Rabea Brauer started her career at the State Government of Thuringia, Germany where she served as Spokeswomen of the Ministry of Interior for three years until 2002. On behalf of her State Government and the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation (KAS), she implemented an administrative reform project funded by the EU in Cambodia. In 2005 she joined the European Commission as Head of Section for Good Governance & Democracy at the EU Delegation to Cambodia where she was also responsible for the funding to the Khmer Rouge Tribunal at the ECCC. After four years with the EU Commission, she moved to KAS to represent the foundation in Cambodia and Vietnam.

In 2016 Rabea Brauer was called to KAS Headquarter to lead the Department Asia & Pacific in Berlin, Germany. She was responsible for 23 offices in Asia and the Pacific and has published a number of articles on China, the US-Asia relation, the South China Sea conflict, and the Mekong River politics. Since August 2019 she represents KAS in Japan and also directs the Regional Program "Economic Governance in Asia".

Rabea Brauer holds Master Degrees in Political Science, American Studies, and EU Law from Universities in Germany and the US.