Associate Director, Field Investigations (APAC) - CONTRACTOR ROLE

Job description

Overview of the Role: The Associate Director of Field Investigations (APAC) will spearhead the continued build-out of IP House’s on-the-ground field investigations network in the region, including in-house teams, networks, and strategic partnerships, ensuring robust execution across licensing, compliance, quality management, and business development. This is a highly visible, senior role that will drive both business opportunity and operational excellence for our field investigations services. The right candidate will bring a blend of practical field investigations expertise, strong leadership and team-building capacity, robust business judgment, and a relentless commitment to seamless client delivery. You’ll work cross-functionally within internal teams to ensure IP House’s global standards and commercial objectives are met, while adapting to Asia Pacific regulatory and operational realities. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Investigative Operations & Leadership Lead the expansion and day-to-day management of field investigations across Asia Pacific, overseeing all field activities, subcontractor engagement, and process development in the region. Expand and scale a compliant, licensed, and quality-focused field investigations network—with redundancy in key markets and a focus on coverage expansion, especially across high-priority jurisdictions in Greater China, Southeast Asia, and other key APAC markets. Develop, standardize, and enforce field investigative protocols, including evidence handling, reporting, and client communications, to ensure consistency and compliance. Licensing, Compliance & Quality Assurance Manage ongoing investigative licensing, permitting, and compliance obligations in APAC jurisdictions, ensuring full coverage for current and future business needs. In coordination with our Investigative Due Diligence Unit, oversee rigorous vetting and onboarding of our field investigator network: license verification, insurance, references, background checks, and professional standards. Maintain compliance with all applicable laws; champion continuous improvement and conformity to emerging regulations and best practices. Implement and monitor ongoing quality assurance, performance metrics, and process reviews throughout our network in region. Ensure that all field work is ethical, necessary and proportionate to what it seeks to achieve and is aligned with the IP House Code of Conduct for investigators and similar client codes. Promote legality, confidentiality, honesty and integrity as the cornerstone of all field operations. Business Development & Revenue Growth Partner with Product, Client Success, Client Solutions, and Global Field Investigations teams to drive partnership expansion. Cultivate and maintain relationships with key clients, acting as the primary escalation point for field investigations in Asia Pacific and ensuring seamless, high-touch service. Drive the development of value messaging and client-facing materials that clearly differentiate IP House’s field investigations offering in region, emphasizing national and regional reach, integrated quality, and single-point accountability. Process Alignment & Cross-Functional Integration Work with Online Operations teams to standardize processes, technologies, and data/reporting practices across all field investigative activities in region. Develop, document, and implement scalable workflows for network expansion, sourcing, vetting, onboarding, assignment, and ongoing review. Ensure alignment of regional field investigations initiatives with global process excellence, technology, and commercial strategies—while adapting for local regulatory and operational nuance. Team Building, Development & Culture Recruit, mentor, and manage a high-performance regional field investigations team, championing a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous learning. Establish clear expectations, KPIs, and ongoing development for both in-house and external field resources. Foster transparent communication, regular performance feedback, and strong cross-team alignment within the regional and global field investigations teams. Work with the global team to design and deliver training to promote uniformity and best practice. What You’ll Bring: A background in law enforcement or private sector field investigations in Asia Pacific, with direct experience in surveillance, undercover engagement, and/or test purchasing. A strong preference for applicants with a background in IP enforcement. Experience in shaping and leading teams across multiple APAC jurisdictions. An understanding of risk management in the context of field operations conducted within the private sector. Thorough knowledge of investigative licensing, compliance, and reporting standards in Asia Pacific markets; familiarity with China and Southeast Asia regulatory landscapes highly desirable. Proven track record building, managing, and scaling field investigation teams and/or networks in a high-compliance, quality-sensitive environment. Demonstrated success in business development—growing B2B client relationships and supporting direct sales efforts. Experience managing multi-national licensure, vetting workflows, and operational efficiency in a complex, distributed model. Flexibility, dedication, innovation, strong cross-functional leadership, negotiation, and executive communication skills. Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred. Mandarin language capabilities strongly preferred. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and location Why IP House: IP House is redefining how the world combats illicit trade and intellectual property theft—delivering scalable, end-to-end solutions that empower global brands and rights holders through innovation, strategic expertise, and a relentless commitment to global enforcement. Achieving this ambitious mission requires the collaboration of an exceptionally talented team. We believe our people are the foundation of everything we do—and we invest accordingly. From day one, we foster a culture rooted in continuous learning, professional growth, and shared excellence. We also understand that meaningful work begins with a strong foundation. That’s why we offer a flexible work environment and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, well-being, and financial security of our employees and their families. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to shape a fast-scaling organization with a strong reputation for results—and room to grow with it. Join us in safeguarding the brands, content, and innovations that shape our world. IP House is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to fostering a respectful, collaborative, and inclusive work environment. About IP House At IP House, we empower brands, legal professionals, and rights holders to manage and protect intellectual property—both online and offline—on a truly global scale. Through cutting-edge technology and deep cross-border expertise, we deliver scalable, end-to-end solutions for IP portfolio management, enforcement, and brand protection. With over 700 experts across five continents, we are trusted by some of the world’s most recognized brands to combat counterfeiting, piracy, and IP infringement at scale. As we pursue aggressive expansion across Asia Pacific, we are seeking an operationally minded, commercially capable, and compliance-driven leader to serve as Associate Director of Field Investigations for the Asia Pacific region. This role will shape the future of our field investigative capability across the region, executing a model built for scalability, rigorous standards, and best-in-class client delivery.