Local Research & Implementation Manager - Indonesia (m/w/x)

Project description

The BAMBU BARU project aims to position Indonesia as a leader in regenerative construction by leveraging regionally sourced bamboo given its wide availability across the archipelago. It builds on a foundational phase carried out through the ReBuilt Initiative (February 2023 - December 2025) , which explored locally specific pathways for shifting the built environment away from carbon-intensive materials toward nature-based alternatives, generating knowledge on natural systems and socio-spatial dynamics and developing a roadmap for regenerative development demonstrated by the award-winning BaleBio Pavilion in Bali, an 84-square-meter community hub built from engineered bamboo and salvaged materials to demonstrate active carbon sequestration.

Beyond individual pavilions, the project collaborates with the Indonesian Ministry of Housing to integrate Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology (CBFT) into national affordable housing standards and subsidy programs, creating a blueprint for climate-resilient, low-cost homes that support local economies and ecological restoration.

Your mission

• In-Country Representation: Serve as Bauhaus Earth's senior in-country point of contact and top local representative in Indonesia for government ministries, municipal partners, and local stakeholders.

• Headquarters-to-Field Translation: Act as the operational bridge between Berlin Headquarters and local execution, translating global strategy and priorities into locally actionable tasks.

• Technical & Construction Leadership: Oversee and lead technical research, physical prototyping, and construction execution on the ground.

• Nature-based Material Supply Chain & Quality Control: Oversee local nature-based material sourcing and processing (specifically bamboo harvesting, treatment, and testing), ensuring physical prototyping and construction activities strictly comply with structural safety and environmental quality standards.

• Risk & Opportunity Management: Continuously monitor operational environments to report local risks, regulatory constraints, and strategic opportunities directly to the project lead in Berlin.

Your profile

• Education: Master’s degree in Architecture, Civil Engineering, Urban Planning, Environmental Engineering, or International Development.

• In-Country Experience: 3+ years of direct, hands-on experience working on the ground in Indonesia with government ministries, municipal partners, developers, and local communities.

• Technical & Field Oversight: Proven track record managing physical construction projects, technical implementation, and site execution in housing or built-environment contexts.

• Languages: Native/Full professional fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and full professional fluency in English (C1).

• Travel Openness: Willingness to travel within Indonesia for site visits and travel to Berlin approximately 3 times per year.

• Material & Construction Expertise: Hands-on experience with bamboo, bio-based materials, or alternative structural systems.

• Stakeholder Diplomacy: Strong political acumen and experience navigating institutional relationships across Indonesian government frameworks.

• Reporting & Compliance: Familiarity with international research frameworks, donor compliance, and project management tools.

Why us?

• Competitive Local Compensation: Salary benchmarked against international non-profit and research standards (PPP-adjusted to German public scale TV-L E13).

• 13th Month Salary (THR): Full annual mandatory religious holiday allowance.

• Social Security & Health: Full coverage under mandatory BPJS Kesehatan and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, supplemented by private health insurance (outpatient/inpatient).

• International Mobility: Fully funded travel budget for regular alignment trips to Berlin headquarters and field sites across Indonesia.High-Impact Work: Shape national housing standards and climate-resilient architecture at a transformational scale in South-East Asia.

• Collaborative Culture: Work with an international, highly interdisciplinary team of researchers, architects, and climate scientists in Berlin.

• Strategic Autonomy: High level of ownership and authority to shape country strategy, direct operations, and lead senior government relationships.

• Mission-Driven Culture: Purpose-led organization dedicated to climate action, circular building solutions, and transforming the built environment.

• Professional Growth: Strategic position at the intersection of international development, sustainability innovation, and high-level stakeholder management.

Key facts

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia (with operational travel within Indonesia and approx. 3 travels/year to Berlin)

Start Date: 1st December 2026

Employment Type: Full-Time (100%), Local Employment Contract under Indonesian Labor Law (e.g., via Employer of Record / Local Entity)

Contract Term: Fixed-term for 2 years

Salary Range: IDR 47,000,000 gross/month (plus 13th-month salary / THR)

Diversity

At Bauhaus Earth, we are committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, and equitable working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age.

About us

From climate crisis to regenerative transformation. Bauhaus Earth is a 50-member interdisciplinary and international think-and-make tank based in Potsdam and Berlin. The non-profit organisation is dedicated to the regenerative transformation of the built environment. Our vision is a future in which buildings, cities and landscapes proactively contribute to climate restoration and have a positive impact on the planet and its inhabitants.