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 170 of the most successful and innovative corporations in the world, including Apple, Boeing, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Google, and Microsoft. Combined, these 170+ 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.

Position Overview

The Country Representative for Malaysia and Brunei is a hybrid, full-time contract position, located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia reporting to the Chief Country Representative of Malaysia and Brunei. The Country Representative for Malaysia and Brunei manages and directs the staff located in the US-ASEAN Business Council's (USABC) Kuala Lumpur 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 in Singapore, and to USABC HQ. Occasionally, the incumbent may review contracts and legal documents. The position requires occasional domestic (Malaysia), regional, and international travel. 

Responsibilities:

Represent the Council in Malaysia, in coordination with the Chief Representative, to the Governments of Malaysia (including the Governments of Sabah and Sarawak) and Brunei; members, potential members and other associations, industry organizations and key stakeholders. 
Manage the Council’s Kuala Lumpur 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 Kuala Lumpur-based programming.
Represent the Council at functions, meetings and events in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur and East Malaysia.

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.  Regularly (at least weekly) report to Regional Council headquarters in Singapore and headquarters in Washington, DC about key events, briefings, and meetings.

Monitor local (in Malaysia and Brunei) English and Malay-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.

Work closely with the US-based Director, Senior Country Analyst, and Malaysia-based Chief Country Representative and Associate, produce Malaysia and Brunei Country Updates and media summaries once a week on key issues important to Council members. The media summaries should include reviews of the major English language and Malay press with summaries of major articles.
Produce periodic reports on important news stories in Malaysia and Brunei and weekly analysis of key business issues in Malaysia and Brunei for coordinated compilation into communications to member company representatives.

Arrange meeting requests with government officials and other officials from Malaysia (including East Malaysia) and Brunei for Council members as well as Council management; work with Associate where needed.

Track key industries and support specific Council industry committees as needed.

Track legislation in Malaysia and Brunei to produce updates to industry sector teams and members on the potential impact to their businesses and investment.

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 Malaysia and Brunei including the scheduling of meetings/events, logistics and in-country travel arrangements, production of briefing materials, follow-up letters, and the like.  
In coordination with the Chief Country Representative, the US-based Maritime Country Director, Senior Country Analyst, and Kuala Lumpur-based Associate, organize and execute an annual Malaysia Business Mission and East Malaysia Business Mission as well as the Brunei Mission, smaller industry-specific and ASEAN-related missions, including scheduling, planning, and arranging all logistics and helping prepare issue briefings for members and government officials.

Assist in the retention of current Council members and recruitment of new members Update the Council’s Malaysia and Brunei webpage regularly. 
Arrange meeting requests with government officials from Malaysia (including East Malaysia) and Brunei for Council members as well as Council management.

As needed, work on Council projects, programs and activities outside of Malaysia and Brunei.

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 Associate and intern, ensuring the Kuala Lumpur team works efficiently and effectively.

Qualifications

Required 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 Malaysia (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 U.S. and other parts of Asia.

Needs to be member-focused and maintain good and open working relationships with the Council’s 170+ member companies and their representatives.

Fluency in Malay 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 Malaysian 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 Malaysia 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 Malaysia and do not require sponsorship.

Application Procedures

To apply to the Council’s Country Representative position, please submit a resume, two brief writing samples (covering current affairs and/or policy issues in Malaysia and Brunei) and a cover letter. The cover letter should include information about your availability and a brief description of your professional goals.

Country Representative - Malaysia and Brunei (Kuala Lumpur)