ministry of Women's Affairs Initiative to Support Policy and Advocacy through Communications
Location: Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA); Kabul, Afghanistan,
Duration: August 15, 2008 – August 14, 2009 (initial one year contract with possibility of extension up to one year (based on the availability of funds)
Start Date: August 15, 2008
Posting Date: July 25, 2008
Summary and Background:
The Asia Foundation is implementing a project entitled "Ministry of Women Affairs Initiative to Strengthen Policy and Advocacy through Communication and Institutional Building" (MISPA) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project focuses on enhancing the capacities of MoWA to be a credible, visible and effective advocate within government and civil society to enhance women's status. The project is currently mid-way through its five years and is housed within the Ministry. To strengthen the Ministry and its staff the project is currently working the following important areas; policy advocacy, communications, and provincial outreach.
The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the MoWA's capacity. The project is currently divided into four inter-related components;
- Improve policy advocacy
- Strengthen the ministry's ability to develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy that supports its mission.
- Strengthen the provincial operations of MoWA and Women's Resource Centers.
- Improve ministry capacity to develop and manage its annual operational and national development budgets.
The project also works to support facilities and infrastructure improvements to create an enabling work environment for the Ministry.
In brief, the first two years of implementation, have included the following accomplishments:
- Nurtured and strengthened effective working relationships with the senior Ministry leadership
- Supported the Ministry to more effectively collect statistical data related to women, analyze it, and make it available through communications efforts
- Established a Directorate of Media and Communications, trained staff and developed an overarching Communications strategy for the Ministry.
- Provided comprehensive training to the heads of provincially based Department of Women's Affairs to strengthen their ability to develop annual workplans, be guided by terms of reference, and become a resource and referral center for women in the provinces of Afghanistan.
- Enhanced the IT infrastructure within the Ministry and strengthened security measures in the Ministry and provincial offices.
Tasks:
The Project Director will manage a team of eight staff and report to a Deputy Country Representative. The director will be responsible for the following specific tasks:
- Provide overall leadership and vision for the project
- Manage for results; seek to achieve key outputs identified in the annual workplan in a timely and participatory fashion.
- Strengthen the team and build their professional performance capacity.
- Liaise with USAID, key ministry officials, donors and The Asia Foundation
- Support the broad gender mainstreaming process that is part of the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan (NAPWA)
- Assist to hire appropriate consultants for short-term activities.
- Develop an annual work plan and budget to ensure effective project monitoring.
- Effective management of the budget and production of a monthly spending projection.
- Respond to changes in the local, as well as funding environment as it affects implementation
- Conduct weekly staff meetings with the project team.
- Respond to short turn around requests for information and data from USAID.
Deliverables:
- Submission of bi-weekly and quarterly narrative reports to the donor on the progress of project implementation.
- Weekly progress meetings to report on project accomplishments with supervisor
- Development and revision of the annual workplan and program monitoring plan for donor approval
- Project budget expended based on projection
- Conduct performance reviews as needed for national project staff members.
Qualifications:
- Graduate degree in social sciences with expertise in project management in a post-conflict setting.
- Ten or more years of international development experience in project development and implementation in a government setting
- Extensive experience in managing multi-faceted projects, particularly in challenging environments.
- Ability to work with ministry leadership and staff using a capacity building and participatory approach
- Strong oral and written skills in English
- Experience in leading a team
- Ability to work effectively in a team
Other Skills: (Desirable)
- Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to move the program forward
- The ability to create a positive working environment
- An understanding of the Afghan context and its challenges
Interested candidates should apply not later than Monday, August 04, 2008 with a cover letter explaining their interest in this position and a CV. mowa@ag.asiafound.org
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.
EXECUTIVE STAFF OFFICER, AFGHANISTAN
Post Title: Executive Staff Officer
Organization: Office of the President
Directorate: Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG)
Location: Kabul
Contract Duration: Six Months (Possibility for extension)
Number of Posts: One
Sex: Male or Female (equal opportunity)
Nationality: Afghan Expatriate
Salary: Based on salary history and qualifications
Reports To: Director General Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG)
Announcement Date: June 24, 2008
Closing Date: June 30, 2008
Submission by e-mail: idlg@ag.asiafound.org
Background
The Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG) was established through a Presidential decree on August 30th, 2007 with the mandate to improve governance in order to achieve stability, security, and development throughout Afghanistan. The mission of the IDLG is to consolidate peace and stability, achieve development and equitable economic growth and to achieve improvements in service delivery through just, democratic processes and institutions of good governance at sub-national level thus improving the quality of life of Afghan citizens.
Role Description
The Executive Staff Officer (ESO) provides direct day-to-day "close" tactical and strategic support to the Director General (DG) of the IDLG and is a member of the IDLG senior management team. The ESO will report directly to the DG of the IDLG and will:
- Provide a broad range of strategic and tactical support to the DG as needed Serve as a member of the IDLG senior management team
- Assist the DG to conceptualize, think through, and prepare official IDLG positions and strategies
- Represent the DG as required on internal and external matters pertaining to the IDLG
- Help to manage external stakeholder relations
- Help to prepare the DG's speeches and presentations
- Work closely with the IDLG Strategic Communications Coordinator on the preparation of important public messages emanating from the IDLG
- Track and manages issues requiring the DG's attention (external and internal)
- Manage the DG's workflow
- Help to prioritize the DG's activities and schedule
- Manage the DG's correspondence and information flow
- Summarize reports and other important communications that require the DG's attention
- Follow up on the DG's directives and executive orders to ensure that they are implemented
- Prepare the agenda for the DG's senior management meetings
Desired Qualifications
- University degree
- 15-20 years of work experience
- Previous experience working in the Government of Afghanistan
- Good knowledge of Government operations and personalities
- Good knowledge of the different regions and ethnic groups within Afghanistan Ability to conceptualize strategies and turn them into tactical plans
- Excellent writing, speaking, and presentation skills
- Excellent diplomatic and human relations skills
- Excellent problem solving skills
- The ability to work in a fast paced environment
- The ability to work collaboratively as part of a senior management team
- Professional presence and appearance
- Good Dari/Pashto/English language skills
Qualified Afghan applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with a detailed application letter including a contact number or address. Please indicate in the subject line of your covering letter the position that you are applying for. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2008. Please submit your applications either electronically or by mail to: idlg@ag.asiafound.org or to The Asia Foundation office mentioned below. The Foundation will not accept telephone inquiries.
Only short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.
The Asia Foundation
House No. 55, Street 1
Jawzjan Watt
Next to Ashraf Watt Mosque, Ansari Square,
Shahr-e-Naw, Kabul
CONSULTANTS, TIMOR LESTE
The Asia Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, and open Asia-Pacific region, is seeking qualified short-term and long-term consultants for potential opportunities in Timor-Leste in the elections, local governance, and civil society sectors.
Qualifications
Applicants must be development aid professionals, have an advanced degree in a relevant field and must have experience working with government and donor communities. Experience working in Timor-Leste highly desired. Excellent written and spoken English are required. Tetum and/or Portuguese language highly desirable. Excellent consulting skills will be required including: Communication, both oral and written, consensus building, team facilitation, an emphasis on results and cultural sensitivity.
Interested applicants are requested to send a cover letter and CV to consultantssf@asiafound.org. Please indicate if you are interested in a short-term or long-term position.
DIRECTOR GOVERNMENT MEDIA CENTRE
Background
The Presidential spokesperson's office is
responsible for planning, programming and coordinating all activities
towards effective collection and dissemination of government activities
to the media. Additionally, the spokesperson office seeks to enhance
understanding of government policies and programs through public out
reach activities. The spokesperson's office is the focal point for all
media related issues of concern to the President and is responsible for
conducting briefings to the media as well as organizing press
conferences.
Summary of Job Responsibilities:
The Director of the Media Centre is accountable for:
- Support the Presidential Spokesperson;
- Manage daily operations of the Government Media Centre;
- Organize regular and special press conferences for the media;
- Assist Presidential Spokesperson with daily press inquiries;
- Assist Presidential Spokesperson to draft press releases, fact sheets, talking points, speeches, and other briefing material for Spokesman's review;
- Assist Presidential Spokesperson in organizing interviews and briefings for the press with government officials;
- Serve as liaison to counterparts in other government press offices;
- Provide direction and oversight for maintenance of Presidential Office website;
- Manage efficiently and effectively the use of financial, human and other material resources available to the Government Media Centre;
- Perform other duties as required.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Extensive background in Journalism, Mass Communication, Public relations, preferably with a focus on Political Science at the graduate studies level;
- Should be able to illustrate a proven, 5+ year track record in media related work;
- Experience working for the Government of Afghanistan preferable;
- Must be self-motivated and able to work independently while ensuring strictest adherence to all applicable rules and procedures;
- Must have outstanding supervisory, organizational, communication and public relations building skills;
- Must have confident communications skills in Dari, Pashto, and English;
- Must be Charismatic with very effective interpersonal skills;
- Motivational leader who leads by example with experience at managing at a senior level;
- Very good coaching and mentoring abilities;
- Very good judgment and understanding of the sensitivities associated with the Presidential Office;
- Proven technical ability and excellent understanding of the way Government in Afghanistan functions;
- Ability to work well with other government related sections and departments;
- Ability to think strategically and relate work to wider organizational priorities; and
- Ability to work under extreme pressure and to tight deadlines.
Qualified applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes with
a detailed application letter including a contact number or address.
The deadline for applications is June 09, 2008. Please submit your
applications either electronically or by mail to: agmc@ag.asiafound.org or to The Asia Foundation office mentioned below. The Foundation will not accept telephone inquiries.
Only short listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.
The Asia Foundation
House No. 55, Street No. 1
Jawzjan Watt
Next to Ashraf Watt Mosque, Ansari Square
Shahr-e-Naw, Kabul
DONOR LIAISON ADVISOR, AFGHANISTAN
The Asia Foundation is seeking applicants for the position of Donor
Liaison Advisor for the Ministry of Women's Affairs on the MISPA
project, starting in July 2008. Successful applicant will be offered an
initial 6-month contract with a possibility of renewal for FY 2009
subject to performance.
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan, with occasional travel outside the capital
General
Summary The Asia Foundation is implementing the project "Ministry of
Women's Affairs Initiative to Strengthen Policy and Advocacy through
Communication and Institution Building (MISPA)" with funding from
United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program
focuses on enhancing the Ministry of Women's Affairs' (MoWA) capacity
to be a credible, visible, and effective advocate within government and
civil society to advance women's interests.
As of January 2008 MISPA moved into its third year, with focus during the coming year on the following components:
- Improving the policy advocacy through leadership development and support to the MoWA's senior management;
- Strengthening MoWA's ability at the central and provincial levels to develop and implement comprehensive communications strategies that support the Ministry's mission and mandate;
- Increasing the provincial DoWA's capacity to operate as resource and referral centers for women;
- Improving strategic decision-making and increasing transparency of the Ministry's budget allocation and planning processes.
In this project The Asia Foundation is committed to
- Further build upon what has been accomplished by the Ministry and donors in areas relevant to the MISPA activities
- Ensure that relevant internal capacity is developed within the Ministry, which also requires very close cooperation with and mentoring of MoWA personnel during implementation of project activities.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Donor Liaison Advisor's primary role is to coordinate MoWA's
technical assistance (TA) providers and undertake outreach activities
on behalf of the Minister and the Ministry, particularly among
International Organizations (IOs). The DLA will also develop concept
papers and proposals for submission to the relevant donors as and when
required by the Ministry. Specifically the incumbent will:
Coordinate MoWA TA providers
- Develop relationships and provide ongoing liaison with all IOs currently providing assistance to the MoWA to ensure information flows are established and maintained; develop information exchange partnerships and ensure the collection and dissemination of data according to standardized practices.
- Collect and maintain comprehensive information products of the IOs, including mappings of donor assistance per department and sector, support for formal training and capacity building activities, and overall objectives of donor projects.
Liaise with the larger donor community
- Develop and maintain a list of donors and organizations working on women's issues in Afghanistan, including sector priorities, funding levels and cycles, implementing partners, and grant requirements.
- In consultation with relevant MoWA departments, develop unsolicited proposals to submit to donors.
- Closely follow requests for proposals from donors, select those to respond to in consultation with appropriate MoWA officials, and prepare and submit the proposals.
- Develop and implement a donor engagement strategy for MoWA that maps MoWA and Donor priorities.
- Implement a donor research programme to identify potential donors to whom MOWA can submit proposals for both core budget/operational expenses/staffing and activity-based support.
- Promote and explain the role of MoWA to the International Donor community.
- Promote and support the MOWA mandate at coordination meetings, sectoral working groups, and other inter-agency meetings.
Accountability
The Donor Liaison Advisor will report to the Project Director and work closely with the Office of the Minister.
Qualifications / Experience
- University degree with 5 years related work experience;
- Successful experience in donor relations and proposal development;
- Excellent liaison and inter-personal skills;
- Ability to write clearly and concisely in English;
- Ability to work with minimum supervision in a multi-cultural environment;
- Fluency in verbal and written communication in Dari and English a must;
- Qualified Afghan candidates preferred
Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their resumes with
a detailed application letter and contact details no later than June
10, 2008 to The Asia Foundation office. Only short listed candidates
will be informed.
Address:
The Asia Foundation
House No. 55, Street No. 1
Shahr-e Naw, Kabul
Email: mowajobs@ag.asiafound.org
BUSINESS ADVISOR, VIETNAM
The Asia Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization
committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, and open
Asia-Pacific region, is seeking a qualified long-term economic
competitiveness advisor to serve as Business Advisor for an ongoing
program in Vietnam.
The consultants will need to demonstrate:
- Knowledge and/or experience of the legal, political, economic, administrative and socio-cultural context of economic governance and decentralization in Vietnam;
- Experience of undertaking effective consultation with a wide range of national and international stakeholders, with a range of interests;
- Experience of designing economic governance programs, especially at the provincial level;
- Familiarity with major USAID design principles and methods, including development of logical frameworks and terms of reference.
Qualifications
Applicants must have a minimum of 10
years of experience in areas related to economic development, private
sector development, SME/enterprise development, or local economic
development. An advanced degree in Economics or another relevant field
is required and the applicant must have experience developing and
managing complex projects, leading and supervising multi-disciplinary
teams, and working with government and donor communities. Excellent
written and spoken English are required. Local language capability is
desirable. Excellent consulting skills will be required including:
Communication, both oral and written, consensus building, team
facilitation, an emphasis on results and cultural sensitivity.
Experience or knowledge of Vietnam is preferred
Please send your CV and cover letter consultantssf@asiafound.org by May 23, 2008.