Country Director

Job title: Country Director
Location: Selangor- Malaysia

The purpose of the role is to lead the development and implementation of key projects and programmes at the CABI’s regional centre in Malaysia. The incumbent will direct and coordinate the centres activities as well as the management and development of the regional centre under the direct supervision of the Regional Director East & Southeast Asia. The job holder will contribute to the overall achievement of CABI’s mission and delivery of the key assigned projects, specifically in the field of pesticide risk reduction. Therefore, this will not only require leadership, but also technical expert knowledge, aligned with excellent implementation capabilities including coordination, budgeting, proposal development, and human resource management. The desired candidate will also coordinate and liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security/Department of Agriculture, MARDI, funding bodies, partners, collaborators, and client communities, specifically in Malaysia but also in the region.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Support in delivery of goals, objectives, business plans and associated indirect cost budgets for the Malaysia Centre in collaboration with Regional Director East & Southeast Asia.
• Support the CABI’s medium-term strategy and serving Member Country interests particularly in Malaysia and ASEAN states.
• Ensure the quality of the science conducted and scientific outputs by the Malaysia Centre, aligned with CABI’s Science Strategy.
• Develop strong and productive relationships with professional, corporate, government and non-government partners, funding agencies, regional and other bodies responsible for development cooperation and research in order to enhance local donor and project partnerships.
• Support the implementation of Asia strategy and relevant key targets for regional centre in Malaysia along with the Regional Director.
• Act as the focal contact point for Malaysia in particular and ASEAN states in general, who are CABI Member Countries in the region. Represent CABI to ensure their demands are addressed and membership benefits are delivered in an effective and tailored way through services, programme and projects.
• Develop and oversee project activities across the Malaysia Centre, managed according to Prince2 structures with project boards empowered to ensure accountability for results and reports, and to contribute to the development of CABI’s global programmes (e.g. PlantwisePlus) and other CABI-wide strategic initiatives.
• Design, lead, coordinate, and implement pesticides risk reduction and/or maximum residue levels (MRL) related projects and programmes in the region.
• Liaison with the respective government/authorities in Asia to support MRLs alignment & contribute to subsequent action plans.
• Work with CABI’s communication team to ensure that scientific outputs and other project and programme highlights are given appropriate visibility.
• Support the Regional Director East & Southeast Asia to manage staff development within the Centre to meet current and future business needs and contribute to the development of global succession plans.
• Adhere to CABI policies and procedures at the Centre, including in areas such as HR, Health and Safety, Financial and Project Management, and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
ABOUT YOU
• Professional knowledge with pesticides application/registration, MRLs, and broad understanding of pesticides residues, pesticide risk reduction strategies, pesticides resistance management and/or bio-efficacy testing.
• Data analytical skills in pesticides and MRLs- related field and/or lab trials.
• Proven skills in proposal writing.
• Ability to build rapport with a wide range of stakeholders to develop, maintain and enhance internal and external relationships.
• Experience in project management (needs analysis, concept development, project design and implementation, budget control, and monitoring and evaluation);
• Fluency in English essential, both written and spoken, plus ideally fluency in any two regional languages within ASEAN member states.
• Knowledge of one other major ASEAN language and/or experiences working in the ASEAN and south Pacific region would be advantageous.

Education & Experience
• PhD/Master’s (or comparable relevant experience) in an appropriate scientific discipline.
• At least 15 years of post-qualification working experience in the areas mentioned above.

Personal Characteristics
• Strong personal organisational skills.
• Strong team player with excellent technical, management and communication skills.
• Comfortable working on one’s own initiative as well as following advice.
• Robust with the operational grip and capacity to handle a demanding workload.
• Flexible and creative in planning and problem solving (‘thinking on the feet’).
• Ability to adapt to cultural differences of colleagues, donors and partners globally.
• Resilient and comfortable with uncertainty as well as smartly handle complex or conflict situations.
• Willing to travel to and work in remote and challenging locations in developing countries.
ROLE DETAILS
HAY BAND: 7
Reporting to: Regional Director, CABI East and Southeast Asia
Contract Duration: Open with 6 months’ probation period
Key Peer group: Regional Directors, Senior Regional Directors, Centre Directors, Global Directors (themes) and senior corporate roles, Key account managers, project board members.
Direct reports: Project Coordinators and Advisors, Project Officers, Administration and Finance
Salary Range: Negotiable and commensurate with qualifications and experience

NOTE
This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. It is expected that the post holder and CABI will adopt a flexible attitude and accept that the duties may have to be varied according to circumstances, in particular changing corporate requirements and individual development needs.
WHAT WE OFFER
We aim to recruit and retain passionate people who have the necessary skills, knowledge and commitment to help us achieve our mission. Our benefits are designed to make our lives easier, improve our work-life balance, save money and safeguard our well-being. They include:
• Competitive salaries;
• 26 days of annual leave, plus public holidays;
• Defined contribution pension scheme with employee contribution;
• A culture committed to being a fully inclusive, enjoyable and fulfilling place to work;
• An Employee Assistance Programme, with a full calendar of health and well-being initiatives;
• Flexible working options;
• Career development opportunities including internal promotions, mentoring and Development Bursary to visit another CABI centre;
• Health/Life insurance and long service awards.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES:
We are a thriving international organisation attracting a diverse range of talented people from around the world. Our staff currently comprises over 30 nationalities and as an equal opportunity’s employer we welcome applications from candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or marital status. No applicant will be disadvantaged by conditions which cannot be shown to be justified and selection will be based on merit.