Regional Director, JRS Asia Pacific Region (JRS APR)

Position Title: Regional Director, JRS Asia Pacific Region (JRS APR)

Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Reports to: International Director

Start date: October 2024

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic humanitarian non-governmental organisation with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for de facto refugees forcibly displaced for various reasons including climate change. JRS was founded in 1980 and currently has a presence in more than 50 countries. JRS undertakes services at local, national and regional levels with the support and guidance of an international office (IO) in Rome. The style of JRS service is human and spiritual, working in situations of greatest need, seeking the long-term well-being of refugees and displaced people while not neglecting their immediate or urgent needs. Currently, more than 1M individuals are direct beneficiaries of JRS projects.

JRS Asia Pacific (JRSAP) programs focus on education, mental health and psychosocial support, emergency aid, community livelihoods and advocacy and protection. It is present in eight countries with country and project offices working in partnership with refugee organizations, community-based organizations, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP), and faith-based networks, NGOs, UN and government agencies.

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT ROLE

The Regional Director (RD) is responsible for all JRSAP humanitarian response strategy across the JRS Asia Pacific Region. The RD is also the convener of the Country Leadership Team (CLT) and the JRSAP Regional Advisory Council. S/he is a member of the JRS international Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and participates in discernment and major decision making at the global level. The Regional Director will bring a mission-oriented leadership and management experience, compassion and expertise in advocating and addressing forced displacement issues with refugee communities, faith-based organizations and various stakeholders, and has proven ability to mobilize resources to achieve priority goals and outcomes.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Mission and Identity: The RD represents the mission, values and identity of JRS in the region. The RD safeguards and promotes JRS as a universal mission of the Society of Jesus as described in the JRS Constitutions, Charter and Guidelines especially discerning how the JRS criteria of work applies to the challenges of forcibly displaced populations. S/he promotes accompaniment, capacity strengthening, apostolic and personal care of JRS staff.

• Represents JRS mission and values in engagements with JRS teams, refugee communities, donors, partners and stakeholders
• Responds to mission opportunities and challenges including new areas of engagements working closely with JRS teams, Jesuits, and partners aligning with JRS criteria of work and institutional standards—Cambodia, etc
• Promotes team spirit, cohesion, motivation, commitment and professionalism in JRS at all levels

Strategic Leadership and Planning: The RD demonstrates compassionate leadership and provide competent strategic planning to JRS. S/he ensures provision of appropriate resources so that programmes meet the needs of forcibly displaced communities, align with JRS mission, approach and strategy, and are implemented with the highest standards. The RD provides oversight of regional and country policy, program and operations such as security, finance, risk analysis, staff care and safety in line with JRS policy standards.

• Country Support: The RD leads the Country Leadership Team (CLT) which is composed of representatives from each JRS country. The RD will provide accompaniment, supervision and support to country directors. S/he will review and comment on country strategy plans ensuring that new programmes fit within JRS strategy, are technically sound, and meet budgetary requirements. S/he accompanies the country leaders through personal and professional care and development.
• Regional Leadership: The RD works with the Regional Advisory Council and the regional office team to accompany, animate, and support the regional and country teams in the fulfillment of their work. S/he conducts periodic reflection and evaluation of the Regional Strategic Plan 2023-2027 to ensure regional coherence and integration as one JRS mission and organization. The RD will collaborate with the regional lead of the following areas: climate and displacement program, partnership with the Jesuit Conference of Asia and Pacific (JCAP) and support to project-level country presence (Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines).
• Global Leadership: The RD serves as part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), a global governance and planning body of JRS, providing insight and feedback to develop and strengthen global strategy, approach, policy, functions and systems.

Partnerships and Collaboration: The RD represents JRS regionally in all public media and is the legal signatory to partnership agreements. The will be responsible for maintaining and strengthening external relations and coordination with different stakeholders, including but not limited to: UNHCR, other institutional and private funders, the Society of Jesus, the Catholic Church, governments, key NGOs, and other religious partners.

• Strengthens existing partnerships with donors, civil society, UN and government agencies and seeking new partnerships with the regional lead on private partnerships.
• Represents JRS in public media, communications and advocacy, in a way that reflects refugee priorities and promotes JRS values.
• Advocates ethical engagement and empowering participating of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons in JRS processes, partnerships and collaborations.

Resource Development and Mobilization: The RD leads the resource development and mobilization in the region. S/he ensures staff capacity building, as well as safety and care for
regional and country teams. The RD ensures quality compliance, transparency in reporting, and accountability in the use and allocation of resources.

• Promotes best practices and appropriate tools in human resources, financial and risk management, staff care, and operational sustainability.
• Guarantees compliance with all JRS policies and procedures and compliance with commitments to funders, refugee communities and various stakeholders.
• Develops and implements resource management and fundraising for the needs of the mission in the region and different countries.

Required Education and Experience

• An advanced, accredited university degree in Management, International Development, Political Sciences, Law, or another related discipline. An undergraduate degree with strong relevant field experience for 10 years will be considered in lieu of an advanced degree.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of leadership experience in human service organizations in the Asia Pacific region, ideally in humanitarian or development organizations with a strong human rights and/or faith background and preferably, a national of one of the JRS AP countries.
• Experience in project development and management, work with refugees in urban settings, and/or advocacy with forcibly displaced people.
• Demonstrated mission-driven leadership in a professional setting with the ability to think strategically, motivate others, create new projects, solve problems and be part of a multi-cultural and multi-faith team.
• Proven performance in organizational management, including leadership of staff, budget development and management, and general office coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to fundraise.
• Demonstrated evidence of an enterprising spirit.
• Knowledge of and/or familiarity with key concepts and current trends in forced migration and challenges faced by forcibly displaced people. An understanding of the issues of climate change and how they affect migration.
• Strong people skills, including the ability to listen, effectively communicate, negotiate and work creatively with stakeholders of varying backgrounds: people served, government representatives, church leaders and refugee groups among them.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Excellent proficiency in written and verbal English. A professional working knowledge of a language spoken in the region (Thai, Khmer, Burmese, Bahasa, etc.) is desirable.
• A proven ability to capture impact and learning from operations and feed it into new programmes.
• Analytical, reflective capacity in financial integrity ensuring alignment of financial data analysis of expenditures history with mission priorities
• Capacity to inspire and lead regional, country and project teams towards mission and identity
• Understanding of and commitment to humanitarian relief work and international humanitarian standards.
• Excellent communication and presentation capacities and able to persuasively articulate JRS’s message and impact to external networks.
• Advanced computer proficiencies in MS Office, Adobe Suite, and SharePoint.
• Strong people skills and the ability to work in a multi-cultural, international, high-energy professional environment.
• Familiarity with the faith-based groups and Jesuit network is an asset. A willingness to extend and deepen knowledge of Ignatian spirituality, a key aspect of the JRS mission and vision, would be crucial.

Required Core Values

• Commitment to JRS’s mission, vision and values; the ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
• High integrity, honesty and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations and information.
• The highest standards of personal integrity, accountability, transparency and values diversity and inclusion at all levels.
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value; willingness to work in flexible, sub-optimal and multi-cultural environments.

Travel
The position requires regular travel to JRS locations in the region, periodic travel beyond the region, and participation in two SLT meetings each year (one always in Rome, one hosted in a region).

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The contract is for three (3) years, renewable for another term, with an initial probation period of six (6) months.

The JRS remuneration policy is aligned with the JRS ethos to offer effective and professional services and at the same time to express solidarity with people served. The salary is calculated with the use of a post-adjustment multiplier and takes into account years of relevant experience and the degree of responsibility in the role. Details will be discussed with shortlisted candidates.