Overview and Organization Background

The US-ASEAN Business Council Inc. (Council) was established in 1984 as a non-profit organization.  On behalf of its members, the Council conducts research and analysis of economic, environmental, financial, political, and social, conditions in the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Council utilizes the results of its research and analysis to assist its member companies by providing educational programs, technical information for product innovation, and trade and investment-related activities.  Through its 501c3 arm, the Council provides support for humanitarian efforts, community engagement, and educational scholarships. The Council has become the leading voice of the U.S. private sector in promoting mutually beneficial trade and investment relationships between the U.S. and the ten countries of Southeast Asia.

The Council supports the interests of 180+ member companies by providing advocacy, thought leadership, research, education, intelligence, and building key business relationships. Worldwide, the Council's members generate over $7 trillion in revenue and employ more than 13 million people. The Council is the only American organization formally recognized in the ASEAN Charter and meets annually with the Finance, Trade, and Energy Ministers at their annual meetings. The Council produces research papers on cybersecurity, energy, environment, financial services, health, information communications technology, life sciences, sustainability, and other leading-edge topics and activities in ASEAN. The Council currently has 20 employees in the United States and 34 employees in ASEAN.  Members companies include 3M, Abbott, Chubb, Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Google, Intel, and UPS. The Council has offices in Washington, DC, New York, NY, Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Singapore.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Council management encouraged innovation, made strategic investments, communicated, and regularly engaged with internal and external stakeholders, streamlined processes, and made strategic budget cuts designed to avoid layoffs and remain solvent. US-ABC's people-centered philosophy and flexible business model aligned with the still prevailing longer-term trends of remote work and enhanced technology. US-ABC pivoted successfully, offered virtual programs, safeguarded the staff, and achieved budget goals. The Council continued to grow, thanks to the support of its current members and an influx of new members. The technology investments promoted greater regional teamwork amongst the seven ASEAN offices and spark greater creativity.

The US-ASEAN Business Council believes that a diverse and inclusive workforce drives innovation and creates a culture of respect and understanding.  We are committed to fostering an environment where all employees feel valued, respected and supported, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age or background.  We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply and to bring their unique perspectives to our organization.

Introduction

The Associate – ASEAN position is a hybrid, full-time position, reporting to the Senior Research Director of Digital Policy and the Senior Manager for ASEAN. The incumbent prepares reports and carries out projects and programs in the region for ASEAN related to Digital Economy, Standards, Sustainability and other committees/working groups as required. The position may require occasional domestic and/or regional travel. Currently, there are no supervisory responsibilities.

Essential Job Elements

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 ASEAN and internationally on the industry/issue areas s/he is assigned. S/he will identify partnership opportunities with relevant stakeholders in ASEAN and other trade/sector-specific organizations and associations. 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 the ASEAN region and beyond. S/he will interact regularly with the leadership of the Council’s ASEAN 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. S/he will also monitor ASEAN and international press and provide analysis to Council members regarding movement, opportunities, and challenges of the multilateral agreements such as Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). Additionally, s/he organizes the Council’s annual business missions to the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meetings and the ASEAN Secretariat. May occasionally support SME Program, and other committee missions as required.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor media/press in each country, regionally and internationally to ensure members and colleagues are aware of the latest developments in the industry or issue area s/he is assigned.
• Coordinate analysis and communication pertaining to key agreements involving ASEAN Member States such as IPEF, RCEP and DEFA.
• Work directly with Council members to drive initiatives in countries across ASEAN by identifying local government priorities and expanding on public-private engagement opportunities such as regular dialogues and consultations.
• Develop programming such as roundtables, briefings, seminars, workshops and business missions advancing the objectives of the member companies.
• Build relationships with U.S. and ASEAN government officials and policy makers/influencers.
• Build a network of industry partners and relationships with key industry associations.
• Work cross-functionally to position corporate messages, create advocacy among stakeholders and reinforce efforts to properly position private sector views.
• Conduct research on trade policy.
• Work with the staff in Indonesia, Washington, DC and throughout Southeast Asia to ensure all projects and daily workload are being completed and escalated to the supervisor as needed.
• Monitor implications of policy and political activity on sector-specific business areas and provide regular updates to member companies, including staying up to date on key contacts and regional and U.S.-based events.
• In concert with the Chief Country Representative of Indonesia, undertake necessary and appropriate steps to provide strategic advice on policy matters.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Business Administration, International Relations, Political Science, 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 Indonesia on a permanent basis, have a valid passport to be able to travel to the U.S. and throughout ASEAN, and to abide by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States.
• 2-4 years of work experience, ideally in 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 the U.S., participate in regular staff calls and consult with Council members based in Southeast Asia and the U.S.
• 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. **