Manager, Insights; West Asia

AVPN is the largest network of social investors in Asia. AVPN enables collaborations between policy makers, family offices, foundations and the private sector to increase the impact and flow of capital deployed towards closing SDG gaps in Asia.

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AVPN has empowered its members to connect, learn, act, and lead in advancing social impact in Asia. Take a look at our interactive Annual Review to learn more about our work and impact.

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Leverage the AVPN platform to bring under-represented social issues top of mind for more than 700+ social investors

Driving Asian leadership in climate agenda by channeling more resources into climate action.

Mobilizing capital to improve outcomes for women and girls in Asia.

A collaborative space to scale policy action and implement solutions for health equity across Asia.

Equipping the next generation of Asian youths with the capital and resources they need to drive impactful change.

AVPN is a unique funders’ network committed to building a vibrant and high-impact social investment community across Asia. AVPN’s mission is to catalyse the movement toward a more strategic, collaborative, and outcome-focused approach to social investing, ensuring that resources are deployed as effectively as possible to address key social challenges facing Asia today and in the future.

The AVPN Insights team supports this mission by researching key trends, challenges, and opportunities across various social investment approaches, relevant themes and issues, and key stakeholder groups across the region. The goal is to equip social investors with the necessary knowledge and insights to be more strategic and impactful in their funding practice and locate opportunities for social investment. We are seeking an experienced professional to join as Manager, Insights, West Asia.

Based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this role will play a pivotal part in shaping the organisation’s research and learning agenda in West Asia. The successful candidate will identify local research priorities, forge and manage partnerships, and drive thought leadership to advance the social investment ecosystem in the region and beyond. This will be a consultancy role with the potential to convert to full-time.

It will report to the Assistant Director, Insights. Priority given to applicants based in the United Arab Emirates.

In this role, you will

• Identify and assess local research needs, opportunities, and gaps to inform the organisation’s thought leadership and insights agenda across West Asia.
• Represent AVPN and its research and training agenda in key stakeholder meetings across West Asia
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with local institutions, academia, foundations, and government entities to co-develop insights and research outputs.
• Lead research projects focused on social investment trends, impact themes, and emerging sectors relevant to the Middle East and surrounding regions.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure effective project planning, execution, and delivery of high‑quality outputs.
• Develop clear and concise communication materials (articles, reports, presentations) that effectively summarise research findings and recommendations.
• Interface with the Academy team to translate research insights into learning materials, courses, and capacity‑building programmes tailored to regional needs, as part of the AVPN Academy West Asia Training Hub.
• Contribute to strategic positioning by identifying opportunities to enhance the organisation’s role as a regional thought leader in social investment and impact.

Ideally, you bring the following to our team and the role:

• Master’s degree in social sciences, economics, public policy, development studies,…