Director, Australia

Who We Are 

BowerGroupAsia, Inc. (BGA) is the preeminent government affairs and public policy advisory firm supporting the world’s leading multinational companies in the Indo-Pacific. With over 210 staff working in 25 offices in Asia, BGA provides expert services to clients in 28 markets across the region. We seek a talented, highly motivated director or associate director to be a part of our Australia team.

The candidate should be motivated to help the world’s premier companies understand Australia, find alignment with customers, communities and key stakeholders and to help Australia evolve by considering the ideas and capabilities of top tier companies who want to invest in Australia. This position reports to the managing director for Australia. Candidates are required to be based in Canberra.

Position Responsibilities 

Client Engagement

• Build and nurture networks with clients, corporate executives, government officials, media and civil society experts in Australia, and represent BGA before those constituencies as needed.
• Map and engage public and private-sector stakeholders, civil society, the media and other influencers to help clients formulate engagement strategies.
• Represent BGA at client meetings, as requested by and under the guidance of BGA leadership, and other forums such as business councils and think-tanks.
• Track interaction with clients and non-client stakeholders in Salesforce, ensuring that contacts are updated, engagement is logged and follow-ups and to-dos advance.
• Assist in scheduling and participating in client, business development and non-client stakeholder meetings and conference calls.
• Develop agendas and talking points for client calls in coordination with the relevant BGA account leads.
• Proactively research developments in Australia’s sectors of interest to clients and inform relevant BGA colleagues, under the guidance of the relevant team leads.

Research, Writing and Editing

• Analyze and interpret the business, investment and political implications of Australia-specific government regulations, policies and laws. Keep abreast of news relevant to clients and provide top-line analysis of current events and how developments affect clients’ business operations.
• Cooperate across BGA teams at the working level to develop client deliverables focused on Australia in line with client expectations. Ensure the high-quality, actionable and timely presentation of deliverables that meet the demanding needs of BGA clients, including in-person and virtual briefings, written memos and reports, presentations, stakeholder maps and others.
• Conduct desk research on assigned clients and relevant market developments to inform client and business development conversations. Draft content and editing to research products, including Australia news updates, client memos, Australia inputs for the Indo-Pacific Forecast and others. Assist in the drafting and review of products and client deliverables to ensure on-time delivery.
• Manage, update and expand the Salesforce accounts for assigned clients and non-client stakeholders in a timely manner. Flag important developments and drive awareness for the relevant BGA leadership.

Leadership

• Assist the BGA Australia managing director to guide and mentor analysts on the Australia Team.
• Serve as account lead for client work focused on Australia. Work with regional account leads to develop client scopes of work relevant to Australia.
• Review, edit and provide feedback on client products drafted by analysts, including news updates, client memos, the Indo-Pacific Forecast and others, in preparation for review by senior leadership, regional account leads and clients.
• Actively participate in the business development process, seeking out opportunities to engage new business prospects, developing new clients and identifying and expanding areas of BGA work opportunities with existing clients.
• Seek and initiate opportunities to raise BGA Australia’s profile, to find opportunities for team members to attend relevant events and to demonstrate market leadership and value publicly and to select audiences.

Job Requirements 

The director position combines client relations with the skills and responsibilities required for internal management and leadership. The ideal candidate can work independently with minimal supervision while collaborating effectively as a team player in high-pressure situations. He or she can effectively manage multiple work streams while meeting deadlines and should be highly self-motivated, well organized, detail oriented and collegial. She or he should feel comfortable interacting with a range of interlocutors and should enjoy the various challenges of supporting large multinational corporations invested in Australia. The ability to interact effectively both inside the company and externally, in a fast-paced environment, while remaining flexible, proactive and efficient, is crucial to this role.

Qualifications include:

• A keen understanding of the geopolitical and regulatory environment in Australia and how to navigate it on behalf of clients is required.
• Education: Minimum bachelor’s degree; master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Work Experience: Eight to 15 years of relevant experience working in government, a multinational corporation, journalism and/or consulting relevant to Australia strongly preferred.
• Strong research, editing and written and verbal communication skills in native English are required. Knowledge of one or more Indo-Pacific language(s) is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in or passion for one or more of the following industries: energy and natural resources (including renewable traditional carbon-based energy and mining), platform technology, financial services, financial technology (fintech), or healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
• Aptitude for engaging confidently and thoughtfully with corporate representatives, Australia government officials of various levels, civil society and the media.
• Ability to manage a flexible work schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends as needed.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office software and ability to learn and adopt new technologies. Previous experience using Salesforce and MS365 is a plus.
• Applicants based in Australia will be considered. Authorization to work in Australia required. This role manages an Australia-specific portfolio.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please address application materials to BGA Australia Managing Director Mick McNeill. 

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