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, Harley Davidson 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.

Description

The Chief Country Representative for Singapore is a hybrid, full-time position, located in Singapore reporting to the Senior Vice President/ Regional Managing Director (SVP/RMD) located in Singapore.  The Chief Country Representative for Singapore manages and directs the staff located in the US-ASEAN Business Council's (USABC) Singapore office, who directly report to him/her, and supports the identification and execution of special projects in coordination with the Director of Special Initiatives. S/he prepares and reports results in conjunction with team members to the SVP/RMD and to USABC HQ. Occasionally, s/he may conduct a briefing for the Council's Board of Directors about in-country activities. The position requires occasional domestic (Singapore), regional, and international travel. 

The Chief Country Representative for Singapore is responsible for designing and implementing the USABC policy and program growth and membership retention strategy aligned with USABC’s strategic objectives. The Chief Country Representative for Singapore is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of membership growth strategies, day-to-day management of the USABC member engagement, and coordinating with the Director of Special Initiatives to help identify opportunities and execute special projects across the region. Serves as the liaison for the Council and the Membership to build a strong membership culture; works closely with the RMD/SVP and the CEO to achieve the goal of quality relationships for the Council’s interaction with ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, APEC, the Singapore Government, multilateral institutions, the diplomatic community, and the private sectors, to ensure the achievement of USABC’s membership goals while delivering and ensuring the highest level of service to members.  

The Chief Country Representative for Singapore is the Council’s Chief Representative in Singapore and its primary liaison with the Singapore Government, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the U.S. diplomatic presence in Singapore (Embassy). S/he manages the Council’s Singapore office. S/he is expected to have existing high- and working-level contacts in the Singapore Government before starting the role and can develop those contacts further, especially in the key Economic Ministries, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Finance, and the committees of Parliament, soon after joining the Council. In addition, s/he is expected to develop a broad range of contacts with leading business executives, academics, think tank leaders and the media in Singapore. The Chief Country Representative must be familiar with the key media outlets and monitor them daily, knowing in detail the current priority business, trade, and investment issues for the Council’s member companies. S/he must be the Council’s expert on Singapore on the ground in Singapore and will help drive Council strategy and advocacy efforts. S/he must interact regularly the Council’s Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Singapore-based Committee leadership and its Washington, DC-based Senior Maritime Director, Senior Country Analyst, Country Analyst, as well as with Council members based in Singapore, in other parts of ASEAN or Asia and in the United States. S/he also must manage the Council’s Singapore Managers, Associate, and Coordinator, ensuring the Singapore team works efficiently and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Represent the Council in Singapore to the Government of Singapore, Council members, potential members, the U.S. Embassy and other associations or industry organizations.

• Manage the Council’s Singapore Office with overall responsibility for its administrative functions, budget, events, business missions, roundtables, meetings, and other on-the-ground activities. Identify potential programs of value to members and take the lead on planning and executing all Singapore-based programming.

• In conjunction with the US-based Senior Maritime Director, Maritime Director and Senior Country Research Analyst as well as the Singapore-based Managers and Associate, organize and execute an annual Singapore Business Mission as well as smaller industry-specific and ASEAN missions, including scheduling, planning, and arranging all logistics and helping prepare issue briefings for members and government officials.

• Represent the Council at third-party events, briefings, and meetings in Singapore.

• Regularly (at least weekly) report to SVP/RMD and headquarters in Washington, DC about key events, briefings, and meetings.

• Work closely with the Senior Vice President/Regional Managing Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, Vice President, Senior Maritime Director, Maritime Director, Senior Country Research Analyst, Singapore Managers, and Associate on all issues, strategy, and advocacy efforts in Singapore.

• Establish and maintain working relationships with relevant Singapore government officials, business leaders, academics, think tanks and media.

• Conduct regular meetings with Council Members in Singapore as well as those based elsewhere to determine their needs and provide assist as necessary.

• Work closely with the U.S. Embassy to ensure that Council members’ issues are understood by, and their efforts coordinated with Embassy officials.

• Coordinate with other American and Singaporean organizations in Singapore where appropriate.

• Track Singapore business, trade, and investment issues in the English-language press as well as in international publications.

• In conjunction with the US-based Senior Maritime Director, Deputy Director and Senior Country Analyst, Country Analysts as well as the Singapore-based Managers, produce Singapore Country Updates and media summaries on key issues important to Council members. The media summaries should include reviews of the major Singaporean press with summaries of major articles.

• Arrange meeting requests with Singapore government officials and other officials in Singapore for Council members as well as Council management.

• Oversee the work of other Singapore-based staff and invest in their involvement in priority aspects of the Singapore program and their professional growth.

Qualifications

• 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 a major plus.

• Exposure to American companies and/or education in the USA preferred.

• Visa that allows work in Singapore (if applicable).

• 10-15 years of work experience ideally in government, government relations, research, business development and/or multinational management.

• Must have significant and demonstrated experience in successfully managing people and budgets.

• 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 to speak with colleagues in the United States, participate in regular staff calls and consult with Council members based in the U.S. and other parts of Asia.

• Needs to be member-focused and maintain good and open working relationships with the Council’s 180+ member companies and their representatives.

• Fluency in English with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Should be able to demonstrate the ability to produce high-quality English-language publications.

• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office software including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

• Must have good research skills and be able to learn and absorb quickly.

• 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.

• Must be able to interact with all organizational levels including senior management of member companies, senior Singaporean business leaders, senior government leaders, 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 a thorough knowledge of Southeast Asia, including its history, culture, politics, and business environment, and how Singapore fits into it.

• Knowledge of ASEAN as an organization and its key programs and players is a plus.

Application Procedure

To apply to the Council’s Chief Country Representative for Singapore position, please submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample (no more than two pages).