Location:This position may be based in Tokyo (Japan), Manila (Philippines), Bangkok (Thailand) or Taipei (Taiwan). Final location will be determined collaboratively with the selected candidate, taking into consideration operational requirements and regional effectiveness.

Travel: Frequent (up to 50%) travel throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including conflict-affected and fragile states.

Position Type: Full-time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Post: Accompanied

About the Role:

Spirit of America seeks an experienced, strategic leader to serve as our new Regional Director to lead our initiatives in the Asia-Pacific 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 the Asia-Pacific, utilizing private philanthropic funds to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. The Regional Director 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.

Reports To: Vice President, Program Operations

Direct Reports: Up to four Program Managers

Key Responsibilities

The Regional Director will:

• Cultivate influential relationships and strengthen current relationships throughout the region.
• Lead and manage a team of up to four dispersed Program Managers in the Asia-Pacific region, including the US military and key interlocutors.
• Identify opportunities and develop projects and initiatives 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.
• Oversee the development, execution, and closeout of projects supported with Spirit of America funds 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.
• Partner with Spirit of America’s Development and Marketing teams, creating appropriate content to engage donors and partners through media while reviewing and providing input into the content developed by the broader regional team.
• 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.

What Success Looks Like in This Role:

Within the first 12-18 months, success for the Regional Director, Asia-Pacific will be defined by measurable impact, trusted relationships, and strong leadership. Specifically, a successful Regional Director will have:

• Built Trusted Partnerships: Established Spirit of America as a valued, credible partner to US military and diplomatic leaders across the region, with ongoing collaboration and access at senior levels.
• Delivered Tangible Impact: Designed and executed high-impact projects that directly advanced US national security objectives and improved conditions for local communities, with visible results documented and communicated to stakeholders.
• Led and Developed a Strong Team: Recruited, mentored, and empowered a high-performing team of Program Managers who demonstrate initiative, accountability, and excellence in program execution.
• Ensured Operational Excellence: Managed regional operations with sound financial stewardship, compliance, and risk management, ensuring projects meet Spirit of America’s standards of agility, transparency, and accountability.
• Strengthened Spirit of America’s Visibility and Reputation: Worked with Marketing and Development teams to highlight success stories from the field, engage donors, and enhance awareness of Spirit of America’s mission and impact in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Modeled Mission-First Leadership: Demonstrated Spirit of America’s values of service, entrepreneurship, and collaboration, fostering a culture of initiative, adaptability, and respect across the regional and headquarters teams.

Key Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least 12 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.
• Sound knowledge of the culture, history, politics, and security dynamics of the Asia-Pacific based on work or study.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, strong attention to detail, and excellent organizational skills.
• Demonstrated track record of launching and scaling initiatives in ambiguous, resource-constrained environments with little oversight or established process.
• Candidates must be U.S. citizens, as this role requires eligibility for a U.S. Government security clearance.

Preferred:

• Master's degree.
• Substantive experience working in a US Embassy, in close collaboration with a US Country Team, in a Department of State/USAID regional bureau, or on a deployed Defense Cooperation or Civil Affairs mission.
• Previous experience working with INDOPACOM.
• Prior program/project management experience, including monitoring and managing budget, schedule, and ensuring quality deliverables.
• Complete fluency in English and proficiency in an Asian language, such as Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or a Southeast Asian language.

Compensation Range:

Salary ranges from $145,000 to $170,000 based on experience. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, and 403(b) contribution match to 4%.