TERMS OF REFERENCE

Position Description

Background

Three decades after ASEAN was established, ASEAN Leaders recognised that: there remained inadequate shared prosperity, ASEAN awareness and contact among people of ASEAN.  

It was of this concern that ASEAN Leaders established the ASEAN Foundation during ASEAN’s 30^th Anniversary Commemorative Summit in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on 15 December 1997.        

After its establishment, the ASEAN Foundation has been tasked with supporting ASEAN’s community-building efforts by promoting greater awareness of the ASEAN identity, human resource development, people-to-people interaction, and close collaboration among the business sector, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders in ASEAN.  

We continue to complement ASEAN priorities. To date, we work to strengthen the ASEAN Community.  

We work in four thematic areas: education, arts and culture, environment, media development, and community building. We provide support through community projects, trainings, scholarships, fellowships, internships, and exchanges. We also organise meetings, conferences, roundtables, and workshops in support of the ASEAN Community. 

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Project Manager of AIM ASEAN and under the guidance of the Head of Programme and Head of Communications of the ASEAN Foundation, the Communications Officer will be primarily responsible for executing the day-to-day communications activities of AIM ASEAN. This regional programme, organised in partnership with AVPN and supported by Google.org, aims to accelerate AI adoption among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Southeast Asia. It focuses on equipping business owners with essential AI skills to enhance their efficiency, competitiveness, and resilience. Key components of the programme include capacity-building sessions for MSMEs, policy dialogues, and a regional campaign promoting AI literacy as a driver of MSME advancement.

One of the key responsibilities of the Communications Officer is to lead a regional campaign aimed at raising awareness on the importance of AI literacy in enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of MSMEs. In addition, the Communications Officer will support the delivery of foundational AI training to 220,000 individuals across the ten ASEAN Member States. The role also involves engaging with key stakeholders, including donors (AVPN and, more broadly, Google.org), local partners, and relevant government representatives. At the same time, the Communications Officer will contribute to broader corporate communications initiatives within the ASEAN Foundation as needed.

Functional Relationship

The Communications Officer is also required to develop and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with the following people:

Internal (within Post)  

• Executive Director
• All official staff of the ASEAN Foundation

External (outside Post) 

• Donors
• Implementing partners
• NGOs
• Media
• Others

Summary of Key Functions

1. AIM ASEAN (95%)
2. Digital Communications

Social Media Management

• Develop social media strategy and monthly-based social media plan in alignment with the programme’s objective.
• Produce, publish social media contents, including, but not limited to, videos, animations, infographics, on all ASEAN Foundation’s social media platforms.
• Develop efficient and scalable social media posting schedule in coordination with Digital Communications Officer of ASEAN Foundation.
• Conduct monthly social media monitoring and provide analysis report on social media performance.
• Research and analyse digital trends to identify opportunities for integrating innovative messaging into the overall campaign strategy.
• Ensure consistency in messaging and branding across all ASEAN Foundation’s social media platforms.

Website Management

• Support the maintenance of the programme page on the ASEAN Foundation website (aseanfoundation.org) by regularly updating content, including text, photos, and infographics, and contributing articles related to the programme.
• Monitor the programme’s web performance using available website analytics tools to help assess reach and engagement.

E-Newsletter Management

• Develop engaging e-newsletter contents to help promote the programme.
• Help manage the database of ASEAN Foundation’s subscribers via Mailchimp.

Media Engagement

• Prepare programme-related press releases and articles.
• Liaise with media agencies to strengthen the media engagement of the programme.
• Lead the organisation of programme-related press conferences.
• Manage the media database of the programme, maintaining good relationship with the journalists.
• Ensure consistency in the messaging of the programme’s press releases.
• Conduct monthly media engagement monitoring and provide analysis report.

Event Management

• Assist in the planning and execution of events related to the programme.
• Develop promotional materials to maximise participation and visibility.

Other Communication and Outreach Tasks

• Collaborate closely with the M&E Consultant, programme team, and local implementing partners to identify and develop compelling human-interest stories in the form of written content, photos, and video concepts.
• Develop speeches and PowerPoint slides for Executive Director and Project Manager.
• Lead in the coordination with relevant vendors and consultants to ensure the success of the programme.
• Support the programme team in maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, industry partners, and academic institutions.
• Assist in the implementation of influencer engagement initiatives that can help elevate the promotion effort of the programme and aligned with the programme and Foundation’s goals.
• Execute other communication and outreach tasks as assigned.

ASEAN Foundation’s Communications (5%)

Digital Communications

Social Media Management

• Propose engaging contents about ASEAN awareness to be promoted on social media.
• Assist in identifying creative strategy to further boost the Foundation’s social media platforms.
• Seek for possibilities to do a social media cross-promotion with other ASEAN entities, regional partners, and local organisations.

Media Engagement

• Identify opportunities to promote the work of ASEAN Foundation on media.
• Contribute an article piece for the ASEAN Magazine and other relevant media.

Event Management

• Assist in organising the Foundation’s internal events, such as board of trustees’ meeting, alumni townhall and committee of permanent representatives’ webinar.

Person Qualifications

Education and Experience

Essential

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field. Candidates with interdisciplinary educational backgrounds but strong communication skills are also welcome to apply.
• A minimum of 3 years and up to 6 years of relevant professional experience in planning and implementing communications or public awareness campaigns, preferably within the development, nonprofit, or tech sector. This includes experience in messaging strategy, content creation, digital engagement, and campaign performance monitoring.

Qualifications and Technical Skill

Essential

• Excellent Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint skills, complemented by basic Microsoft Excel skill. Familiarity with other Microsoft Office’s applications is a plus.
• Familiar with video and photo editing.
• Digital savvy (in digital platforms such as website, social media, podcast, Mailchimp, etc.)
• Fluent in English (especially written).
• Good understanding of strategic communications (development of communications work plan).
• Good understanding of digital trend in ASEAN.
• Good campaign monitoring and evaluation skills.
• Ability to respect communication protocol and procurement processes.

Desirable

• Strong journalistic writing skill.
• Good experience in developing and executing regionwide and/or big national level awareness campaign.
• Good understanding of branding.
• Good experience in dealing with influencers and content creators.

Personal Qualities

• Willingness to go beyond job description.
• Ability to be flexible by adapting quickly to changing priorities.
• Highly motivated self-starter able to work with minimal supervision and direction.
• Strong interpersonal, time management and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort with managing diverse tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent attention to detail, both written and numerical, and commitment to quality.
• Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and can work with partners in a sensitive and participatory manner.
• Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders as a representative of the ASEAN Foundation, and this includes effective representation skills.
• Has the ability to work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner.

How To Apply 

Any interested candidate must send an application email with the most updated CV/resume, portfolio, and a motivation statement letter attached to [email protected] with email subject: Communications Officer – AIM ASEAN.  

Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the selection process.

Deadline 

Monday, 27 June 2025, 23.59 (GMT+7)