Reporting to the Executive Director, the Regional Lead, Programs will manage a team of regional and country specialists who are responsible for delivering a suite of programs funded by Grow Asia's Public-Private Impact Funds. The successful candidate will be responsible for the design, delivery, and reporting of regional and country level projects, and will manage relationships with new and existing stakeholders. This high-profile role requires an independent thinker and problem solver with a strong sense of self-motivation, who thrives in a highly collaborative, dynamic team environment. The successful candidate should bring experience in leading diverse teams to design and implement successful technical assistance programs focused on climate resilience, gender inclusion, digital solutions, and sustainable finance across multiple disciplines and countries.
RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to:
Strategic Planning and Program coordination
- Lead the strategic planning and coordination of Grow Asia's regional programs to ensure successful delivery of all program objectives in line with the goals of the organization.
- Oversee program design, delivery, and timely reporting of projects under GrowVentures, GrowHer, GrowRight, and GrowBeyond - including but not limited to ongoing programs funded by GIZ, DFAT, IUCN, GEF8, Korea, JAIF, ASEAN, IDRC, Cargill, Thai Wah, and The Rockefeller Foundation.
- Supervise and support program teams to implement regional and country-level events and projects, including the mapping of regenerative agro-forestry landscapes, on-farm capacity-building, and financial literacy training for smallholder farmers, especially women.
- Ensure that in-country programs and field-level implementation adhere to requirements and expectations of donors and partners.
- Provide technical knowledge on climate adaptation and mitigation and sustainable finance in the context of UN sustainable development goals and business ESG disclosures.
- Ensure alignment of regional programs to regional and national policy objectives, especially in the ASEAN context.
Grants Management and Reporting
- Supervise the management of grants, programs, and blended contributions from concept to close. This entails designing and reviewing grant submissions, convening partners, overseeing project design and implementation, drafting and reviewing technical reports, and ensuring results are accurately monitored and recorded.
- Contribute to the development of program log frames, indicators, implementation plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks in line with donor expectations.
- Collaborate with senior staff to create and maintain systems for efficient and transparent capture of program data for timely and informative internal and external reporting.
- Ensure that all reports (both internal and external) are timely, of high-quality, and responsive to donor requirements in collaboration with regional and country teams.
- Work closely with the senior leadership team to report on the impact of grants - both internally and externally.
- Oversee communications with donors and consortium partners, and where appropriate, provide technical support and compliance-related information to stakeholders.
- Contribute to the identification and prioritization of new grants and partners, and actively contribute to the development of concept notes and funding proposals.
Partnership Development and Communications
- Represent Grow Asia in cultivating relationships with donors and partner organizations in new and existing programs.
- Support the development of governance and/or advisory bodies that will provide strategic guidance to GrowRight and GrowBeyond.
- Build relationships and strong stakeholder engagement with senior leaders from government, private sector, multilateral organizations, civil society organizations, and research institutes.
- Support systems to ensure regular collection of impact stories and evidence from regional and country partners on a regular basis.
- Engage with regional policymaking bodies and governments to ensure programs inform policy dialogues, consultations and other processes.
- Work closely with the Communications team to plan strategic and regular communication about GrowVentures, GrowHer, GrowRight and GrowBeyond at the national, regional and international levels.
- Represent Grow Asia in external events, conferences, and international areas, as required.
- Lead and participate in global and regional calls and donor meetings, as needed.
Organization and Team Leadership
- Supervise, coach, and collaborate with program staff and consultants to ensure programmatic and team success, as well as to support the team's ongoing professional development and growth.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback with the team.
- Actively seek new talent during recruitment processes and adhere to Grow Asia's diversity and inclusion commitments.
- Create, maintain, and oversee systems and processes to ensure effective management of the daily operations of all programs that support the organization's goals.
- Design and deliver annual strategic work plans and budgets, ensuring programs are aligned to the strategic goals of the organization.
- Contribute to the smooth running of governance meetings and annual events, including but not limited to Grow Asia Governance Councils and the Grow Asia Investment Forum.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Oversee and maintain effective and harmonious communication pathways between regional and country staff to ensure alignment in program delivery, design and reporting.
