Practical Action - Asia Director

About Us

We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.

We are a global change-making group, working with communities who are vulnerable to poverty and climate change to support them to change their world. Together we develop innovative, community powered and locally owned solutions that achieve transformative change in lives and livelihoods. In addition, we work with a range of partners, that includes governments, businesses and international organisations to ensure improvements are sustained and scaled and to change the systems that keep people poor and vulnerable.

We were founded in 1969 by radical economist EF Schumacher who challenged the development thinking of the time. He believed in solutions suited to context, equipping people with the skills and knowledge to change their situation, economic systems that work for all and living within the planets means. This ethos continues to fuel all our work. Schumacher was the author of ‘Small is Beautiful: A study of economics as if people mattered’. In our work we start ‘small’, ensuring we understand what is already working but we aim big focussing on what will deliver the systems change required.

We have over 50 years of experience working across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our group consists of a UK registered charity with experienced country teams, an expert consulting service and an independent development publishing company. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.

Practical Action Asia Director

We work across four thematic areas. Much of our most impactful work combines our expertise across issues to solve complex and interconnected problems such as supporting smallholder farmers with renewable energy to increase yields and open-up bigger opportunities for the wider economy.

Harnessing energy that transforms for the one billion people without electricity, and the three billion people without clean cooking solutions. We’re supporting rural communities, displaced people, energy providers and decision makers to put clean energy to work. By 2025, our work with partners will have led to affordable, low-carbon energy access and cleaner cooking for two million people in ‘last mile’ communities and 18 million people through wider systems change.

Building resilience that protects for vulnerable people whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by climate change. We’re working to reduce vulnerability and impacts and support people to adapt so that they can continue to thrive in the future. By 2025, our work with partners will have enhanced adaptive approaches so that four million people are better protected against current and future hazards. aims

Our aims

Making cities fit for people for the millions of people living in urban slums and settlements without proper sanitation, clean water and waste services. Our work with communities is making cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier, fairer places for people to live and work, with clean water for drinking and sewage safely contained, collected and processed. By 2025, our work with partners will have led to improved water, sanitation and waste management services for one million people living in slum communities and a further 2.4 million people through wider systems change.

Cultivating farming that works for smallholder farmers struggling to make a sufficient income and adapt to the negative effects of climate change. We’re teaming up with smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living. By 2025, our work with partners will have improved food security and incomes for two million people in rural communities and a further one million people through wider systems change.

The Role

Title: Asia Director

Reports to: CEO

Direct Reports: Country Director Nepal, Country Director Bangladesh, Manager PAC Asia, International Operations Manager Asia, Manager, India

Relationships: Regional & Country Directors; CEO, Leadership Team, Fundraising, People & Culture, Communications, Impact and Influence, Finance, external donors and strategic partners

Budget scope: Oversight of a growing Asia regional portfolio, currently approx. £7 m p.a.

Location: Flexible, with a preference for Kathmandu/Nepal

Salary: Competitive

Duration: 3 years with potential for renewal

Travel: Significant international travel, particularly within Asia and to the UK

About the Role

The post holder of this new strategic role will provide the vision and leadership for our work across Asia and operate as a member of the Global Leadership Team to drive the global strategy, reporting to the CEO. The post holder will have a strong understanding of the regional context and develop a range of high-impact strategic partnerships and funding relationships that will enable us to deliver our ambitious strategy in Asia.

Practical Action has long-standing experience of running programmes and partnerships in South Asia and co-ordinating consultancy work in additional Asian countries. The post-holder of this new role will be responsible for setting the direction and driving forward the next phase of our work in Asia, building on our current 2025 strategy and looking ahead to 2030.

The current direct reports for the Asia Director will be the Country Directors for Nepal and Bangladesh, the Practical Action Consultancy (PAC) Manager for Asia (based in Nepal), an India Manager and an International Operations Manager (IOM) for Asia (currently under recruitment). The Asia Director will ensure cohesion and high-quality delivery across country offices and support senior staff to reach their full potential and develop new high-impact partnerships and consultancy work.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the strategic planning of our work across Asia and, as a member of the Global Leadership Team, help develop and drive the global strategy to increase scale and impact. Provide thought leadership on key issues at the highest organisational level.

• Maintain a good understanding of the external context and link with relevant organisations and alliances to develop bold collaborations in Asia, linking to work in other regions to maximise our global impact.

• Ensure that systems and other strategic analysis leads to identification of the most impactful roles and partnerships to achieve and fund our mission in Asia and that these are well aligned with global strategy, Sustainable Development Goals and the relevant countries’ development agendas and strategies.

• Oversee the development of high-quality proposals for programmes, consultancies and partnerships at national and regional levels that move forward regional and global priorities.

• Ensure that all countries within the region develop and implement viable, strategic business plans based on entrepreneurial ways of working and maximise the relevance of our work to people and development in Asia.

Generating Income and Nurturing Relationships

• Raise Practical Action’s profile through effective influencing and advocacy, being an ambassador for the organisation and representing Practical Action at appropriate regional events and networks to enhance Practical Action’s local and global reputation and brand.

• Provide vision and leadership for an ambitious and feasible fundraising strategy and plan for Asia.

• Foster and lead a broad spectrum of regional, multilateral and individual partnerships with governments, partners, private sector, civil society and development donors that support our fundraising strategy and strategic vision for programmes and consultancy work within and outside Africa that will deliver well-funded high-impact partnerships for systems change.

Responsibilities

• Support Country Directors to achieve their agreed annual income, cost and efficiency plans including where necessary the negotiation of funding agreements and the development of new business (income streams, strategic partnerships, grants, donors) across the region.

• Identify and manage the regions opportunities and risks, particularly those involving public relations, contractual commitments, partnerships, key staff, finance and cash management.

People, Capabilities and Leadership

• Build, oversee and mentor a high performing Country Director and Asia-wide team, providing strategic leadership, oversight and demonstrating qualities and behaviours that foster a highly effective, solutions oriented, entrepreneurial and impact driven Asia leadership team.

• Create a culture of collaboration, ingenuity, and engagement with high standards of accountability and performance for maximum impact.

• Design a lean, fit-for-purpose structure across the region, sharing resources and services in an efficient manner, to ensure appropriate and effective staffing levels that meet the region’s needs.

• Enable strategic and purposeful learning to continuously improve our work and inspire senior staff to reach their full potential. Ensure there is a good approach to people and performance management and that Practical Actions’ Be Your Best (appraisal) process is being used well to create strategic alignment of individual objectives, offer focus and feedback on performance and encourage professional growth.

• Create an inclusive and equitable working environment in which everyone is accepted and respected, regardless of differences and where everyone’s contribution is valued and respected. Promote our ethics and values as set out in relevant policies including Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest, Diversity and Dignity at Work, Financial Crime and other policies.

• Ensure that Country Directors/other Managers, and other accountable staff, implement and maintain Safeguarding practices in accordance with global policies and frameworks to mitigate risk and create a culture in which people feel safe to report concerns.

Practical Action - Asia Director

Responsibilities

Delivering Performance

• Lead and manage a team of Directors/Managers to ensure that the delivery of programmes, consultancies, influencing and knowledge work is effective, compliant with relevant policies and procedures and achieves sustainable large-scale transformative systems change.

• Provide high-level oversight of key areas of regional performance, opportunity and risk and regularly report on regional performance to the Global Leadership Team and Board of Trustees, using data analytics and commentary.

• Be accountable for monitoring, achieving and reporting on regional KPIs, impact and project indicators, promoting a culture of continuous learning to improve accountability and impact.

• Oversee the proper functioning of controls in finance, People and Culture, logistics/procurement, administration, communications, reporting and M&E in accordance with policy.

• Monitor the implementation of findings and recommendations from audits and evaluations.

• Ensure that safety & security management policies and procedures are applied throughout the region.

Practical Action - Asia Director

Person Profile

To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Experience & Knowledge

• Significant experience in the development field and/or consultancy sector, including at a senior management level in a global organisation, bringing perspectives and views from regional context to overall strategy and leadership.

• Proven track record of leading portfolio growth.

• Experience of developing and leading ambitious, viable strategies.

• Masters level qualification or equivalent professional experience.

• Excellent knowledge of the Asia context, ideally related to: energy, agriculture, WASH & Waste Management and/or climate & resilience.

• Experience managing a cross-cultural team in Asia with lived experience and knowledge of political-economic realities and cultural diversity across key countries in Asia.

• Strong track record in creating strategies collaboratively across diverse teams and networks and developing high profile external representation and building strategic partnerships for high impact.

• Experience of managing a high performing team to achieve results and ability to drive change processes, bringing people along on the journey.

• Proven track record of managing multi-million pound portfolios, ensuring business viability, budgets compliance, delivery and controls.

• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and to set priorities.

• Excellent written & verbal communications skills: English and one other language commonly spoken in Asia.

• A sound understanding of and commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, including gender.

• Commitment to Practical Action’s vision, mission and values.

• Ability to travel regularly between countries in Asia and to the UK

How to Apply

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter. Please provide a CV and cover letter in two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process.

The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit. The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Pat-Jones-CV-092022-ADPA or Pat-JonesCoverLetter-092022-ADPA.

Timeline

Closing Date: 26th October 2022

Interviews by Oxford HR: November 1st-10th 2022

Interviews by Practical Action: November 14th-17th 2022

F2F interviews in Asia with final candidate(s): Second half of November 2022

Selection process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Equality Statement

Equality and diversity are at the core of Practical Action values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email practicalaction-asia-director@oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.

Practical Action - Asia Director

About Oxford HR

Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.

Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our client.