Business Development Manager - APAC

Job Description

JOB TITLE: Business Development Manager – Asia Pacific TEAM: Asia Pacific REPORTS TO: Senior Manager, Business Development Asia-Pacific LOCATION: Sydney or Bangkok Adam Smith International (ASI) is a global advisory company that works locally to transform lives by making economies stronger, societies more stable, and governments more effective. ASI is headquartered in London, and our Asia Pacific regional office, Adam Smith International (Australia) Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of ASI. It was established in 2012, in Sydney, as the company’s regional APAC headquarters. Since then, we have worked in 26 countries across the region, with live operations in 16 Asia-Pacific countries. Our team is engaged in BD, project management and consulting activities across a range of sectors including private sector and market systems development, economic governance and public financial management, agriculture and agribusiness, sustainable infrastructure, energy transition, climate adaption, extractives regulation, gender equality and social inclusion, criminal justice and security sector reform. The Business Development (BD) Manager will deliver impactful, high-quality proposals and tenders within our Asia Pacific portfolio across a range of sectors, including economic management, climate change, private sector development, governance, public financial management, sustainable infrastructure, agriculture and agribusiness, human development and criminal justice reform. The BD Manager will primarily focus on programs funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and other major bilateral and multilateral donors operating in the region. They will monitor and track emerging opportunities, support, and eventually lead BD efforts, take ownership of management information, oversee core processes and coordinate across our Asia Pacific team and ASI’s wider global business. Working closely with Asia-Pacific’s Senior and Principal Managers, the BD Manager will strive for continuous improvement; seek new partnerships and develop strong relationships with clients and consultants across the region. KEY RELATIONSHIPS Internal Senior Manager for BD Principal Manager for BD Director of Asia Pacific Asia-Pacific team at the Sydney office and throughout the region BD Teams based in India, London HQ and elsewhere HQ Central Support Teams including Finance, Legal and Commercial External DFAT and other donor staff Prime and subcontracting partners Key consultants and associates KEY TASKS Business Development Drive business growth across the Asia-Pacific region. Supporting and eventually managing the bid process from inception to submission, building winning tenders that meet the needs of our core clients and enable high-quality delivery and innovation. Draw on existing networks, identify and track emerging opportunities, monitor the pipelines of key donors to build a pipeline of business development opportunities across the region. Support and lead bid writing, including the development of technical and financial proposals in response to live tenders; Ensure fully compliant, timely bid submissions. Contribute to developing the team’s strategy for winning and delivering programs across the region, in collaboration with colleagues in the Asia Pacific team. Develop a network of world-class advisers and partners to support ASI in securing and delivering high-quality programs. Maintain a consultant/associate database to support accurate and timely business development activities. Support and develop strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations to form new and innovative consortium arrangements that offer donors the best blend of complementary and mutually reinforcing experience and expertise. Support cross-business coordination and cooperation to promote a joined-up approach to BD in Asia-Pacific, including with in-house technical practices and donor-focused teams based at ASI’s global headquarters in London (UK), and other regional hubs. Support thought leadership, knowledge management, and outward engagement efforts amongst clients, beneficiaries, partners, and other key stakeholders. Develop bid management processes and tools that incorporate lessons learned and support efficient and effective business development activities. Develop, document, and provide training on new operational processes. Project Delivery Manage the implementation of DFAT-funded assignments and programs on an ad-hoc basis. Core program management tasks include: Ensure that programs managed are completed on time, within budget, and to the utmost satisfaction of the client. Ensure that all agreed outputs, including reports, presentations, and other deliverables, are delivered to clients on time, meet corporate guidelines, and adhere to the quality standards expected by ASI. Maintain stringent financial oversight of projects relating to invoice payments and accurate reporting by ASI. Manage key stakeholders and build and develop strong client relationships on programs managed. Track and manage milestones and maintain an issues and risk register, as required. Prepare Terms of Reference and recruit required long and short-term associates and negotiate terms. Other Ensure all monthly financial submissions (timesheets, visa card returns, invoices, expenses, etc.) are submitted correctly. Consistently meet all deadlines. SELECTION CRITERIA Knowledge & Qualification Undergraduate degree in a relevant subject. Master’s degree preferred, with particular preference for fields relevant to international development. Experience Experience leading business development initiatives or tendering for new opportunities. Experience within the international development sector or a government agency preferred. Excellent command of English and advanced bid/proposal/grant writing capabilities, along with bid management experience. Understanding of donor procurement cycles. Nuanced understanding of DFAT’s international development policy. Values, Skills, And Competencies Strong oral and written communication skills in English. Confidence in working with Microsoft products. Ability to build effective, credible client relationships and networks. High degree of organizational ability, including working well under pressure, with a high level of accuracy. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including report writing and presenting information. A desire to travel and an enthusiasm for tackling unfamiliar and challenging problems. A pragmatic and resourceful attitude with the confidence to make difficult decisions. What We Offer You We offer you a dynamic and friendly team environment and the opportunity to work on a highly successful portfolio of programs. We have a strong commitment to our people and strive to live by our values: Partnership: Bringing together people from diverse backgrounds. Impact: Creating lasting impact in complex, challenging situations. Creativity: Finding new ways to create value through innovative thinking. ASI is committed to continually improve the diversity of our workforce through the attraction, retention and development of a diverse range of talented people. #Happy to talk flexible working Heard Enough? Ready to Apply? We would love to hear from you. Please submit a CV (no more than 2 pages) and separate cover letter which addresses the “About You” selection criteria above no later than Monday, 24th March 2025. To be considered for this position, the successful applicant must hold a valid Australian visa with full work rights for a minimum of two years or be a Thailand national with pre-existing work rights in Thailand. Adam Smith International values a diverse workforce and encourages applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Seniority level Mid-Senior level Employment type Full-time Job function Business Development and Sales Industries International Trade and Development #J-18808-Ljbffr