Government Relations Specialist (East Malaysia)

Monroe Consulting Group, an Executive Recruitment firm, is partnering with an organisation in the Professional Services sector to hire a Government Relations Specialist, East Malaysia. This opportunity is based in East Malaysia.

Position Overview
The role spearheads strategic advocacy and external engagement efforts with key stakeholders in East Malaysia. It directly contributes to strengthening justice system responses and advancing policy frameworks to protect vulnerable workers.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and implement advocacy and external engagement efforts with key stakeholders in East Malaysia, ensuring alignment with strategies set by the Government Relations Manager.

• Provide strategic input to the Program Support Specialist on stakeholder engagement, advocacy and policy reform opportunities.

• Guide the team to ensure strategic external engagements that lead directly to project outcomes.

• Develop and implement advocacy strategies aligned with IJM’s Protection Model, Advocacy Goals and Program Goals for East Malaysia.

• Develop strategy and plans to activate stakeholders to influence the government on forced labour and labour trafficking issues.

• Prepare background, strategic insights, plans and briefing documents toward advocacy and engagements with government, private partners, local and global development communities.

• Ensure East Malaysia strategies and insights are communicated regularly to the Government Relations Manager for integration into national policy and systems change strategies.

• Adapt national level advocacy frameworks to the East Malaysia context.

• Remain up to date on policy reforms, media reports and relevant trends on national and state levels.

• Map and engage key stakeholders with influence over labour protection and anti-trafficking efforts in Sabah and Sarawak.

• Identify, facilitate, and manage strategic collaborations with government, civil society, and private sector partners.

• Represent the organisation in meetings, forums, and coalitions to promote justice system improvements.

• Facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues, roundtables, and joint initiatives to promote systemic change.

• Contribute to the development of training materials and advocacy resources.

• Document lessons learned and best practices for internal and external knowledge sharing.

• Provide capacity-building trainings in collaboration with programme teams and relevant specialists.

• Maintain comprehensive records of strategic relationships, project activities, and advocacy outcomes.

• Track progress against advocacy goals and contribute to quarterly and annual reporting.

• Engage in regular coordination meetings with the Government Relations Manager to ensure harmonisation of national and East Malaysian strategies.

• Provide timely updates and flag emerging political or stakeholder issues.

Key Requirements

• Qualifications & Experience

  • Master’s degree in relevant field preferred.

  • Bachelor’s degree in humanities, social work, law, human rights, international development or related field, or equivalent work experience.

  • At least 5 years of experience in project development and implementation with diverse government and community-based groups.

  • Capacity-building experience desirable.

  • Strong knowledge of current issues on human trafficking, forced labour, international trafficking instruments and labour trafficking laws.

  • In-depth knowledge of federal and state government structures and dynamics.

  • Proven ability to work well at an inter-personal level with government and non-government stakeholders.

  • Established experience in networking with stakeholders across community spectrum.

• Technical / Functional Expertise

  • Excellent communication and presentation skills.

  • Fluent in spoken and written English and Bahasa Malaysia.

  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

• Soft Skills & Leadership Competencies

  • Developed organisational and leadership skills, superior attention to detail, exceptional follow-through and accountability for results.

  • Excellent time management and ability to work effectively under deadline pressures.

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with sound judgement.

  • Experience working independently in remote or decentralised settings.

  • Excellent interpersonal skills, cross-cultural communication, and ability to foster good working relations.

  • Flexible, enthusiastic, and willing to receive feedback and learn from others.

  • High level of honesty and integrity.

  • Courageous and humble servant leader.

  • Passion and commitment for the mission and theory of change.