Country Manager Middle East & Asia (Remote)

World Robot Olympiad (WRO) is one of the world's largest robotics competitions for young people. Every year, more than 175,000 students from over 100 countries take part in WRO events, guided by a global network of National Organizers and culminating in the annual WRO International Final. The WRO Association is the independent non-profit organization behind the competition – we invest all revenue from partnerships, membership and events back into promoting robotics and STEM education worldwide.

As we continue to grow, we are expanding our international team and hiring for several roles, all starting on 1 January 2027. This is a chance to help shape a global education program from the inside, working remotely with a motivated, international team.

We are looking for a Country Manager for the Middle East & Asia region. Please note that this is primarily a management and relationship role, not a hands-on tournament-execution role. You support and enable National Organizers to run great WRO programs in their countries – you do not run local events yourself. Travel is occasional and regional (a few times a year, when it matters), not monthly.

Tasks

Country management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with all National Organizers (NOs) in the region.
• Review and evaluate annual NO activity plans and performance.
• Recommend the appropriate duration and renewal of NO agreements.
• Support the establishment of WRO in new countries.

Projects & growth

• Identify opportunities to involve selected countries in WRO growth initiatives, including Future Innovators, WRO Learn and RoboStarter.
• Support implementation of the Community Awards programme.

Partnerships

• Work with NOs to establish university relationships and grow the WRO University Alliance.
• Work with the WRO team to identify regional sponsor and partnership opportunities.

International events

• Serve as WRO's primary contact for Open Championships in the region.
• Coordinate WRO-related planning and logistics around these events.
• Work with the Partnership & Sponsorship Manager to ensure appropriate sponsor presence and support.
• Coordinate WRO activities at the events, including NO meetings, workshops and other WRO-led activities.

Communication

• Work with the Communications team to identify and promote relevant activities and stories from the region.

Requirements

• Several years of experience in stakeholder or partner management, program management, international development, education or a comparable field.
• Confident working across cultures; ideally some familiarity with the Middle East and/or Asia region.
• Strong communication and diplomacy skills – you enjoy advising, supporting and enabling others rather than executing everything yourself.
• Experience reviewing plans and performance and handling agreements or renewals is a plus.
• Genuine interest in education, STEM, robotics or youth programs.
• Fluent English (our working language); additional regional languages are a plus.
• Self-organized and comfortable working in a fully remote international team.
• Willing to travel within the region a few times a year, plus occasional international travel such as the WRO International Final and team meetings.

Benefits

• A meaningful mission: helping bring robotics and STEM education to young people in 100+ countries.
• A dedicated and truly international team with clear ownership and short decision-making paths.
• Fully remote work with flexible hours.
• The chance to shape how WRO grows across an entire region.

Working hours

This is a full-time role: 40 hours per week. We work remotely across time zones and ask for at least 4 hours of daily overlap with 07:00–16:00 UTC+0.

Start date

The role starts on 1 January 2027.

How to apply

Interested? Apply directly on this platform. Please include your CV and a motivation letter that explains your fit for this position. We expect a large number of applications and won't be able to reply to everyone, so a genuine, personal motivation letter really helps you stand out. Please write it yourself rather than relying on AI. We are far more interested in your own words and your real reasons for wanting this role than in a polished standard text.