Membership and Business Development Associate

Overview

The US-ASEAN Business Council Inc. (Council) was established in 1984 as a non-profit organization.  On behalf of its members, the Council conducts research and analysis of economic, environmental, financial, political, and social, conditions in the ten countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Council utilizes the results of its research and analysis to assist its member companies by providing educational programs, technical information for product innovation, and trade and investment-related activities.  Through its 501c3 arm, the Council provides support for humanitarian efforts, community engagement, and educational scholarships. The Council has become the leading voice of the U.S. private sector in promoting mutually beneficial trade and investment relationships between the U.S. and the ten countries of Southeast Asia.

The Council supports the interests of 160+ member companies by providing advocacy, thought leadership, research, education, intelligence, and building key business relationships. Worldwide, the Council's members generate over $7 trillion in revenue and employ more than 13 million people. The Council is the only American organization formally recognized in the ASEAN Charter and meets annually with the Finance, Trade, and Energy Ministers at their annual meetings. The Council produces research papers on cybersecurity, energy, environment, financial services, health, information communications technology, life sciences, sustainability, and other leading-edge topics and activities in ASEAN. The Council currently has 20 employees in the United States and 34 employees in ASEAN.  Members companies include 3M, Abbott, Chubb, Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Google, Intel, and UPS. The Council has offices in Washington, DC, New York, NY, Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and Singapore.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Council management encouraged innovation, made strategic investments, communicated, and regularly engaged with internal and external stakeholders, streamlined processes, and made strategic budget cuts designed to avoid layoffs and remain solvent. US-ABC's people-centered philosophy and flexible business model aligned with the still prevailing longer-term trends of remote work and enhanced technology. US-ABC pivoted successfully, offered virtual programs, safeguarded the staff, and achieved budget goals. The Council continued to grow, thanks to the support of its current members and an influx of new members. The technology investments promoted greater regional teamwork amongst the seven ASEAN offices and spark greater creativity.

The US-ASEAN Business Council believes that a diverse and inclusive workforce drives innovation and creates a culture of respect and understanding.  We are committed to fostering an environment where all employees feel valued, respected and supported, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age or background.  We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply and to bring their unique perspectives to our organization.
 

Essential Duty Elements

The Membership and Business Development Associate position is a hybrid, full-time position, located in Washington, DC, reporting to the Director of Membership. The associate supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of membership growth strategies, as well as day-to-day management of the US-ABC member engagement to help ensure the highest level of service to members. The Membership and Business Development Associate also provides support for the Food & Agriculture and Supply Chains portfolios.
 

Responsibilities:

• Membership Base Maintenance (40%)  
  • Develop, manage, and implement membership retention efforts
  • Tracks assigned member accounts activities, interests, and engagement;
  • Work directly with member companies to handle a wide variety of tasks, ensuring their needs are accommodated
  • Ensure accurate billing and comprehensive databases with each executive’s contact information maintained and updated;
  • Communicate with members collectively and individually and ensure regular meetings with each member
  • Promote Council services and events and value of membership to members regularly
  • Prepare monthly reports on membership growth for global team
  • Assist with annual and periodic membership surveys
  • Assist in maintaining and updating Membership portions of Council website
  • Follows up to ensure unpaid invoices are paid on a timely basis. Tracks Accounts Receivable due to the Council keeping matrix up to date.
• Membership Growth (30%)  
  • Work alongside the membership team to develop prospective member lists, perform outreach, and work to grow the overall Council
  • Develop and implement creative marketing ideas to build the value of the Council brand to attract prospective members
• Program Development (30%)  
  
  • Support Supply Chains and Food & Agriculture portfolios to position corporate messages and reinforce efforts to properly position private sector views.
  • Ideate and build successful programs on Southeast Asia, including roundtables, briefings, policy seminars, and workshops that expand the Council’s presence
  • Assist with running major Council events, including galas and special projects
  • Assist with relationship management for US Government contacts, multilateral organizations, trade associations, and other key stakeholders.

Qualifications and Requirements

• The ideal candidate is an individual with a proven track record in membership and/or business development of at least 1-2 years, ideally including demonstrated entrepreneurial approaches to building membership. S/he is comfortable being part of a small organization and a close-knit management team
• An undergraduate degree is required with a major in Business Administration, Marketing, Accounting, International Relations, Foreign Service, Economics, East Asian Studies, or the equivalent work experience preferred.
• Exposure to and experience with American companies is preferred
• A minimum requirement for this U.S.-based position is the ability to work legally in the United States on a permanent basis (U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or Qualifying Asylee/Refugee)
• Must be able to interact and build effective communication with all organizational levels including senior management of member companies, senior business leaders from ASEAN countries, senior government leaders from ASEAN countries, academics, think tanks and media.
• Must be organized, detail-oriented and be able to successfully handle multiple tasks at the same time and function in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be fluent in English and demonstrate a proven excellence in written and oral English language communication either through prior work endeavors or through academia
• Excellent working knowledge of Internet research and MS Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint are required.
• Must be willing to work beyond normal business hours to coordinate with colleagues in the United States, participate in regular staff calls and consult with Council members based in the United States and other parts of Asia and the world.
• Prior work in or study of Southeast Asia is a plus.
• Interest in understanding Southeast Asia political systems and business environment and/or knowledge of ASEAN is a plus.

Additional Notes

Benefits:                     

• 401(k) participation with 5% employer match
• Hybrid Work Environment
• Sick Leave
• Annual Leave
• Bereavement Leave
• Compensatory Time
• Remote Work Permitted outside DMV with pre-approval for limited periods.
• Employer-provided WMATA SmarTrip card with $150 monthly contribution
• Corporate American Express card for business-related expenses
• Free access to in-building fitness facility

All Insurance premiums are paid in full by employer including:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Health savings account
• Life and long-term care insurance
• Vision insurance

Application Procedure

To apply to the Council’s Membership and Business Development Associate position, please submit a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample (no more than one page) at careers.usasean.org. Only applicants that apply via the US-ASEAN Business Council's career site will be considered.