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 $7 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.

Job Description

The Country Representative for Philippines is a hybrid, full-time contract position, located in Manila, Philippines reporting to the Chief Country Representative of the Philippines. The Country Representative for Philippines manages and directs the staff located in the US-ASEAN Business Council's (USABC) Manila office, who directly report to him/her. The incumbent prepares and reports results in conjunction with team members to the Chief Country Representative, the SVP/RMD, and to USABC HQ. Occasionally, the incumbent may review contracts and legal documents. The position requires occasional domestic (Philippines), regional, and international travel. 

The position supplies research information to USABCI programs on an ad-hoc basis to advance national security interests and U.S. private sector leadership throughout Southeast Asia. Initiatives include partnerships with the U.S. private sector, U.S. Department of Defense/War, and other relevant U.S. government agencies. For this reason, the position requires occasional domestic or regional travel to collect research data for processing.

Responsibilities

• Represent the Council in the Philippines, in coordination with the Chief Representative, to the Government of the Philippines, members, potential members and other associations, industry organizations and key stakeholders
• Represent the Council at functions, meetings and events in the Philippines as appropriate
• Undertake necessary and appropriate steps to support Washington and state-side programs of the Council by providing appropriate advice and information with respect to the Council’s and Council Member’s interests and activities.  
• Monitor local (in the Philippines) English and Filipino/Tagalog-language press and official government websites
• Conduct background research for advocacy efforts, do the stakeholder mapping and find the related contacts; identify potential advocacy issues  
• Produce periodic reports on important news stories in Philippines and weekly analysis of key business issues in Philippines for coordinated compilation into communications to member company representatives 
• Arrange meeting requests with Philippines government officials and other officials in Philippines for Council members as well as Council management; work with Senior Manager and Associates where needed 
• Coordinate with other American and Philippines organizations in Manila where appropriate
• Conduct regular meetings with Council Members in Philippines as well as those based elsewhere to determine their needs and provide assist as necessary
• Track key industries and support specific Council industry committees as needed 
• Track Philippines legislation to produce updates to industry sector teams and members on the potential impact to their businesses and investment 
• In coordination with the Chief Country Representative, the US-based and Manila-based colleagues, organize and execute an annual Philippines Business Mission as well as smaller industry-specific and ASEAN-related missions in the Philippines, including scheduling, planning, and arranging all logistics and helping prepare issue briefings for members and government officials
• Undertake necessary and appropriate steps to provide strategic advice on policy matters and track business and member issues
• Undertake all necessary preparations and strategic advice for Council business missions and events in the Philippines including the scheduling of meetings/events, logistics and in-country travel arrangements, production of briefing materials, follow-up letters, and the like.
• Assist in the retention of current Council members and recruitment of new members 
• Update the Council’s Philippines webpage regularly 
• As needed, work on Council projects, programs and activities outside of the Philippines. 
• Be available for conference calls at reasonable hours including weekly staff calls some of which will be outside normal business hours.  
• Other Council business as needed and requested from time to time
• S/he also must manage the Council’s Senior Manager and Associates, ensuring the Manila team works efficiently and effectively

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Business Administration, International Relations, Political Science, Law, East Asian Studies or a related field. A Masters Degree a major plus.
  
• Exposure to American companies and/or education in the USA preferred.
  
• Visa that allows work in Philippines (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 in order to speak with colleagues in the United States, participate in regular staff calls and consult with Council members based in the 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 Filipino and 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 Philippine 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 Philippines fits into it.
  
• Knowledge of ASEAN as an organization and its key programs and players is a plus.

The position is only open to candidates who are presently eligible to work in the Philippines and do not require sponsorship.

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

Application Procedures

To apply to the Council’s Country Representative (Philippines), please submit a resume, two brief writing samples (no more than two pages each), and a cover letter addressed to the Council's Manila Office. The cover letter should include information about your availability and a brief description of your academic and professional goals.