UK PACT ASEAN Senior Engagement Associate

Palladium is recruiting for an experienced ASEAN Senior Engagement Associate to join our UK PACT team supporting the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund (GTF). The role is based in Jakarta, Indonesia; however, we welcome applications from candidates across UK PACT countries in Southeast Asia, with remote working arrangements considered. This is an exciting opportunity for a strong and highly motivated Senior Engagement Associate professional with a passion for building regional linkages in Southeast Asia to enable accelerated carbon reductions to join our team in Jakarta for the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund (GTF). Designed by the UK Government’s Mission to ASEAN as part of a new set of regional ASEAN-UK programmes, GTF aims to support the climate element of ASEAN-UK Plan of Action and deliver on UK commitments as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner. The fund aims to provide technical assistance to ASEAN (institutions and members) on climate mitigation and is delivered via the UK PACT platform which aims to improve the effectiveness of key institutions (public, private and civil society) in partner countries so that they can deliver accelerated emission reductions and raise the ambition of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets. Specifically, the programme will deliver the following results: An increase in the capacity and capability of partner institutions (regional, national, sub-national and civil society) to deliver enhanced and accelerated climate actions, supporting regional green transition; and An increase in in-country buy-in to urgently facilitate low-carbon development. About Palladium Palladium is a global company working to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 4,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff of all religions, races, languages, and gender identities. About UK PACT UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UK PACT) is a flagship ODA technical assistance programme funded by the UK Government. It supports countries with high mitigation potential, providing them with the expertise they need to cut emissions quickly and grow their economy sustainably. Running since 2018, it works in partnership with over 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to tackle the most pressing climate issues they face across forests and land use, energy, finance, governance and transport and cities. UK PACT deploys in country and international expertise, as well as leveraging the UK’s world class public and private sector experts to deliver impactful and long-lasting change. Purpose of the position Supporting GTF Fund Manager and together with GTF associates, the ASEAN Senior Engagement Associate is responsible for managing relationship with the ASEAN Secretariat and senior officials of the ASEAN Member States on cooperation areas that are championed by the GTF i.e. environment, finance, energy and mineral, transportation and forestry. The role holder will also support the overall GTF portfolio design, monitoring and coordination of projects and activities. The role holder will help coordinate with the UK Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, and where required the relevant teams in British High Commission and Embassy teams in post in all Southeast Asian countries to support demand scoping, market engagement and pipeline development and grant management of GTF projects. Where required, the role holder will also support UK Mission to ASEAN team and posts in their engagement government counterparts in relevant ASEAN countries and bridge communications with relevant ASEAN Secretariat divisions. The ASEAN Senior Engagement Associate will be the part of the on-the-ground liaison for Palladium managing and coordinating day-to-day activities, in coordination with ASEAN GTF team in the region and UK staff. The position will be based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Primary responsibilities The ASEAN Senior Engagement Associate will be the ‘on-the-ground' stakeholder manager with the relevant divisions within the ASEAN Secretariat for Palladium affirming and implementing the FCDO strategy for GTF. Liaising with sector leads, the role holder will be responsible for providing key contextual insights and ensuring GTF delivery meets the expectations of ASEAN Secretariat mechanisms. Specifically, the ASEAN Senior Engagement Associate will: Stakeholder Relationships: Maintain an excellent working relationship with the UK Mission to ASEAN team, supporting them in engagement with ASEAN Secretariat. Where required, support Palladium GTF sector leads to bridge communications with partner country government agencies, civil society groups, research agencies, (green) financial institutions and relevant private sector firms in order to collaboratively design and generate buy-in for the programme’s strategy, plans, and resource requirements; Act as an ambassador for GTF, promoting funding opportunities to potential implementing partners in the energy and green finance sectors, project and programme outputs to intended beneficiaries, and broader UK engagement on low-carbon development where relevant, and as agreed with FCDO. Strategy Development and Engagement: Lead input gathering from the relevant divisions at the ASEAN Secretariat to feed into the adaptive strategy for GTF; Communicate and advocate GTF strategy and plan to the relevant division at the ASEAN Secretariat and their channelling into appropriate levels of ASEAN meetings mechanisms; Map and identify complementary programmes (funded by the UK and other donors) to feed into GTF implementation plans, theories of change and log-frames and avoid programme duplication; Programme Management; Identification, Selection and Implementation of Interventions: Support the GTF Fund Manager to coordinate grant funding windows in accordance with GTF implementation plans, and market engagement to ensure the right local stakeholders are aware of, and well-placed to apply for, funding opportunities; Support organisation and management of call for proposals in collaboration with UK Mission to ASEAN team, posts, the Palladium team in the UK and the FCDO lead; Support and contribute to the project selection process, particularly with regard to assessing deliverability and impact potential in alignment with ASEAN Secretariat priorities; Feed specific ASEAN Secretariat requirements for project set-up coordinating with the Palladium core team to adhere to any local due diligence required and to support initial briefing to potential Implementation Partners; Oversee timeline alignment of implementation of projects with ASEAN Secretariat requirements and regularly ensure the feedback of results, impacts and learning through quarterly reports to FCDO covering overall progress, progress against outputs, main activities and deliverables for the next period, budget, spend and forecast, and risks; Advise GTF on potential to extend, scale up or replicate successful projects and Expert Deployment, and work with successful Implementation Partners to do this with FCDO approval; Support defence against fraud, corruption and safeguarding risks, conducting spot checks and other processes to ensure FCDO grant funding is spent as intended and that Implementation Partners meet FCDO compliance requirements. Programme Reporting: Support Implementing Partners on project reporting, ensuring reporting meets FCDO requirements and can effectively feed into any relevant reporting required by the ASEAN Secretariat; Oversee ASEAN Secretariat mechanism-specific risk management, working with all parties, ensuring any issues identified result in quick mitigation strategies and/or are escalated as required; Contribute to programme governance and decision-making, regionally, in-country and centrally, as required. CANDIDATE SPECIFICATION Excellent understanding of collaboration mechanisms with ASEAN Secretariat in general and more specifically in the UK-ASEAN cooperation areas that GTF champions Strong regional stakeholder management skills with proven ability to engage with and manage donor client formal reporting and ad-hoc requests Sound knowledge of the green transition agenda in high‑impact sectors, including key challenges, opportunities, and sector‑specific pathways Demonstrated ability to build networks and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders at different levels of seniority Good knowledge and understanding of the regional political economy and business operating context in ASEAN, including socio-economic context and development challenges and priorities Excellent organisational, inter-personal administration and communication skills; An ability to see both the big (strategic) picture, identifying opportunities for innovation and value addition for GTF, as well as keeping alert to project delivery risks; Professional fluency in English; A high degree of personal resilience, flexibility and ability to adapt to changing circumstances; Highly collaborative and committed to close working and open communication with colleagues in post and in the UK, and other GTF partners; Commitment to neutrality in all dealings with stakeholders, including political stakeholders, to build trusted relationships and ensure maximum effectiveness of the programme. Contract Duration: This is a full‑time role based in Jakarta, Indonesia based fixed‑term contract starting from 1 July 2026 to 31 March 2027. Any extension will be subject to satisfactory performance and the continuation or amendment of the head contract with FCDO. Equity, Diversity Inclusion Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status. Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss. Safeguarding We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.