Director, Malaysia

Bower Asia Group; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

A strategic advisory firm in Kuala Lumpur seeks an experienced director to manage client services and lead a team. The ideal candidate has at least 7 years of experience in government affairs or public policy and must excel in communication skills in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. Responsibilities include managing client portfolios, engaging stakeholders, and supervising team deliverables. A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is essential, with a master’s preferred. Applicants will need to submit a cover letter and CV/resume.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in government affairs or public policy.
• Outstanding English and Bahasa Malaysia communications skills.
• Familiarity with technology and new tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of clients focused on the Malaysia market.
• Supervise the work of assigned team members to ensure quality.
• Engage with stakeholders in government and civil society.

Skills

Written and verbal communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Public speaking

Project presentations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, law, economics, politics, journalism, or related fields

Master’s degree

Tools

Microsoft 365

Salesforce

Job description

BowerGroupAsia (BGA) is the premier government affairs, public policy and strategic communications advisory firm supporting the world’s leading multinational companies in the Indo‑Pacific. With offices in Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, BGA staff provide bespoke services to clients in over 30 markets across the region. We seek a talented, highly motivated director to be a part of our Malaysia team based in Kuala Lumpur.

Position Responsibilities

Client Services and Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage a portfolio of clients with a focus on the Malaysia market.
• Guide the monitoring, analysis and reporting on key public policy issues, regulatory and legislative developments, and brief client executives on major developments.
• Work collaboratively with BGA teams based in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and North America on a range of projects and provide further support internally and externally to advance BGA objectives.
• Map and engage public and private‑sector stakeholders, civil society, the media and other influencers.
• Build and nurture networks with clients and corporate executives, government officials, media and civil society experts. Represent BGA before those constituencies as needed.
• Seek and initiate opportunities to raise BGA's profile in Malaysia, to find opportunities for the managing director and select staff to attend relevant events and to demonstrate market leadership and value publicly and to select audiences.
• Assist leadership in developing new clients as well as identifying and expanding areas of BGA work opportunities with existing clients.

Team Management and Supervision

• Supervise the work of assigned team members to ensure a uniform, high‑quality and timely presentation of deliverables that meet the demanding needs of BGA clients, including in‑person briefings, written products, presentations, conference calls and other formats.
• Develop and nurture talent by providing constructive guidance and editing, and leading by example.
• Provide leadership and mentoring to assigned team members, including setting goals for mentees and advising BGA Malaysia leadership on capacity needs to optimize workload and resource allocation.
• Support the implementation of technology in the BGA Malaysia office, working in close coordination with other BGA offices.

Job Requirements

• Experience: Minimum 7 years of relevant working experience in government affairs or public policy or 10+ years professional experience in industries relevant to Malaysia. Experience managing teams is preferable.
• Outstanding written and verbal communications skills in native‑level English and Bahasa Malaysia is required.
• Ability to engage confidently and thoughtfully with corporate government affairs representatives, Malaysian and foreign government officials, civil society and the media is required. Aptitude for public speaking and project presentations is beneficial.
• Education: Minimum bachelor’s degree in business, law, economics, politics, journalism, media or relevant fields is required. Master’s degree is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in or passion for one or more of the following industries: information and communications technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, energy and/or fintech is preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and an ability to learn and adopt new technologies is required. Proficiency in Salesforce is a plus.

Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV/resume.