Category: Career Opportunities

Overview

The Research Associate position is hosted by the Asia School of Business (ASB) at the Center for Sustainable Small-owners (CSS) at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The RA will examine the upstream oil palm supply chain and work with existing qualitative and quantitative data collected from a multi-year project. The candidate will be primarily responsible for conducting analysis of existing data sets, assisting and taking leadership in writing manuscripts. The current position is for one years with an yearly renewal The candidate should be comfortable traveling locally within Malaysia.

An ideal candidate will have demonstrated research and leadership in supply chain sustainability. Additional responsibilities may include – meeting project sponsors, stakeholders and assisting research staff in all matters related to the project. Candidates are expected to support center activities when appropriate including presenting results and findings to various audiences. Good presentation skills are desirable.

Requirements:

An ideal candidate would have completed an MS or Masters in one of the fields such as Supply Chain, Sustainability, Industrial Ecology, Social Sciences, Agri-Business or a related discipline. Proficiency with English writing and communication with excellent technical writing skills are a must.

Candidate must have experience with research methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative data, knowledge of statistical softwares and analytics tools is a plus. Preference will be given to those with both methodological and practical work experience.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Understanding different CSS initiatives, their linkage and overlaps by managing deliverables, timelines, managing budget and common resources across
• On time delivery of quarterly milestones, deliverables and invoices for the program within the assigned and approved budget by sponsor
• Coordinate with CSS Initiative Manager(s) and report weekly on program status to the Director
• Developing and implementing strategy for the project team by understanding, highlighting and communicating risks and preparing mitigation plan
• Develop operational plans for the program that can be tweaked with time and changing customer expectations
• Responsible for developing, coordinating and preparing of the quarterly report and presentation
• Ensure CSS internal proposals and payment requests comply with the ASB’s procurement policy
• Responsible for CSS outreach, marketing activities and developing of marketing materials with the support of team
• Support digitalization and management of Information and Data for ongoing activities for various CSS initiatives
• Facilitate the design for a systematic collection and maintenance of all CSS data for operation and continuous improvement
• Interface with other CSS partners. Communicate, follow up and close CSS expectations in terms of any service and legal agreements including MoA, MoU, NDA etc.
• Identifying opportunities for project sponsorship and continuous improvement
• Coordinating and running events and workshops

Qualification & Skills:

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree is a plus
• Overall more than 10 years of working experience with minimum 5 years of project management experience
• Experience using any software/tool for PM activities
• Experience with Data Management
• Exposure to IT and worked with Software Development Teams directly or indirectly
• Technical Writing for reports and papers to the board
• Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills in English. Similar skills in Bahasa Malaysia is an added plus.
• Any training in communication and planning otherwise relevant experience

Preferred

• Project Management Software and Tool
• Advance level of usage and data analysis using Excel
• Be able to write and run queries from Databases
• Working experience with NGOs, small farmers, or SMEs
• Conflict management and facilitating large and small group meetings

Specific Tasks

• Differing solutions requiring the identification of issues, the application of judgement and the selection of solutions within the area of expertise and acquired knowledge.
• Subject to broad practices & procedure covered by precedents or well-defined policies and managerial directions

Overview

This postdoc position is hosted by the Asia School of Business (ASB) at its Center for Sustainable Small-owners (CSS) at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This postdoc will examine the upstream oil palm supply chain and work with existing qualitative and quantitative data collected from a multi-year project. The candidate will be primarily responsible for conducting analysis of existing data sets, assisting and taking leadership in writing manuscripts. The current position is for two years with an yearly renewal and a possibility of extension beyond two years depending upon funding and performance. The candidate should be comfortable traveling locally within Malaysia.

An ideal candidate will have demonstrated research and leadership in supply chain sustainability. Additional responsibilities may include – meeting project sponsors, stakeholders and assisting research staff in all matters related to the project. Candidates are expected to support center activities when appropriate including presenting results and findings to various audiences. Good presentation skills are desirable.

Requirements:

An ideal candidate may have a PhD in a Supply Chain, Sustainability, Industrial Ecology, Social Sciences, Agri-Business or a related discipline. Proficiency with English writing and communication with excellent technical writing skills are a must. Experience with field work and engaging with industry and producers is preferred.

In-depth knowledge of at least one of the following research areas is required

• food and agri-supply chains
• supply chain sustainability
• value chain analysis
• commodity supply chains

Candidate must have published (or have a strong pipeline) in journals related to sustainability, supply chain and operations management, logistics or a related disciple such as above; have experience with research methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative data, knowledge of statistical softwares and analytics tools is preferred. Preference will be given to those with both methodological and practical work experience.

Position Overview:

As the Manager of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) at Asia School of Business (ASB), your primary responsibility is to manage the projects and programs of the department. One of the key missions of ASB-IEC is to act as a catalyst in building a thriving innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Malaysia and the ASEAN region. To achieve this, you will work closely with IEC team members to create and manage entrepreneurship programs and initiatives that support the development and growth of ASB student entrepreneurs and start-ups.

1. ASBhive is an exciting new initiative launched by IEC. It is an Innovation Hub that aims to support and foster entrepreneurial activities by providing a range of services, including thought leadership, world-class infrastructure, and comprehensive resources to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and innovators in Malaysia and beyond.
2. MBA Entrepreneurship Courses and Programs provides our students with a one-of-a-kind learning experience in the field of entrepreneurship. As part of this program, students have the opportunity to explore the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship firsthand, through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience. IEC is responsible for working with faculty, coaches, and various departments to plan, execute, and facilitate these courses. This involves designing and implementing curriculum, coordinating field visits, organizing guest speakers, and providing ongoing support to students.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**):

Support the Director / Assistant Director in Project / Program manage the various activities organise/co-organise by IEC. This includes:

• Planning and coordinating events and programs – researching and developing project plans and timelines
• Creating and managing budgets, monitor financial performance, arranging logistics and ensure that resources are allocated effectively and efficiently
• Working closely and maintaining relationships with a range stakeholder, including ASB faculty, staff, students, and external partners (entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and community partners).
• Monitoring the effectiveness of the Center’s programs and services, and recommend changes as needed.
• Preparing reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders to communicate the Center’s activities and impact.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5 years of experience, or Master’s Degree and 3 years of experience in the field of business administration, entrepreneurship, innovation or related field
• Experienced working in an innovation and entrepreneurship center, co-working spaces, start-up accelerator or related organization.
• Demonstrated experience in project / program management, budgeting, operations, marketing and communications.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work and maintain relationship with multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and develop and implement innovative solutions.

(I) Overview

An Academic Associate (AA) is an expert or specialist in a particular content area who is hired to assist with a course under the supervision of the Faculty. A successful Academic Associate (AA) must be available to respond to students, evaluate their work, and provide useful and timely feedback in accordance with the deadlines established by the Faculty. An AA does not teach. We may or may not be required, sporadically, to hold a few recitation/tutorial sessions to assist smaller groups of students. Other than this, teaching is not part of the job scope.

(II) Key Responsibilities

Think of an AA as an advanced and a more competent version of a Teaching Assistant but whose job description is beyond assisting the professors and students in class but also someone who is heavily involved in planning, preparing and ensuring the execution of a course from end-to-end. An AA is also involved in many administrative, management and research tasks which are both academic and management related.

An AA is the ultimate buffer/key person in terms of discussion between:

• professors and students
• Program Offices (MBA Full Time, MBA Working Professional, Master in Central Banking Offices), professors and students
• Departments (Faculty, Program Offices, AV/IT, etc)

(III) Education Background

1. Master’s Degree holder is preferred and/or Bachelor’s Degree holder (from appropriately accredited institutions).
2. Background of your Master’s and/or Bachelor’s and your expertise must include, some or a combination, of the following:

• Finance
• Managerial Finance
• Financial Statement Analysis
• Behavioural Finance
• Corporate Finance
• Entrepreneurial Finance
• Accounting
• Financial Accounting
• Managerial Accounting
• Banking
• Risk Management (related to financial institutions)
• Assets Management & Assets Pricing
• Reserve Management
• Big data and Block Chain
• Data & Digital Technologies
• Data Analytics and Modelling
• Financial Crisis Management
• Macroeconomy
• Economics

It would be an advantage if you have an earlier exposure or are open/willing to learn the following:

• Energy Policy
• Marketing (Brand, Digital, Services, Management)
• Statistics
• Political Economy
• Ethics
• International Law
• Entrepreneurship
• Negotiation
• Operations Management
• Communications
• Game Theory, Platforms
• Research Method
• Organizational Behaviours

(IV) Preferred Qualifications

3 to 5 years’ direct experience. Candidate with research and academic experience would be desirable. Strong interest in academic writing is also desirable.

(V) The Academic Associate assumes responsibility as allocated by the Faculty (and any other stakeholders), including the following tasks:

• Answer course and content-related questions.
• Facilitate discussion with students with the goal of contributing content expertise and practical experience.
• Grade assignments and provide individual constructive feedback to students in a timely manner (to be established by the Faculty and agreed upon by the Academic Associate).
• The AA is responsible for evaluating student work according to four central criteria:

Quality of assignment – did the student follow the directions (i.e., page length, line spacing, response to all assignment criteria which was established by the instructor) completely?

Content accuracy – did the student respond appropriately to the content, was it coherent?

Timeliness – was the assignment turned in on time (as posted by the instructor)?

Mechanics – evaluate the grammar, spelling, punctuation.

• Use any required rubrics to assess assignments when providing feedback.
• Feedback should be personalized.
• Feedback should provide both supportive and corrective comments.
• The amount and type (i.e., using a general rubric that is filled out and returned to the student, copying and pasting frequently repeated comments from a central template of sample comments, or writing more detailed, analytical comments on an assignment) of feedback provided to students should be proportional to the complexity of the given assignment.
• Be available to communicate with students at all times via live and remote methods such as email, chat, phone or video conference, including responding to student emails within 24 hours.
• Notify the Faculty if issues of academic integrity arise.
• Communicate and collaborate with the Faculty and other course Academic Associate with the goal of developing a cohesive Academic team and assuring a common student experience.
• Keep track of questions and issues during the course; work with the Faculty to propose revisions to materials for future class offerings.
• Maintain confidentiality about student performance and discuss confidential information obtained in a course or through the program only for appropriate professional purposes and only with persons clearly concerned with such matters.

(VI) Competencies Required in addition to the above

• Excellent organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail.
• Interest in working in a very high pace and dynamic environment.
• Ability to communicate complex information with substantial impact.
• Work on multiple projects at the same time.
• Excellent research skills with proven record.
• Capacity to conduct research independently.