Deputy Director, PIDP

The East-West Center (EWC) promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.

The Center’s 21-acre Honolulu campus, adjacent to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, includes conference facilities, three residence halls, and an office building that houses research, program, and administrative activities. The Center also has an office in Washington, D.C., that provides accessibility to US, regional government stakeholders, and program partners with innovative training, analytical and dialogue exchange, and public diplomacy products to meet US policy priorities and expressed needs in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) serves as Secretariat for the Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders (PICL) and the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific (CROP) agency. Our PIDP team is seeking an on-site Deputy Director for a limited, one-year appointment (with possibility of extension). This position will lead the initiatives of PIDP that connect Pacific Island priorities with potential investment opportunities from the American private sector, while enhancing the Center’s visibility and engagement across the Pacific region.

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

• Outreach and Partnerships:
  Build and sustain relationships with Pacific Island governments, organizations, and communities to identify shared priorities in areas such as climate resilience, digital transformation, tourism, renewable energy, and sustainable development.
• Investment Research:
  Conduct and oversee research on Pacific Island markets, emerging sectors, and local economic needs to identify potential matches with American private-sector investment and partnership opportunities.
• Strategic Engagement:
  As appropriate, represent the Center in high-level dialogues, forums, and regional networks to promote collaboration between U.S. and Pacific Island stakeholders.
• Program Development:
  Support the design and implementation of programs and initiatives that foster inclusive economic growth and capacity building in the Pacific Islands.
• Communications and Outreach:
  Collaborate with the Communication and External Relations (CER) team to amplify the Center’s Pacific Islands–focused initiatives and share success stories that highlight impact and partnership.
• Institutional Leadership:
  Assist the Director and Center leadership in strategic planning, budget management, resource development, and coordination across the Center’s programs to ensure alignment with institutional goals and Indo-Pacific priorities.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

• Guides and leads their assigned unit, modeling appropriate behaviors and professional standards of conduct to ensure a high-performance, customer service-oriented work environment that supports the Center’s mission, objectives, and values.
• Supervises work and performance of designated staff. Sets work priorities, provides guidance, and directs workflow to ensure work is timely and accurate. Organizes work schedules and manages requests for time off in an appropriate and timely manner. Ensures work assignments fall within each position’s work scope and adhere to collective bargaining agreements.

• Conducts performance evaluations that are timely, constructive, transparent, and unbiased. Provides coaching for performance improvement and guidance for career development.
• Approves and initiates various recruitment, onboarding, retention, and offboarding tasks for both programmatic units.
• Ensures staff is coached and trained to use key operational systems. Retains catalog of operational procedures and resources to assure training is informative, consistent, and effective.
• Interacts effectively and diplomatically in all areas of employee relations, always projecting a professional image while exercising the highest degree of confidentiality. Collaborates with HR in resolving…