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Regional Director - Asia- Pacific

  • Company

    Spirit of America

  • Location

    Manila, Philippines

  • Employment Type

    Full-Time

  • Functional Category

    Programme Management & Implementation

  • Experience

    12 - 13 years

  • Date Posted

    09-Nov-2025

About Spirit of America

Spirit of America is a nonprofit founded in 2003 to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. We start by working with US troops and diplomats to identify places where America’s help is needed most. We deliver assistance with flexibility and speed through US troops and our global network of partners. Together, we have protected citizen soldiers defending their freedom in Ukraine. We have empowered Taiwanese volunteers to strengthen their democracy. We have brought hope to communities impacted by terrorism and conflict in Syria, Iraq, Armenia, and Mozambique. And it all happens with support from citizens like you. No endorsement of Spirit of America by the US Department of Defense, Department of State, or their personnel is intended or implied.

Overview of the Role

Spirit of America seeks an experienced, strategic leader to serve as our new Regional Director (RD) to lead our initiatives in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in close cooperation and coordination with US military, diplomatic personnel, partner militaries, and civil society organizations. The Regional Director’s mission is to guide Spirit of America’s international operations throughout APAC, utilizing private philanthropic funds to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. The RD will lead the design of a regional strategy to support US national security interests throughout the region and will supervise a small team of Program Managers in the design and implementation of lines of effort to support the strategy. A Spirit of America Regional Director must have boots-on-the-ground experience in conflict-affected environments as well as recent experience working on US stability and security operations. Prior US military service will be particularly well regarded. Candidates with overseas experience with the US Department of State, USAID, and other US government civilian agencies as well as returned Peace Corps volunteers, are also encouraged to apply. Optimism, patience, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a great sense of humor in the face of adversity are also essential. Proficiency in an Asian language as well as complete fluency in English is required.

Job Description

The Regional Director will:
• Cultivate influential relationships and strengthen current relationships throughout the region.
• Lead the development of a regional strategy to support US national security interests in the APAC.
• Develop projects and initiatives in where Spirit of America's assistance can make a rapid and important impact on mission success and complement or fill gaps in US government and military programs.
• Identify, develop, and manage regional stakeholder relationships with US military command elements, US Embassies, other USG partners, and other key interlocutors.
• Coach, develop and mentor program managers through the full project lifecycle.
• Oversee the development, execution, and closeout of projects supported with Spirit of America fund to a high standard of accountability and performance, including quality of deliverables, finance and compliance.
• Collaboratively evaluate and document the results and lessons learned from projects supported by Spirit of America in the assigned region and across the regional team. Use evaluations to inform follow-on programming and new initiatives.
• Maintain and deliver timely financial reporting, forecasting, and budgeting.
• Collaborate with the strategic initiatives team related to larger projects which touch the region.
• Partner with Spirit of America's Development and Marketing teams, creating appropriate content to engage donors and partners through media while reviewing and proving input into the content developed by the broader regional team.
• Coordinate and represent Spirit of America and projects with all levels of US military and civilian personnel to include general officers, ambassadors, and major organizational donors.
• Closely monitor regional security and safety and coordinate with the Program Operations team to ensure sound risk management and a high standard of personnel, physical, operational and cyber security.

Required & Preferred Qualifications

Skill

• Sound knowledge of the culture, history, politics, and security dynamics of the Asia-Pacific based on work or study.
• A solid understanding of America’s three 3Ds of foreign affairs —– defense, diplomacy, and development —– and of USG interagency entities, roles, and processes.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong attention to detail, and excellent organizational skills.
• Complete fluency in English and proficiency in an Asian language, such as Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or a Southeast Asian language. Mandarin is especially valued.

Education

Bachelor’s degree.

Experience

• At least twelve years' professional experience in international development, diplomacy, or defense contexts, of which at least three years should be on the ground in fragile or conflict-affected states in a leadership role. • Proven ability to engage directly with local populations and partner with host nation militaries, governments, and nongovernmental organizations to solve problems. • Prior experience and success in representational roles, public speaking, and briefing of senior officials and/or industry/private sector senior leaders. • At least three years' direct counterinsurgency, stability operations, humanitarian/disaster relief, and/or non-lethal effects experience at the field level.