Chief Operating Officer
- Career Category: Exec. / Management, Business Administration, Operations Management
- Schedule:Full-time
- Salary: Negotiable
Reports to: Executive Director
Contract Type: Full-time, Senior Leadership Position
Contract Duration: 2 years, renewable based on performance and funding availability
Opportunity Overview
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) position at the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) offers an extraordinary opportunity for a visionary executive to lead the strategic evolution and operational integrity of one of Southeast Asia’s most respected policy research institutions. The COO will serve as a key figure in CDRI’s senior leadership, reporting directly to the Executive Director and providing strategic briefings to the Board of Directors. This role is designed for a dynamic professional ready to drive the institutional restructuring and key operational reforms necessary to scale and manage an annual budget of $5 million.
In this phase of growth, you will blend strategic thinking with entrepreneurial drive to expand CDRI’s reach and influence. You will be responsible for developing new institutional products, optimising talent across the institute, and providing rigorous stewardship of the Endowment Fund to ensure long-term resilience. You will engage directly with development partners, governments, and the private sector to secure diverse funding streams and enhance CDRI’s mission of delivering high-quality, policy-relevant research.
This position offers a powerful platform to lead initiatives that foster institutional innovation, leveraging CDRI’s reputation as an independent, evidence-based voice in international development. It is a rare chance to take on a visible, mission-driven leadership role that combines high-level management with the responsibility of shaping the future of policy research in Cambodia and the wider region.
- Strategy, Visioning, and Fiscal Management
- Develop and execute a multi-year operational plan to scale CDRI’s annual operating budget to $5 million, ensuring diversified revenue streams through grants, consultancy, and high-level partnerships.
- Lead the financial stewardship of the institution’s Endorsement Fund, ensuring investment strategies align with long-term institutional sustainability and board-approved risk profiles.
- Collaborate with the Board and Executive Director to translate the institution’s 5-year research mission into costed operational blueprints and measurable KPIs.
- Monitor institutional financial performance, providing the Board with high-level analysis on resource allocation and fiscal efficiency.
- Institutional Restructuring and Key Reforms
- Design and implement organizational redesign initiatives to eliminate departmental silos, consolidate overlapping functions, and create a more agile research support environment.
- Lead key reforms in institutional policy—specifically in Finance, Procurement, and IT—to ensure the institute meets the highest international standards for transparency and accountability (e.g., DFAT, EU standards).
- Spearhead the digitalization of administrative and research-support systems to improve data management, operational responsiveness, and institutional memory.
- Strategic Talent Recruitment and Retention
- Design a sophisticated Recruitment and Retention Strategy to attract world-class research fellows and executive administrative staff.
- Establish robust performance management systems and inclusive talent pipelines, ensuring the development of national counterparts for senior leadership roles.
- Foster an inclusive, high-performance culture that rewards innovation and professional growth, thereby reducing turnover in critical research positions.
- Grant Lifecycle and Risk Governance
- Oversee the end-to-end management of multi-million-dollar grant portfolios, ensuring that all research activities remain aligned with institutional priorities and donor compliance.
- Maintain a comprehensive Institutional Risk Register, developing mitigation strategies for financial, legal, and reputational risks associated with high-value research activities.
- English
- Khmer is preferred
- Master's Degree in Finance, Management, or related field (MBA preferred)
- At least 15–20 years of progressive leadership experience, with a proven track record of leading organizational restructuring or major institutional reforms.
- Expert knowledge of managing complex resource allocations, multi-million-dollar budgets, and endowment/endorsement funds.
- Exceptional ability to represent the institution before government agencies, international donors, and the Board of Directors.
- A proactive approach to identifying new business opportunities and scaling organizational impacts.
Director, Strategy, Partnerships, and Sustainability
- Career Category: Exec. / Management, Business Administration, Economics
- Schedule:Full-time
- Salary: Negotiable
Reports to: Executive Director
Contract Type: Full-time, Senior Leadership Position
Contract Duration: 2 years, renewable based on performance and funding availability
Opportunity Overview
The Director, Strategy, Partnerships, and Sustainability role at the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) offers a distinctive opportunity for a senior professional to help shape and implement the Institute’s next phase of institutional growth and financial sustainability.
This role is suited to a strategic and execution-focused leader who combines strong analytical and organisational skills with the ability to build long-term partnerships and translate institutional strategy into practical, durable outcomes. While resource mobilisation and partnership development remain important elements of the position, the role is fundamentally about implementing CDRI’s business plans, strengthening systems and incentives, pioneering new services and products, and embedding new ways of working that support long-term sustainability.
Based in Phnom Penh, an increasingly vibrant and connected capital, the Director will work closely with the Executive Director, senior management, and research centre leadership to operationalise strategic priorities, develop and manage high-value partnerships, and diversify CDRI’s funding model beyond short-term, project-by-project funding. The role carries a clear mandate from senior leadership to work across the organisation to drive change, align incentives, and strengthen institutional performance.
The position offers a rare opportunity to combine strategy implementation, organisational change, and external engagement within one of Southeast Asia’s most respected policy research institutions. With CDRI’s strong reputation, independent voice, and deep policy networks, the Director will have a genuine platform to influence how a leading think tank positions itself for long-term relevance, impact, and resilience.
- Strategy Implementation and Institutional Sustainability
- Lead the implementation of CDRI’s institutional strategy and business plans, translating strategic priorities into concrete initiatives, timelines, and accountabilities.
- Provide senior leadership in identifying and addressing institutional, operational, and incentive-related barriers to long-term financial sustainability.
- Drive institutional change initiatives to strengthen coordination, prioritisation, and commercial discipline across research centres and support functions.
- Support institutional innovation to ensure CDRI’s research services, partnership models, and funding approaches remain relevant and competitive in a changing development landscape.
- Drive the development of new products for CDRI, which may include specialized research consultancy services, digital knowledge platforms, or premium policy advisory packages to increase unrestricted funding.
- Conduct market research to identify emerging funding opportunities and technical gaps in Cambodia’s development sector where CDRI can offer high-value solutions.
- Partnerships, Resource Mobilisation and Income Generation
- Lead and oversee CDRI’s approach to resource mobilisation, with a focus on building a diversified, strategic, and sustainable portfolio of funding and partnerships.
- Introduce greater strategic selectivity and prioritisation in partnership and funding decisions, ensuring alignment with CDRI’s mission, capabilities, and long-term sustainability objectives.
- Manage the proposal development process, from conceptualisation to negotiation, ensuring the submission of high-quality, winning bids.
- Identify strategic collaborations that diversify CDRI’s revenue base.
- Oversee donor relations to ensure effective stewardship of funds, compliance, and timely reporting.
- Strategic Relationship and Stakeholder Management
- Lead the development and management of long-term, strategic relationships that position CDRI as a trusted partner in policy research, advisory, and institutional collaboration.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with development partners, embassies, the private sector, and regional think tanks.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for international organisations, government ministries and institutional partners to foster deeper collaboration
- Support the ED and CDRI Board Directors in leveraging institutional networks for strategic growth and counsel.
- Institutional Branding and Communication
- Work with the Communications and Research teams to enhance CDRI’s brand visibility and reputation.
- Develop targeted outreach materials and institutional profiles to support partner engagement.
- Oversee the preparation of impact reports and publications that showcase CDRI’s achievements to external stakeholders.
- Strengthen CDRI’s presence across digital platforms, conferences, and policy dialogues.
- Internal Collaboration and Capacity Building
- Collaborate with research centre directors to identify funding priorities and pipeline opportunities.
- Provide training and mentoring to researchers on proposal writing, donor communication, and partnership management.
- Establish systems for business intelligence and donor tracking to ensure efficiency across the institute.
- English
- Khmer is preferred
- Master's Degree in or higher in International Development, Business Administration, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field.
- At least of progressively responsible experience in strategy implementation, organisational change or institutional development in complex organisations, business development, fundraising, or partnership management. for 10 years
- Proven experience contributing to and leading successful resource mobilisation efforts with major donors (e.g., DFAT, USAID, FCDO, EU, UN, World Bank, ADB, foundations).
- Strong understanding of the development research ecosystem and funding landscape in Southeast Asia.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and networking skills.
- Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and deliver results under pressure.
- Background in management consulting, organisational transformation, or strategy roles within development, research, or policy institutions.
- Experience in strategic organizational development or business strategy.
- Experience in strategic communications or institutional marketing.
- Fluency in English; Khmer proficiency is an asset.
- Ability to drive institutional growth and adapt to changing environments.
- Skilled at building and maintaining trust-based partnerships with high-level stakeholders.
- Proactive and results-oriented approach to identifying new revenue streams and sustainability models.
- High ethical standards and commitment to transparency.
