The Regional Lead provides expert leadership and organisational influence across International Operations in Asia Pacific, ensuring the Award is supported to grow sustainably, deliver consistently and operate in line with agreed standards, policies and safeguarding expectations. Working with National Award Operators, Operating Partners and Independent Award Centres across the region, and with internal colleagues, the Regional Lead translates organisational priorities into clear regional plans, practical support and consistent ways of working. Outcomes are delivered primarily through influence, coordination and specialist practice leadership rather than positional authority. The role requires a deep understanding of the Asia Pacific ecosystem, including context, stakeholders, operating environment, cultural dynamics and risks, and uses evidence and insight to strengthen Operator performance, manage risks and identify opportunities for scale and impact. The Regional Lead connects the Foundation's Growth and Development framework to on-the-ground realities, contributing to growth lever diagnostics and operator matrix assessments, and coordinating with the Growth and Development Department so that regional support is aligned with organisational prioritisation. This is a leadership role within the wider International Operations department, and will also be required to support and provide capacity for other regions where needed.

Key Responsibilities
• Regional planning and prioritisation: Translate International Operations strategy into a clear set of regional priorities and delivery plans for Asia Pacific, aligned to organisational objectives and standards.
• Operator portfolio leadership: Lead the coordination of support for a defined portfolio of Operators across Asia Pacific, ensuring support is differentiated, practical and consistent with agreed frameworks and expectations.
• Growth and development contribution: Contribute to the Operator Matrix assessment and growth lever diagnostics for the region, working with the Growth and Development Department so that regional insight informs prioritisation, development planning and investment decisions.
• Funding support: Support Operators to identify external funding sources and shape applications where needed, support Operators to apply for Foundation funding (Founders and ISP), and once funds are received support the grants team with monitoring and evaluation reporting.
• Standards, quality and compliance: Provide practice leadership that strengthens consistent application of standards, policies and quality approaches across the region, escalating material gaps and risks appropriately.
• Performance oversight and improvement: Use data and regional insight to diagnose barriers to growth and quality, track performance against agreed indicators, and coordinate improvement actions with Operators and internal teams.
• Risk management and operational resilience: Identify, monitor and escalate key regional risks across operational, legal and compliance, fiduciary, reputational and security domains, and support proportionate mitigation planning with relevant colleagues.
• Safeguarding leadership in practice: Actively support a strong safeguarding culture across Asia Pacific by advising, challenging and escalating where concerns arise, and ensuring safeguarding requirements are embedded in regional ways of working.
• Stakeholder engagement and representation: Build and maintain trusted relationships with key regional stakeholders, including Operator leaders,



relevant institutions and partners, representing the Foundation's approach and strengthening credibility and collaboration.
• Cross-functional coordination: Convene and coordinate colleagues across functions, including Growth, Grants, Digital, Performance and Monitoring, and External Relations, and across Operators, to deliver coherent regional outcomes and resolve delivery dependencies.
• Regional learning: Work with the Learning and Engagement function to support the facilitation and delivery of training, both in person and virtually.
• Regional insight: Capture, synthesise and share regional learning, valuable practice and emerging trends to inform organisational decision-making and capability building across the network.
• Governance and brand stewardship: Support appropriate governance, accountability and brand protection practices across the regional network, flagging structural or compliance issues that could expose the Foundation or Operators to risk.
• Crisis support: Contribute to regional incident and crisis preparedness and coordinated response, including disruption, safeguarding incidents and political instability, ensuring timely escalation and alignment with organisational protocols.
• Budget and resource management: Manage delegated regional operational budgets and resources effectively, ensuring expenditure is aligned to agreed plans and reported accurately.
• International Operations support: Provide capacity and support to other regions within the International Operations department as needed. Knowledge and Experience
• Demonstrable experience leading or coordinating multi-country, multi-stakeholder portfolios in an international, federated, networked or partnership-based context.
• Deep understanding of Asia Pacific, including political and cultural context, the education and youth sector landscape, stakeholder dynamics, operational constraints and the risk environment, sufficient to adapt support approaches effectively.
• Experience strengthening delivery quality and performance through standards, guidance, coordination and capability building, particularly where delivery is through partners rather than direct implementation.
• Experience using performance information, including KPIs, management information and qualitative insight, to inform prioritisation, diagnose issues and drive improvement across a region or portfolio.
• Experience supporting risk identification, mitigation and escalation in complex environments, with practical awareness of common INGO risk categories and trade-offs.
• Track record of building effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders, including senior leaders in partner organisations, and operating with cultural sensitivity.
• Experience contributing to organisational learning by capturing good practice, sharing expertise and strengthening consistent approaches across geographies, including geographies outside the defined region.
• Familiarity with governance and accountability considerations, and how global organisations balance consistency with local autonomy. Desirable rather than essential,



but helpful in federated and network models. Skills and Abilities
• Regional sensemaking and contextual application: Interpret complex regional contexts and adapt support approaches without diluting organisational standards.
• Influence without authority: Align Operators and internal teams around shared outcomes through facilitation, persuasion and credibility rather than hierarchical control.
• Portfolio coordination and delivery rigour: Manage a multi-country portfolio, coordinate inputs, track progress and maintain focus on deliverables and outcomes, and provide support and capacity outside the defined region as needed.
• Performance analysis and improvement orientation: Work confidently with performance data and qualitative insight, identify patterns and translate findings into practical improvement actions.
• Risk judgement within scope: Spot risks early, understand their operational implications and escalate appropriately, balancing mission, safety and compliance.
• Relationship building across cultures: High competence in cross-cultural communication, trust-building and constructive challenge with partners and stakeholders.
• Clear communication for decision-making: Produce concise, decision-useful updates and briefings that clarify issues, options and recommendations for internal stakeholders.
• Convening and coordination across the network: Convene multi-country working, share practice and coordinate peer learning across Operators to spread effective approaches.
• Safeguarding-minded practice: Demonstrate consistent safeguarding awareness and the confidence to challenge and escalate concerns appropriately. Role-Level Competencies Leads are accountable for delivering outcomes across teams, functions or geographies. They shape how strategy is applied in practice, make judgement calls in ambiguity and drive progress through influence rather than formal authority. A Lead:
• Interprets and shapes how organisational strategy is applied within their area of responsibility.
• Sets clear direction and expectations where these are not fully defined.
• Delivers outcomes that depend on coordination across multiple teams or partners.
• Drives progress and maintains momentum where responsibility is shared or unclear.
• Makes informed judgements in complex or ambiguous situations, balancing priorities, risk and impact.
• Influences others through credibility, expertise and clarity of intent rather than positional authority.
• Holds others to account for their contributions to shared outcomes through alignment and engagement.
• Develops and improves frameworks, tools and ways of working used across the organisation.
• Uses evidence, insight and learning to inform decisions and strengthen delivery.
• Builds alignment across stakeholders to achieve coherent and effective outcomes.
• Contributes to organisational learning by sharing expertise and building capability in others.
• Models inclusive, collaborative and values-led behaviours.
• Strengthens safeguarding culture through advice, challenge and appropriate escalation. Defining Characteristic Leads are distinguished by their ability to shape direction and deliver outcomes across organisational boundaries through influence, judgement and clarity of intent, rather than through line management or functional ownership. The role can also be based in any other countries here: Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand, Fiji, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand.

📌 Regional Lead (India)
🏢 The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation
📍 India