Overview
A global intelligence, cyber, and investigations firm is hiring an associate director to plan and manage strategic intelligence projects across Asia. The firm is seeking an independent, analytical thinker with a 5+ year track record in strategic consultancy or commercial advisory with high levels of commercial and cultural awareness.
Key Responsibilities
- Running commercial due diligence and counterparty analysis across Asia, i.e.:
- Deciding upon lines of enquiry and areas of focus, based on their assessment of potential commercial, regulatory, and political risks in a range of sectors and geographies.
- Deciding upon interviewing and human source engagement strategy.
- Deciding upon research and public records strategy.
- Triaging investigative materials and research streams, i.e.:
- Assessing the credibility of sources of intelligence.
- Assessing the credibility of reported commercial, operational & integrity issues.
- Interrogating sources and interviewers; following up additional leads.
- Debriefing clients (predominantly FTSE100, Fortune 50), i.e.:
- Devising commercially accurate and clearly structured briefings and reports.
- Presenting briefings in meetings with deal teams, legal teams and/or C-suite.
- Drafting written reports for clients, i.e.:
- Synthesising, analysing and caveating investigative materials.
- Identifying and benchmarking commercial, operational & integrity issues.
- Presenting commercially accurate and clearly structured reports.
- Developing intelligence source networks, i.e.:
- Identifying, vetting, and cultivating a range of human sources across major Asian geographies and industries.
- Identify and remedy gaps in jurisdictional, regional, and sectoral coverage across Asia.
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- Fluency in English (at the highest level of written and verbal communication).
- Expertise in at least one Asian country (with China, Japan, and South Korea being an advantage) paired with an understanding of commercial and regulatory risks faced by investors in the region.
- 4-5 years’ experience producing complex commercial writing and advisory; e.g. consultancy, law, investment advisory, compliance advisory, business journalism, corporate project or transactional management, qualitative evaluation, social research, commercial due diligence.
- Preferred: fluency in another Asian language (with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean being an advantage).
- Preferred: 2-3 years’ experience managing others.
- Preferred: 2-3 years’ project management experience.
Key Competencies
- High levels of commercial awareness (able to quickly understand a company’s value chain, corporate governance and processes, touchpoints with government and regulatory bodies, and potential commercial and regulatory risks associated with its sector).
- High levels of cultural awareness (able to appreciate differences and similarities between business practices and expectations in different geographies, underpinned by an interest in Asian politics, business and current affairs).
- The ability to work under pressure with minimal oversight.
- Strong presentation and verbal communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Self-starter.
Additional Information & Benefits
- Salary: competitive, based on experience.
- Flexible working balance of home and office.
- Stakeholder employer pension contribution of 5%.
- Family friendly company – including enhanced maternity and paternity pay.
- Private medical insurance including generous terms of cover for both medical hospital, dental and mental health support for you, your partner and children (subject to T&Cs of the policy).
- Life insurance – 4 x annual salary.
- 25 days holiday per year in addition to bank holidays.
