Stakeholder Engagement Associate

Role: Associate, Stakeholder Engagement 

Start Date: Immediately

Employment Type: Full time, 1 Year Contract (renewable)

Location: Kuala Lumpur

Objective

Successfully establish, co-create, nurture and drive monetary and non-monetary partnerships within the ecosystem that enables synergies to innovate education in Malaysia. The Stakeholder Engagement Associate will work closely with various functions in the organization and with relevant external stakeholders to ensure the organisation’s impact is accelerated across and beyond the two-year Teach For Malaysia (TFM) Fellowship Programme as well as collectively drive and deepen the impact of TFM’s Alumni and movement.

Key Focus Areas in the Role

• Effective stakeholder engagement and management - for TFM’s strategic and operational purposes, evident through establishment of strong understanding, buy-in, collaborative partnerships and consideration of internal and external stakeholders (public, private sectors as well as other relevant stakeholders) requirements in mutually beneficial goals and agreeable decisions at federal, state and district levels. Supports cross functional teams in identifying, liaising, arranging and preparing for external stakeholder meetings within the ecosystem such as schools, local government authorities, private/corporate stakeholders and other non-profit organisations.
• Drive collective impact - support cross functional teams to brainstorm, plan and drive collective impact by mapping communities within the ecosystem, executing Alumni strategy and mobilising the movement. Act as thought partners for other teams to identify strategic priorities to drive TFM’s impact. 
• Reporting, impact measurement and communication – ensures impact stories from regions are collected, shared and reported, TFM’s value proposition and outcomes are articulated clearly to gain and enhance buy-in from all relevant stakeholders.
• Operational efficiency, logistics and coordination – ensures smooth execution and continuous improvement of the Fellowship programme. Supports logistical coordination of events including Fellow and student opportunities at regional level. Work closely with teams across the Fellowship Programme and Growth teams to ensure events delivered in the region are such that they inspire local stakeholders to continue supporting the mission and support Fellows to be impactful teachers in the short, medium and long term.
• Strategic planning and advocacy - assists in identifying and advocating for strategic priorities including but not limited to Fellows placement, Alumni pathways and deepening the impact of the movement. Co-create opportunities with stakeholders invested in the mission to deepen collective impact in our placement states, districts and schools which optimize the short term, medium term and long term impact of the TFM Fellowship Programme and Alumni movement.

Duties and Responsibilities

In order to achieve the Mission of this role, a Programme Senior Associate / Associate should: 

Stakeholder Engagement and Management

• Support Head of TFM Fellowship Programme and stakeholder Engagement Manager to identify and co-create opportunities with stakeholders within the ecosystem including private and public sectors  i.e. Ministry of Education government at Federal level (including but not limited to the TFM-MOE Advisory Committee, Implementation Committee, Programme Task Force), State, district levels and local communities (i.e. local authorities, Ketua Kampung, NGOs etc) to ensure strong delivery and effectiveness of our programme. 
• Assist to plan and execute regional strategy as well as identify and advocate for strategic priorities and opportunities to deepen collective impact in the placement region.
• Supports Stakeholder Engagement Manager and cross functionally in activities pertaining to building and nurturing strategic relationships, TFM Fellowship programme (Recruitment and Selection of Fellows, Pre-Service Programme, Employment and Placement of Fellows into schools etc) as well as Alumni related matters.
• Schedule, plan and prepare for events and / or meetings with external stakeholders including the public sector i.e. Ministry of Education.
• Coordinate communication of progress updates on programme implementation cross-functionally; with various organisation’s departments and / or stakeholders (i.e. school stakeholders, private sectors) in placement region.

Programme Effectiveness 

• Operational efficiency – ensures smooth execution and continuous improvement of our Programmatic needs. Supports Training and Support Team on all areas of the coordination and alignment of the Programme team’s goals and objectives.
• Logistics and coordination – ensures satisfaction with the logistics of Fellowship events and the coordination of Fellow and student opportunities. Work closely with the Head of Fellowship and Training & Support Team to ensure regional events delivered in the region are such that they inspire and support Fellows to be impactful teaching partners in the short, medium and long term.
• Impact measurement – ensures the story of the region’s impact is articulated by administering impact measurements according to timelines, meeting submission rates and communicating outcomes regionally.
• Support the Fellowship Team to identify strategic opportunities, develop and drive projects, events or activities with Fellows, students, Alumni and the wider movement.

Reporting and Knowledge Management

• Prepare reports, continuously document activities and developments in a systematic manner.
• Maintain and update our comprehensive stakeholder engagement database.  
• Undertaking administrative tasks related to developing partnerships with the public sector including communication via letters, emails etc is a key job function of the position.

Required Competencies

• Passion for Teach For Malaysia’s mission and the movement, desire to operate within the Teach For Malaysia’s Core Values and interest in the public sector work
• Highly adaptable and work effectively in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, deadline-driven, collaborative and VUCA (volatile, uncertain, challenging and ambiguous) environment 
• Proactive self-starter with the proven ability to manage multiple streams of work, independently prioritise tasks, operate and deliver within deadlines with high level of personal responsibility and accountability.
• Strong stakeholder management skills; interpersonal and relationship building skills and ability to work collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in both English and Bahasa Malaysia.
• Ability to manage projects, prioritize and juggle multiple projects and deliver within deadlines.
• Excellent organisational skills and strong orientation to detail
• Excellent reasoning, problem-solving and process-based thinking skills. 
• Excellent proficiency in MS Word, Access, Excel and database application.
• Must be able to travel independently between multiple work sites in other regions, if necessary.

Previous Experience

• Previous internships or 1 year of professional experience or understanding or requirements for working with public sector or agencies and diverse range of stakeholders preferred, but not required.
• Professional work or university experience in project management or running programmes or events.
• Prior experience working or understanding of the Malaysian education and social conditions.