Programme Officer (1 position for Thai national)

Position title: Programme Officer (1 position for Thai national)

Salary: Depending on experience

Contract: Initially one year contract with 3 months probationary period and possible extension

Work hours/days: Full-time (7.5 hours/day) with possibility of remote work, 5 days per week except for Saturdays and Sundays

Place of work: IGES Bangkok Regional Centre, Thailand

Background

Established in 1998, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) is an independent think tank and strategic policy research institute that contributes to sustainable development and environmental preservation. The Institute’s mission is to achieve a new paradigm for civilization and conduct innovative policy development and strategic research for environmental measures, reflecting the results of research into political decisions for realising sustainable development both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. IGES works closely with national governments, local authorities, international organisations, research institutes, businesses, NGOs and local communities on various critical environmental issues including climate change mitigation and adaptation, forest and biodiversity conservation, water resource management, sustainable consumption and production, waste management, integrated policies for sustainable societies and sustainable cities.

IGES Bangkok Regional Centre (BRC) is seeking qualified Thai applicants for the position of Programme Officer, Sustainable Cities for the ASEAN SDGs Frontrunner Cities Programme Phase 2 (SDGs-FC 2) funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The SDG-FC aims to support ASEAN cities in achieving inclusive, sustainable, resilient and dynamic development in line with ASEAN Vision 2020 by aligning city actions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To attain the goal, the Programme will support the planning and implementation of multi-benefit model projects, as well as developing the capacity of next generation cities, and sharing the experiences and knowledge generated from the Programme among ASEAN Member States (AMS) to promote the replication of innovative ground policies/practices towards clean and green ASEAN.

The Programme Officer is expected to have extensive engagement to strengthen partnerships with the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN environmental-related Working Groups, Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thai municipalities as well as leading experts, civil society, media and private sector entities in the global development community. The position will play a critical role in shaping the expansion of IGES’ programmes related to sustainable cities within Thailand and the ASEAN region. Specifically, he/she will contribute to the research, design, fund-raising and management for new regional programmes within ASEAN. This position is also expected to contribute to elevating IGES’ profile on ASEAN issues, through contact with the media and social/cultural influencers.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, Sustainable Cities, the Programme Officer will perform the following duties:

• Conduct general tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the SDGs Frontrunner Cities Programme Phase 2 (SDGs-FC 2) and related projects, including but not limited to:
  • Overall coordination of logistical and financial reporting responsibilities for programme activities (i.e. meetings, regional seminars and workshops etc.).
  • Contribute to policy research work for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of pilot projects in cities, especially those in Thailand. This may include translating and/or interpret between Thai and English to facilitate stakeholder meetings, events, outreach/communications and research work;
  • Attend activities within Thailand for networking and fund raising;
  • Provide strategic inputs for the design, publicity/communications and fund-raising initiatives of IGES new cities-related programmes.
• Carry out any other additional tasks as may be assigned by the Director of IGES Regional Centre.

Competences and Qualities

• Passionate about sustainability and the environment;
• Aspires to develop a career in project management and international diplomacy;
• Creative, pays attention to details, respects deadlines and comfortable with multi-tasking.
• Excellent at listening, writing and public speaking.
• Genuinely enjoy social activities and excellent at networking;
• Service-minded personality and able to flexibly adjust communication styles to suit different type of stakeholders;
• Knowledgeable and skillful at navigating protocols associated with supporting high-level officials and stakeholders;
• Sensitive and courteous in multi-cultural environments;
• Skilled at interacting with, and handling the challenges of dealing with high-level government officials and organisational representatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in development, environment or related fields. At least two to three years of experience in the environment, development and sustainability sector;
• Knowledgeable about environmental and development issues
• Experienced in working with a wide range of stakeholders, especially the government sector;
• Native-level Thai and strong command of English in terms of speaking, writing and reading.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and deliver assignments on time under limited supervision
• Computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access database, etc.);
• Willingness to travel regularly within ASEAN countries, especially Thailand.

The following attributes are optional and may be evaluated as ‘plus’ points:

• Previous working experience in ASEAN-related and Japanese contexts.
• Skills related to communications/outreach, such as for website development, photography, arts & design, multimedia production and social media.

Reporting

The Programme Officer will report to the Programme Manager, and ultimately to the Director of IGES Regional Centre.