Social and Behaviour Change Regional Programme Director – Asia At Magenta FZE

Location:

Based in Bangkok, Thailand with business travel on a need basis (Overseas travel should be expected for 30% of time)

Reporting Manager:

Chief Operations Officer

Start date:

November 2023

Duration:

Permanent

Type:

Full-time, Grade 8

Remuneration:

$5,000 – $6,000 per month, depending on level of experience and qualifications, plus benefits (including health insurance, paid leave and Cost of Living allowance).

Application Deadline:

1 October 2023

MAGENTA is a leading Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) agency that specialises in understanding human decision-making processes in order to design solutions for relevant and impactful solutions to some of the most challenging problems of our time. We implement programmes across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Latin America and The Caribbean using the latest in behavioural science principles and a rigorous approach to research, strategy, campaign design and implementation. Our clients include UN agencies, INGOs, governments and the private sector. Whether we are aiming to shift parenting practices to improve children’s outcomes or to understand how social norms underpin corruption, we always go the extra mile to ensure we can create positive impact for some of the most underserved populations in the world.

MAGENTA’s Asia team operates across the Central, South and Southeast Asia regions on a range of projects that include research, strategy development, SBC intervention implementation, and evaluation. We currently operate in countries Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Pacific Islands. We are looking for exceptional individuals to join this team, driven by a keen desire to deliver social impact and who thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Primary responsibilities of SBC Regional Programme Director are the following (1) Programme Development, (2) Programme Implementation, (3) Strategy & Capacity Building, and (4) People, Processes and Culture, including the operationalisation of the Asia hub in Bangkok.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The SBC Regional Programme Director will report to the Chief Operating Officer. Typical tasks include:

Programme Development

• Develop and maintain strong relationships and positioning with clients and strategic partners in the Asia region.
• Lead the design and development of innovative SBC programmes, building MAGENTA’s programming in Asia and globally.
• Secure new business opportunities and contracts and deliver successful client pitches across the Asia region with follow-on work for existing programmes and expansion in new countries.
• Represent MAGENTA at conferences and thought leadership events.

Programme Implementation

• Lead all quality assurance of programme implementation from a technical and operational perspectives.
• Lead the planning and timely implementation of MAGENTA SBC programmes across Asia including financial management of the regional business unit.
• Secure relationships with technical service providers and suppliers (production, data collection, partnerships etc.) to support the Asia team’s programme implementation.

Strategy & capacity strengthening

• Leading and guiding the development of SBC strategies and interventions across MAGENTA’s Asia programmes.
• Ensuring the Asia team integrates SBC principles from behavioural science, behavioural economics, social sciences, anthropology, psychology, and sociology.
• Facilitating co-creation and design workshops internally and externally.
• Designing and delivering tailored training on SBC as part of the MAGENTA Academy (MAGENTA’s training institute).

People, processes and culture

• Fully establishing an operational Asia team hub in Bangkok by Q1 2024 including office set up and recruitment through Q4 of 2023.
• Management of a growing multi-cultural team spread across countries.
• Fostering a creative and solutions-oriented team culture with ownership and accountability.
• Creating and sustaining a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Growing and mentoring the Asia team, including performance management and recruitment.
• Providing team members with information, tools, professional development support and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• Relevant degree from a top tier university required; Masters preferred

Experience:

• 7-10 years professional experience in the development sector, preferably with a focus on SBC/ Communications for Development (C4D) or research, and at least 3 years of experience managing a multi-cultural and results-driven team.
• Substantial knowledge of international development and/or humanitarian system, institution and donors, and of compliance requirements, experience working with the UN and US Government strongly desired.
• Ability to work effectively, respectfully and successfully with governments, clients, partners, and other stakeholders in complex settings.
• Demonstrated expertise in representation and negotiation resulting in securing significant new opportunities for MAGENTA.
• Knowledge of and experience living in Asia strongly desired.
• Excellent written and spoken English required. Additional languages across the Asia region are a plus (including but not limited to Dari, Urdu, Russian, Kazak, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Hindi, Thai, Bangla).
• Technological and software fluency, including Office 365.

COMPETENCIES

Strategic thinking:

• A high-level strategic thinker, with a keen desire to learn and consume new information.
• Robust logic chain analytics and strong general analytical skills.
• Ability to simplify complex information and to comfortably navigate ambiguity using solutions-focused approaches.

Leadership:

• Ability to provide a clear vision of the organisation’s objectives and values.
• Demonstrated ability to develop others.
• Excellent communicator able to (1) build a team and (2) manage conflicts and guide team through change.
• A service-oriented leader, able to recognise and meet client needs.
• Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities.
• Demonstrated desire for excellence and an ability to inspire others to attain professional excellence.

Commercial acumen & innovative spirit:

• Demonstrated strong commercial acumen.
• Robust understanding of corporate key performance indicators.
• Demonstrated experience successfully leading organisational growth.

Culture:

• Willingness to live, work and travel in developing/post-crisis settings.
• Good sense of humour, personable and demonstrated ability to build networks.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to get hands dirty.
• Demonstrated adherence to MAGENTA’s core values: authenticity, transparency, curiosity, and innovation.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• MAGENTA has a flexible working policy which promotes periods of remote working in the year.
• May involve working in regions that are remote and lack basic modern infrastructure (such as Thailand)

MAGENTA is committed to creating a diverse work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.