Asia Partnerships Development Manager - Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, or Vietnam

Location: Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, or Vietnam - fully remote set up

Position Status: Full-time, on-going

Closing date: Please submit your application by July 31

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 35 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions

into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

The Program / Department / Team

Mercy Corps operates across a diverse and dynamic consolidated region spanning MENA/Europe and Asia — including Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Syria, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Thailand. Contexts range from protracted conflicts, displacement, and acute humanitarian crises to climate vulnerability, poverty, and rapidly evolving development landscapes. Across this spectrum, Mercy Corps applies a layered resilience approach — delivering food and water security, economic opportunity, and energy access while fostering self-reliance and local leadership. The region also presents growing opportunities for private-sector engagement, blended finance, and innovative partnership models, enabling Mercy Corps to bridge relief and long-term development through climate-smart, evidence-driven programming.

To respond to these dynamics and accelerate impact, Mercy Corps is expanding its regional partnerships ecosystem—working closely with institutional donors, foundations, corporations, MDBs, and impact-oriented investors. The Partnerships Development Manager plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing this strategy to diversify income streams and deepen strategic collaboration across Asia.

The Position

Mercy Corps is seeking a resourceful and entrepreneurial person with a passion for unlocking partnerships that enable communities to thrive across the dynamic development context. The Partnerships Development Manager is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and stewarding high value strategic partnerships that unlock new and diversified funding for Mercy Corps’ programs in Asia. This role combines strategic business development, donor relationship management, and regional thought leadership. Reporting to the Senior Business Development Advisor, the Manager works closely with country leadership, technical teams, and global fundraising colleagues to position Mercy Corps competitively with priority donors—particularly within the private sector, foundations, bilateral and multilateral funders, and development finance institutions.

The ideal candidate brings a strong track record of closing complex partnerships, influencing donor strategies, and translating programmatic priorities into compelling funding opportunities. S/he is a skilled communicator with an entrepreneurial mindset, able to develop and leverage strong relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders. The candidate demonstrates excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to work effectively within multiple teams. A deep understanding of industry trends, market dynamics, and competitive landscapes is essential.

Essential Responsibilities

Business Development and Income Diversification

• Lead and support the identification, cultivation, and management of strategic partnerships that diversify Mercy Corps’ funding base across corporate, foundation, bilateral, and multilateral donors.
• Develop, maintain and execute a regional donor engagement plan to strengthen relationship management, pipeline development and informs resource planning.
• Drive proactive donor mapping and pipeline development aligned with regional and country program priorities.
• Support and influence go/no‑go decision‑making to ensure pursuit of high‑potential, mission‑aligned funding opportunities.
• Directly contribute to the writing and coordination of high‑quality concept notes, proposals, and partnership agreements in collaboration with country, regional, and global teams.
• Position Mercy Corps for large, multi‑year, and innovative funding opportunities, including blended finance and shared‑value partnerships.
• Lead and support opportunity capture from identification through proposal submission, and coordinate technical, programmatic, and operational inputs for high-quality proposal submission

Market Intelligence and Pipeline Management

• Track and refine the portfolio pipeline in partnership with Director of Programs/Program Managers and BD team.
• Conduct competitor and market analyses to identify trends, pricing benchmarks, and partnership opportunities.
• Maintain up-to-date intelligence on donor priorities, budget trends, and acquisition forecasts relevant to Mercy Corps’ refreshed Pathway to Possibility Strategy.
• Monitor and report on performance KPIs (pipeline coverage, win rate, and capture ROI).

Private Sector & Innovative Partnerships

• Advance Mercy Corps’ private sector engagement and shared value partnership agenda in Asia.
• Leverage Mercy Corps’ experience in market systems development, venture support, and impact investment to develop differentiated partnership propositions.
• Collaborate closely with Mercy Corps Ventures and global private sector teams to bring regional opportunities to scale.

Influence and Representation

• Engage with prospective donors to shape and influence their strategies and funding priorities.
• Develop and nurture strong relationships and networks with priority donors and partners in the region.
• Identify and pursue areas for thought leadership, including building connections with civil society leaders, government officials, donors, private sector partners, and other actors.
• Position Mercy Corps for new opportunities in the region and prioritize partnership development with strategic donors and actors, especially within the private sector.
• Support country teams on donor engagement, partner intelligence, and negotiation strategies.
• Serve as a respected representative for Mercy Corps in Asia, promoting the organization’s capabilities, expertise, innovation, and values.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

● Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.

● Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.

● Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: The Business Development Senior Advisor – MENA/Europe and Asia

Works Directly With: Country Directors in Asia, other regional management and technical staff, Corporate and Foundation Partners Team, Mercy Corps Ventures Team and others

Supervises: TBD

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• BA/BS (or equivalent) in international development, business administration, social sciences, or a related field; and MA preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in business development, fundraising, or strategic partnerships within the NGO, philanthropic, or impact investing sectors.
• Demonstrated success in securing and managing complex partnerships, including private sector and institutional donors.
• Strong understanding of development trends, donor landscapes, and private sector engagement in Asia.
• Proven experience in proposal development, negotiation, and partnership structuring.
• Exceptional written and interpersonal communication skills an absolute must.
• Proven ability to work productively with a wide variety of stakeholders to run both participatory process and also meet tight deadlines with an emphasis on producing quality products.
• Strong writing skills required.
• Prior professional experience in Asia required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Bangkok and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).