Overview

The US-ASEAN Business Council is the premier advocacy organization for U.S. corporations operating within the dynamic Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), serving as the leading voice of the U.S. private sector in promoting mutually beneficial trade and investment relationships between the United States and Southeast Asia. The Council is the only U.S.-based organization recognized in the ASEAN charter as a supporting organization of ASEAN. The Council's members include more than 180 of the most successful and innovative corporations in the world, including Apple, Boeing, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Google, and Microsoft. Combined, these 180+ companies generate over $9 trillion in revenue and employ more than 13 million people worldwide.

Cradled between China, India and Australia, ASEAN is the third-largest economy in the Indo-Pacific and the fifth largest in the world with a GDP of $2.8 trillion and a population of 650 million. As a critical hub for global trade, more than $3.4 trillion in global trade transits through ASEAN each year. In 2019, ASEAN became the 4th largest goods export market for the U.S. after Canada, Mexico, and China, reaching over $105 billion in exports in goods and services. It has also attracted more U.S. investment than any other destination in the whole of Indo-Pacific, receiving almost $329 billion in investment, more than the United States has directed to China, India, Japan, and South Korea combined.

Essential Duty Elements

The Associate Position – Philippines is a hybrid, full-time position, reporting to the Chief Representative. The incumbent serves, prepares, and reports results to the Chief Representative. The position may require occasional domestic and/or regional travel. Currently, there are no supervisory responsibilities.

The Associate supports the Council’s programs and initiatives pertaining to specific countries and industry sectors represented by the Council’s members. The Associate will monitor media/press in issue areas s/he is assigned. S/he will identify partnership opportunities with relevant stakeholders including the Philippine government, ASEAN governments and other trade/sector-specific organizations and associations deemed relevant. S/he will also identify, monitor and address policy challenges and opportunities affecting those stakeholders and is expected to have the ability to develop and grow contacts with them. In addition, s/he is expected to develop contacts with leading business executives, academics, think tank leaders and the media in Philippines and beyond. S/he will interact regularly with the leadership of the Council’s Philippine Committee and with the ASEAN-based liaisons as well as representatives of the Council’s member companies throughout ASEAN, Asia and the United States. S/he will also provide support to the membership team’s goals of expanding the Council and assist in the retention of current Council members, potential upgrades and recruitment of new members.

Responsibilities

Advocacy Support:

• Monitor key information sources in the Philippines and provide necessary update in the Council’s advocacy monitoring systems
• Prepare research and briefing documents for the Philippine Office
• Support US-ABC advocacy efforts, and policy development and analysis projects of the Philippine office

Government Relations and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build contacts with Philippines government officials and policy makers
• Establish a network of industry partners and develop relationships with key industry associations.
• Build relationships with Philippines, U.S., and ASEAN working level staff in key government agencies
• Monitor government appointments, election results, and changes in positions in relevant government agencies
• Maintain the Philippine Office’s stakeholder database
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date Council databases, including web pages and membership directory
• Keep abreast with key corporate and business development in member companies

Event Management and Programming:

• Assist in the development and execution of programming such as roundtables, briefings, seminars, workshops, and business missions.
• Provide logistical and other support activities for compiling work plans, business missions, industry sector missions, and events.
• Support the Philippines team in executing in-person events and forums.
• Work with staff in the Philippines, Washington, DC, and throughout Southeast Asia to ensure project completion and escalate as needed.

Administrative Support:

• Draft member communication reports, meeting notes, and readouts
• Maintain an up-to-date Philippine Output Tracker.
• Work with the Manager to complete administrative tasks, including expense reports.
• Handle scheduling appointments and follow-ups.
• Handle general office operations, including managing office supplies, equipment, and facilities.
• Other Council business as needed and requested from time to time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Business Administration, International Relations, Political Science, East Asian Studies or a related field. A master’s degree is a plus.
• Exposure to American companies is preferred.
• A minimum requirement for this ASEAN based position is the ability to work legally in the Philippines on a permanent basis and have a valid passport to be able to travel outside of the country.
• Must understand and abide by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States and USABC’s Commitment to Diversity, Anti-Discrimination, and Anti-Harassment Policy.
• 1-2 years of work experience as well as government, government relations, research, business development and/or multinational management.
• Demonstrated experience successfully managing programs and budgets and tracking and advocating on key policy issues.

Preferred Skills

• Must be able to work independently without significant direction and achieve concrete results.
• Must be organized, detail-oriented and be able to successfully handle multiple tasks at the same time and function in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be willing to work beyond normal business hours in order to speak with colleagues in Southeast Asia and the United States, participate in regular staff calls and consult with Council members based in Asia and the United States
• Needs to be member-focused and maintain good and open working relationships with the Council’s 180+ member companies and their representatives.
• Must be fluent in English with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Should be able to demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality English-language publications.
• Must have excellent research skills and be able to learn and absorb quickly. Excellent working knowledge of Internet research and MS Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required.
• Must be able to interact with all organizational levels including senior management of member companies, senior business leaders from ASEAN countries, senior government leaders from ASEAN countries, academics, think tanks and media.
• Must have a good sense of logistics and ability to plan, run and execute programs.
• Must be a strategic thinker who understands key variables and can execute a plan to move members’ issues forward.
• Needs to have knowledge of Southeast Asia, including its history, culture, politics and business environment.
• Knowledge of ASEAN as an organization and its key programs and players is a plus.

Additional Notes:

**Due to the position’s potential travel requirements, the incumbent must always maintain awareness of and proof of compliance with all immigration (visa), CDC and WHO vaccination or other health requirements recommended for worldwide travel or be willing to fund job-related travel from personal funds. **

Application Procedure

To apply to the Council’s Associate - Philippines position, please submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample (no more than two pages).