The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is seeking a Centre Director to lead the Asia Centre after the current director completes his term on 29 February 2016. 

In order to fulfil SEI’s mission to bridge science and policy, the Asia Centre has two professional tracks: research and programme management. Including the Centre Director and Deputy Director, there are currently 8 research staff and 4 programme management staff. In addition, the centre has a Communications Coordinator and administrative support staff, as well as visiting researchers and interns. The centre is expanding and expects to hire more research and programme management staff by the end of 2015. Centre staff have expertise in both social and natural sciences, and work on a variety of projects and programmes that involve basic, applied, and action research; capacity development; policy analysis; and stakeholder engagement. Staff, visitors, and interns come from both within and outside of the region, and at present 12 nationalities are represented in the office. Centre staff are highly self-motivated and self-directed. The culture of the office is open, supportive, and adaptable, and staff value the Thai virtue of making the workplace sanuk – a happy office with a good sense of humour.

SEI’s Asia Centre is a dynamic office in a dynamic region. In its early years it focused on the Mekong sub-region, but has since expanded to work across Southeast Asia and is now poised to extend its portfolio to the rest of Asia. The incoming Centre Director will be asked to take this forward, so we are seeking applicants with a strong knowledge of, and experience with, environment and development issues within the greater Asian region. He or she must have outstanding leadership abilities, be able to work with people from different cultures and disciplines, and have an earnest appreciation for multi- and inter-disciplinary work. While the Centre Director does not have to be a researcher, he or she should have experience working with researchers and appreciate the special demands on researchers in non-academic institutions to establish and maintain their reputation. Also, the Centre Director should appreciate the programme management staff’s role in achieving impact through inclusive and informed policy dialogue. The Centre Director is expected to support this goal by representing SEI and the Asia Centre in the media, at policy events, and at high-level meetings.

Appointment and performance evaluation

The Centre Director reports to SEI’s Executive Director and is appointed by the Executive Director for a period of three years. The term can be extended in three year increments, contingent on a favorable performance evaluation.

Key functions

• Initiate and lead the planning and implementation of all organizational, management and staff-related issues at the centre, consistent with and in support of SEI's philosophy, objectives, mission, strategy, and goals.
• Be responsible for the financial sustainability and administrative efficiency of the Centre.
• Be responsible for the availability of necessary research, management and administrative competencies at the centre.
• Be part of SEI’s international management and ensure effective collaboration between the SEI Stockholm centre, headquarters and the other SEI centres.

Major accountabilities

• Centre leadership. Lead the Centre Executive and Management Teams and ensure efficient and delegated leadership and management of the centre. Be responsible for the overall welfare and development of the centre staff. Lead and support group leaders and monitor their professional progress and development on a regular basis.
• Centre management. Develop and manage the centre, ensuring staff and organizational management, development and implementation of policies and procedures, planning, regulation and reporting, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Recruitment, centre competence and staff development. Secure the availability of relevant professional competence at the centre through recruitment, staff development and training. 
• Programme, product and service development, delivery and quality control.Oversee the development, design, implementation and quality control of activities and services provided by the centre, including timely response to clients’ and relevant stakeholders’ needs and SEI’s policies and priorities.
• Communication and partner relations. Ensure efficient internal and external communication together with the Director of Communications and communications team; build and nurture contacts and relationships with partners and clients; attend and participate in seminars, meetings and conferences to promote and strengthen SEI and the centre’s network; facilitate contacts between centre staff and clients/partners; and promote, support and direct frequent interaction with policy and decision makers.

• Fundraising. Oversee fundraising planning and implementation, including identification of resource requirements and funding sources, development of partner-specific strategies, contributing to proposals, and provision of support to other SEI staff involved in fundraising.
• SEI management: Participate in the SEI-wide Management Team and collaborate with the  directors of other SEI centres and the SEI research theme leadership on centre-specific issues and cross-centre proposals, projects, activities and agreements. Prepare and present annual centre reports to the SEI Board, the Scientific Advisory Committee, and SEI’s core funders.
• Research and/or project management: Formulate, develop, lead, manage and implement one or more externally funded activities, either in a research or programme management role.

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• Masters or higher degree, in a field relevant to SEI’s mission, including but not limited to: natural sciences; social sciences; environmental science or natural resources management; engineering; policy analysis; or economics;
• Outstanding leadership, management, organisational, communication, interpersonal, cross-cultural and networking skills, including a minimum of ten years of experience in a leadership position in a knowledge-based, or similar, organization;
• A strong interest in and experience of staff management, including research staff;
• Experience of and proven track record in fund raising;
• Experience in leading (in either a research or programme management role) international research related to policy and governance and sustainable development;
• Several years’ substantive experience in development and environment issues within Asia;
• Experience of integrated knowledge generation and science-policy bridging initiatives;
• Proven success working with a wide range of partners, including research institutes, governments, and other development actors;
• Excellent inter-cultural communication skills
• Excellent spoken and written English language skills. Knowledge of at least one Asian language is highly desirable.

SEI is an independent international non-profit research institute. It was established in 1989 by the Swedish Government with a mission to support decision-making and induce change towards sustainable development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges science and policy in the fields of environment and development. SEI is ranked as the 2nd most influential environment think tank in the world in the Global Go To Think Tank Report, compiled by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program. In addition to the Asia Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, which was established in 2004, SEI has centres or offices in Europe, the US, and Africa with about 180 research staff in total.