KEY INFORMATION
 
Job Title: Regional Director - Southeast Asia GBV Prevention Platform
Sector: Gender-Based Violence Prevention
Duration/Level of Effort: Long-Term, Full-time
Position Location: Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Timor Leste, Thailand, or Vietnam). The Platform has a hub in Bangkok Thailand, and Manila Philippines - there is a strong preference for candidates with working rights within these countries, or the ability / willingness to travel extensively to these two hubs.
 
SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
 
The Southeast Asia Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention Platform is a pivotal initiative supported by a AUD20 million investment from the Australian Government over five years (2024 to 2029). The Platform aims to enhance GBV prevention efforts across Southeast Asia by fostering collaboration among governments, civil society organisations, international bodies, and other stakeholders. We are guided by the principles of being locally driven, evidence-based, inclusive and diverse, survivor-centred and trauma informed, adaptable, collaborative, minimising harm, accessible and innovative. We seek to build capacity, amplify evidence, and innovate in the prevention of GBV. 
 
SUMMARY OF THE POSITION
 
The Regional Director has overall accountability for the Platform and is primarily responsible for the leadership, technical, strategic direction and partnerships and external engagement.  The Regional Director is supported by a Deputy Regional Director, who leads in program management, implementation, operations and team management.  With support from the Deputy Regional Director, the Incubator and Technical Partner, the Regional Director will lead external stakeholder engagement in support of the overall strategic and technical direction of the Platform. This role will support collaboration with Catalysts, DFAT and UN partners and facilitate engagement and connections with existing regional and global GBV prevention organisations and researchers and evaluators to enhance program outcomes and impact.
 
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
 
Program Leadership, Technical and Strategic direction
 

• Work closely with the Deputy Regional Director and Leads to lead the strategic direction and implementation of the Platform, including effective risk management.
• Contribute to and support the development and implementation of the knowledge translation plan.
• Contribute to strategic communications products for the Platform including informing how products are tailored to the specific needs and interests of various stakeholders (practitioners and Catalysts).
• Work in collaboration with the Facilitate Lead to identify and map the practitioners with whom the Platform will engage (i.e. WROs, CSOs representing diverse groups such as OPDs and LGBTQI communities, Australian and international NGOs, front-line services providers, private sector actors, DFAT and UN staff, ASEAN bodies, national government ministries of gender and women, health, justice and education departments, and donors).
• Work in collaboration with the Advocate Lead to develop effective externally facing advocacy strategies, both for the Platform and for partners, and support their implementation.
• Work in collaboration with the Demonstrate Lead to develop and implement effective external engagement strategies which promote new and emerging evidence captured or generated by the Platform, including knowledge dissemination strategies.
• Identify funding gaps and define fund mobilisation strategies to address regional funding gap on GBV prevention interventions in the region in collaboration with the Facilitate Lead and explore opportunities to develop and support new dedicated GBV prevention funding mechanisms that are flexible and demand-driven.
• Lead the monitoring and managing of risks associated with key stakeholder relationships and networks.
• Support the Platform Leads to deliver their scopes of work by providing technical leadership and guidance on effective stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Support all other functions of the Platform from a strategic communications and diplomacy perspective.

Partnerships
The responsibility for external engagement and partnerships lies with the Regional Director, supported by the Deputy Regional Director. The following responsibilities are to be undertaken in a collaborative and coordinated manner:
 

• Lead the development and implementation of the Platform’s communications and external engagement strategy, ensuring the appropriate sharing of information, between and across key program partners and program stakeholders.
• Develop a stakeholder engagement strategy which maps the various catalysts, including other regional and global GBV primary prevention implementation and research organisations and programs, Australian GBV prevention departments and specialist agencies.
• Strengthen and nurture effective relationships with key DFAT and UN stakeholders and liaise with senior government counterparts in both Government of Australia and other national governments in the region.
• In collaboration with the Deputy Regional Director and DFAT Program Manager, lead engagement with external Catalysts to amplify and accelerate program outcomes and impact.
• With support from the DFAT Program manager, actively seek out opportunities for public diplomacy opportunities for Ambassadors and senior counterpart government officers, focused on opportunities that reinforce the Platforms’ contribution to the cultivation of Australia’s role in strengthening gender equality in the region.

Planning and reporting
 

• Work collaboratively with other key members of the Platform team, coordinating the work of the Platform leads and contributing to workstreams to ensure coherence and synergy and avoid siloing and duplication.
• Support the Deputy Regional Director in the programme management and implementation and monitoring of the projects / programs including risk management.
• Support to Deputy Director to manage the program and operations and reporting and actively participate in annual work planning exercises for the Platform.
• Contribute to Platform annual progress reporting.
• Provide ad hoc reports on partnerships and external engagement as requested by the Steering Committee and/or DFAT.
• Provide progress updates to the Steering Committee during Committee meetings.
• Contribute to all other Platform deliverables and reports.

HR Management
 

• Build a strong and sustainable Platform team and support the Deputy Regional Director in the management of an overall HR plan for the program.
• Lead the technical and ethical delivery of the Platform, including ensuring that the Platform’s ethical standards of operation related to the conduct of the team and the design and implementation of Platform activities are applied consistently.
• In collaboration with the Deputy Regional Director coordinate and oversee the workstreams of the three Platform Leads, fostering synergy and collaboration between them, especially in the provision of support to Platform stakeholders to ensure that it is coherent and complementary.
• On an ongoing basis, provide guidance and mentorship to the Deputy Regional Director and the three Platform Leads.
• Delegate tasks appropriately to relevant staff members and foster a collaborative and supportive team environment aligned with the program’s principles (listed in the background section above) and objectives, and which promotes inclusivity, equality and non-discrimination.
• Effectively manage risk associated with partnerships and external engagement in coordination with the Depty Regional Director feeding emerging and changing risks and associated risk mitigation and management strategies into the Platform’s overall risk management approach, and coordinating with other Platform staff to effectively mitigate and manage risks that cut across work areas.

 
JOB REQUIREMENTS
 

• A commitment to principles of feminist leadership, including a co-leadership model.
• Commitment to preventing GBV and knowledge of feminist regional movements in SEA, demonstrated through professional experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to safeguarding policies and principles, do no harm, child protection and protection of vulnerable groups in all their work.
• A bachelor’s degree in the following or related fields: strategic communications, political science, social science, international development, business administration, etc. 
• A post-graduate degree in a related field is desirable.
• Experience in management and implementation of strategic communications for an international development program or organisation in Southeast Asia. 
• Demonstrated expertise in stakeholder engagement, especially engaging diverse stakeholders including country governments, WROs, CSOs, OPDs, GBV practitioners and donors.
• Demonstrated expertise in successfully engaging stakeholders and facilitating coalitions in support of the development or implementation of social policies, preferably GBV-related policies/strategies. 
• Demonstrated existing relationships with relevant CSO/WRO networks in Southeast Asia. 
• Demonstrated experience facilitating policy dialogues and convening government and non-government stakeholders’ dialogues in the area of gender-based violence, gender equality or social inclusion. 
• High level policy, analytical and political economy analysis skills. 
• Proven experience managing multiple partnerships and developing and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.
• Experience managing diverse teams and coordinating work across individuals and workstreams effectively and efficiently.
• Experience implementing a risk-based approach to program or organisational management, including undertaking risk assessments and designing and implementing risk mitigation and management strategies.
• High level interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to convey concepts clearly and concisely. 
• Excellent communication in English language both written and oral.

APPLICATION PROCESS
 
This position is open to citizens of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Timor Leste, Thailand, and Vietnam only. The Platform has a hub in Bangkok Thailand, and Manila Philippines - there is a strong preference for candidates with working rights within these countries, or the ability / willingness to travel extensively to these two hubs.
 
To apply, please submit the following in a single email to collaborate@prevention-platform.org by close of business 9 February 2025.
 

• Cover letter outlining your interest in the role and the Platform 
• Updated CV 

For your application to be considered, please rename your documents as follows: Candidate Last Name, First Name, date, Title of the Position.
 
Equal Opportunity: 
Women and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 
 
Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring based on merit and qualifications. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law.  
 
For More Information: 
For further details or to apply, please contact collaborate@prevention-platform.org or visit www.prevention-platform.org.  
Join us in driving impactful GBV prevention efforts in Southeast Asia! 
 
ABOUT US
 
Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies since 2017.
 
We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow.