Country Director - JRS Thailand

Position Title: Country Director, JRS Thailand

Location: Bangkok, Thailand with possibility to move Chiang Mai

Reports to: Regional Director, JRS Asia Pacific

Starting date: January 2027

Type of Employment: Localised position open for all nationalities

Local salary package, individual medical insurance, and visa support.

(Note on family status: This is typically structured as an individual/non-family posting given the inclusion of "individual insurance" and local contract terms, but we need to explicitly add "Non-family posting" or "Family posting" at the top of the ad for absolute clarity.)

Contract duration: 2 years (possibility of renewal)

Starting Salary: THB88,495-THB102,141 (depending qualification)

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organization, with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees. Our advocacy flows from a service that is direct, pastoral, human and exposed to the sufferings and limitations of refugee life. Through our presence we help to sustain the goodness and hope in people who live in situations of evil and who have reason to despair. To support such an approach, JRS welcomes people who are able to contribute to and draw from the mission of JRS and the desire to share in the lives of the people we serve.

In Thailand, JRS serves refugees, asylum seekers and other forcibly displaced persons in urban Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA) and in two camps in Mae Hong Son. The field offices are located in Bangkok and Mae Hong Son, while the country office in Bangkok with a possibility to move to Chiang Mai. The main areas of work include education, psychosocial services, livelihoods, and advocacy.

Overall Position Purpose:

As the leader of JRS operations in Thailand, the Country Director oversees the overall management and success of country programmes, personnel, and offices to fulfill the JRS mission and humanitarian sector standards. Reporting directly to the Regional Director, the role provides strategic management support to project directors and teams while driving country-level operations. Key responsibilities include exploring emerging needs of refugees as well as emerging opportunities, developing and implementing project proposals as participatory as possible, overseeing country finances, evaluating projects, managing staff recruitment and care, managing partnerships especially critical for JRS Thailand’s work in Thailand, and maintaining vital external relations with the local Church, the Society of Jesus, government authorities, and international organizations.

Responsibilities

Provision of Strategic Direction

• Safeguard and promote the mission, vision, identity, values, and unity of JRS across all programmes in Thailand.

• Monitor political, social, economic, and migration trends to formulate proposals for new initiatives, project designs, and advocacies responding to the greatest needs of refugees and displaced persons.

• Lead the development and implementation of country strategic plans that is translated into annual programming, financial budgets, and in-country policies with participation and consultation of the staff.

• Facilitate critical reflection, monitoring, and evaluation of JRS projects to continuously improve program quality and services.

• Provide direction and guidance for JRS Thailand advocacy in country, in collaboration with JRS Asia Pacific and Global Offices.

• Identify capacity development/strengthening needed by the staff to do their roles

• Act as the gatekeeper of the JRS communication strategy and products to ensure. risk management, submitting required reports to Regional Director.

People Management & Care

• Review HR needs against available resources to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

• Provide leadership, inspiration, and holistic care for staff well-being, fostering a supportive, multicultural, and professional working environment.

• Guide and support field teams through regular visits and listening sessions to maintain high standards of quality and accountability.

• Oversee staff recruitment, contracts, appraisals, and terminations in collaboration with HR and Project Directors.

• Lead regular reviews and updates of JRS Thailand’s Personnel, Travel, and Child Protection and Safeguarding policies.

Programming

• Guide the programming strategy to adapt to dynamic contexts for urban and in-camp refugees, as well as other emerging displacement issues aligned with the JRS mission.

• Collaborate with the Country Programme Officer, Project Directors, and Finance Manager to design proposals addressing the evolving needs of displaced populations.

• Ensure all projects comply with donor partnership agreements and humanitarian sector standards.

• Oversee timely and accurate reporting on project progress, challenges, and field updates through six-month and annual reports.

• Maintain regular communication with field teams to share critical updates regarding government policies, refugee situations, and organizational developments.

• Oversee database development and management to ensure data used for program development and reporting is accurate, while maintaining strict protection for sensitive information.

Operations (Finance, Administration & Procurement)

• Ensure financial administration and procurement strictly adhere to JRS policies to maintain full accountability.

• Lead the annual country planning and budgeting process collaboratively alongside the Finance Manager, Project Directors, and key staff.

• Oversee annual project and institutional audits, implementing corrective actions based on auditor recommendations in consultation with the Finance Manager and relevant team members.

• Monitor project budgets and financial reports, actively overseeing funding status and managing re-budgeting processes as needed.

Partnership Management & Representation

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with the local Jesuit Provincial, diocesan Church, local Jesuit communities, government authorities, key NGOs, and UNHCR.

• Sustain existing partnerships and forge new ones to ensure JRS Thailand's mission remains context-driven and responsive to the evolving needs of the communities we serve.

• Works closely with CCSDPT representatives and other NGOs in Thailand, UNHCR and the Royal Thai government at national level. JRS together with other organizations and networks also advocate changes to government policy/practice as needed for the benefit of the refugees.

• Represent JRS at national-level meetings with NGOs, UNHCR, government bodies, and stakeholder forums.

• Ensure prominent representation in donor forums while strictly complying with Thai government and donor requirements.