Associate, Business and Program Development, Japan

**About the Milken Institute**

The Milken Institute is a globally minded, publicly supported, non-partisan, and nonprofit think tank headquartered in Santa Monica, with offices in Washington, DC, New York, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. For the past three decades, the Milken Institute has served as a catalyst for practical, scalable solutions to global challenges by connecting human, financial, and educational resources to those who need them. Guided by a conviction that the best ideas, under-resourced, cannot succeed, we conduct research and analysis and convene top experts, innovators, and influencers from different backgrounds and competing viewpoints. We leverage this expertise and insight to construct programs and policy initiatives. These activities are designed to help people build meaningful lives, in which they can experience health and well-being, pursue effective education and gainful employment, and access the resources required to create ever-expanding opportunities for themselves and their broader communities.

The Milken Institute’s events and programmatic activities involve the exchange of ideas with leaders from around the world. The Institute hosts more than 200 events each year, with our annual flagship event, Global Conference, bringing together 4,500+ participants from around the world, featuring more than 900+ speakers throughout 200+ sessions over the course of the event.

**About the Position**

The Milken Institute is seeking an Associate to support the Milken Institute’s Business and Program Development team. The role will focus on fundraising and deepening relationships with key partners to expand our presence in Japan.

**Responsibilities**
- ** Strategic Sponsor Engagement**:

- Work with the team to run initiatives to connect with both existing and new sponsors, focusing on key growth areas like multinational corporations, asset management, investment banking, and other relevant financial sectors.
- Utilize innovative strategies to deepen relationships with these sponsors, ensuring their continued support and involvement.
- ** Program Development and Fundraising for Key Events**:

- Play a pivotal role in planning and fundraising for major Milken Institute events, particularly the Asia Summit, Global Conference, and regional symposiums like the Global Investors' Symposium in Hong Kong.
- Ensure these events are impactful, well-funded, and align with the Institute’s goals and objectives.
- ** Partner Relationship Management**:

- Effectively manage ongoing relationships with partners and sponsors, ensuring their needs and expectations are met.
- Coordinate all interactions between the Milken Institute and these partners, serving as the primary point of contact and liaison.
- ** Market Analysis and Opportunity Identification**:

- Continuously monitor market trends and identify emerging opportunities in the business and financial sectors.
- Leverage this insight to guide the Institute’s engagement strategies and program development.
- ** Cross-Functional Team Collaboration**:

- Work closely with other departments within the Institute to align efforts and maximize the impact of business and program development initiatives.
- Collaborate on projects that cross traditional functional boundaries, promoting a culture of teamwork and shared success.
- ** Event Programming and Execution**:

- Contribute to the program development and execution of key events, ensuring they reflect the Institute’s mission and attract the right audience.
- Engage with speakers, participants, and stakeholders to deliver high-quality, engaging, and informative events.
- ** Communication and Reporting**:

- Maintain effective communication channels with internal teams and external partners.
- Regularly report on progress, challenges, and achievements in business and program development activities.
- ** Duties as assigned.**

**Qualifications**
- Bachelor’s Degree required; Masters preferred.
- 1-3+ years of experience in asset management fundraising, business development, partnership building, investor relations, and wealth management.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Knowledge and fluency in English and in Japanese is highly preferred
- Preference will be given to Singaporeans and PRs
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Experience in working with financial institutions, especially within the hedge fund/private equity/ investment banking space.
- Ability to inspire enthusiasm about the mission of the Milken Institute, Asia Center, and other areas as appropriate.
- Must have knowledge of the finance sector and global issues to be able to create/suggest high-quality content and engagements throughout the year.
- Familiarity with the finance industry ecosystem, with ability to conduct research across various actors in the industry
- Superior project management skills, including the ability to proactively problem-solve and identify solutions in a fast-paced environment.
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