Manager, Southeast Asia Operations

Manager, Southeast Asia Operations

Locations: Manila, Philippines

Please note that India is not included in the Southeast Asia office hiring process.

About the Operations Manager role

The Operations Manager is a leadership role responsible for the full scope of people operations and organizational effectiveness across IDinsight's SEA office. This role combines strategic oversight with hands-on execution: you will shape how the office runs, develop and lead a small operations team, and serve as a trusted partner to regional and global leadership. It requires someone who's equally comfortable designing systems, navigating complex compliance landscapes, and showing up as a human-first leader for the people around them.

• Lead Southeast Asia people operations strategy and team: You will determine strategy and oversee execution across the full employee lifecycle: recruitment, onboarding and offboarding, compensation and benefits, policy development, performance management, safety and security, office administration, and day-to-day employee relations. You will serve as the senior point of escalation for sensitive, complex, or high-risk people matters, bringing sound judgment and discretion to situations that go beyond standard process. You will oversee a team composed of the Administrative Lead and Administrative Assistant, setting clear expectations, providing coaching and feedback, and ensuring high-quality execution.
• Drive recruitment and talent pipeline development. You will proactively build and maintain a strong network of potential candidates through market research and application process oversight, ensuring the office has access to the talent it needs before vacancies become urgent.
• Build, improve, and institutionalize systems and policies. You will actively identify what is not working and fix it: designing, improving, and maintaining operational protocols that best serve the office's needs. You translate high-level goals into clear processes, tools, and accountability structures, and treat documentation as a core part of the job rather than an afterthought.
• Manage legal, financial, and regulatory compliance. You will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure SEA operations comply with local laws, employment regulations, accounting standards, and reporting requirements, including annual registration processes, tax filings, and other regulatory obligations. You will manage vendor relationships with local payroll and legal firms, anticipate and mitigate compliance risks, and support client-facing teams in navigating government procurement eligibility. You will also support budgeting and payments processes in coordination with Finance.
• Strengthen culture and employee experience. This is a deeply people-facing role. You will serve as a trusted listening ear for employee concerns, ideas, and feedback; review and act on employee survey data; and translate insights into concrete improvements. You will oversee team-building activities and internal events in close coordination with the SEA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group; Social and Culture Committee; and Professional Development Working Group. You are expected to embody IDinsight's values and model how we work together.
• Serve as a thought partner to regional and organizational leadership. You will bring an operations lens to strategic discussions, surfacing risks, trade-offs, and operational implications early. You will use data and on-the-ground context to inform leadership choices and translate priorities into clear, executable plans for your team. This requires strong judgment, confidence engaging with senior stakeholders, and the ability to move fluidly between strategy and execution.

Qualifications

Education and experience

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in HR, Business Administration, Public Policy, or a related field preferred
• 6–8 years of progressive experience in operations, HR, or people management, with at least 3 years in a managerial capacity

Technical skills

• Strong command of Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Drive), Microsoft Office Suite,. Familiarity with HR Systems (BambooHR, Lattice, etc) is an advantage
• Working knowledge of Philippine labor law, regulatory compliance, and statutory requirements, including experience managing relationships with external legal and payroll firms
• Experience supporting financial compliance, budgeting, and government procurement processes is an advantage

Project management

• Strong project and people management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple workstreams simultaneously, prioritize properly under shifting demands; delegate effectively, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs
• Demonstrated strategic leadership as a proactive problem-solver who anticipates obstacles, develops innovative solutions, and drives initiatives forward independently

Leadership

• Strong people leadership skills with a track record of coaching and developing direct reports
• High degree of professional maturity, initiative, and judgment; you are trusted to handle sensitive matters with discretion and care

Communication

• Excellent written and verbal communication; confident engaging senior stakeholders with well-reasoned, data-informed recommendations

Nuts & bolts

Location

This role will be based in IDinsight's office in Makati City, with possible significant regional travel depending on project needs and organizational expansion. This role will primarily be in-person due to the nature of its responsibilities. Hybrid work arrangements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Work authorization

Candidates must already be authorized to work in the Philippines. IDinsight cannot sponsor work authorization for this role.

Start dates

Start dates will be mutually agreed upon. This recruitment round is part of IDinsight's efforts to build a pipeline of strong candidates, in anticipation of upcoming hiring needs. While we do not have fixed start dates at this time, we expect opportunities to arise throughout the year.

Contract term

Candidates hired through this process will initially be offered a 6-month contract. There is potential for extension or conversion to a permanent, full-time role, depending on performance and the availability of suitable project opportunities. We aim to retain high-performing team members where possible and encourage candidates open to both short-term and longer-term opportunities.

Compensation & benefits

Compensation and benefits are commensurate with the qualifications and experiences IDinsight is hiring for and are competitive within the global development sector. We are especially proud of the people-focused benefits we offer including comprehensive international health insurance, including mental health coverage; paid vacation, sick, and parental leave; relocation benefits; a travel stipend; technology and work-from-home stipends; a professional development budget; and more.

IDinsight's commitment to reducing power asymmetries

IDinsight is committed to reducing power asymmetries in the social sector. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion reflects our understanding of the need for the sector to abandon unhealthy practices of the past. We wish to be part of a new generation of international NGOs who are honest about this history and transparent about our role in the present. Our commitment is also aligned with the impact of our work.

We seek a workforce that is inclusive of a variety of perspectives that will help us refine and improve our methods and relationships, and strengthen the services we provide our clients and their communities or constituencies. The following commitments represent our vision for the IDinsight team:

1. IDinsight will have greater representation from the populations with whom we work and clients we serve.
2. IDinsight will have greater representation from the countries in which we work.
3. Across all countries in which we recruit, we will seek greater representation from historically excluded communities.
4. IDinsight will foster an inclusive work culture that empowers a diverse team to do their best work.

IDinsight is committed to non-discrimination in our recruitment, employment practices, and organizational culture, regardless of people's age, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable law.