Head of Office Hanoi cum External Relations Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

Head of Office Hanoi cum External Relations Manager

Organization Description:

The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) is the voice of the European business community in Vietnam. EuroCham was established in 1998 and is a members-based, independent, not for profit organization of European companies who are investing in Vietnam, for the benefit of all. With more than 1,300 members, EuroCham is one of the biggest foreign Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam. EuroCham represents a plethora of sectors and sizes ranging from SMEs to MNCs with a very strong business network in both Vietnam and Europe. Acting as an intermediary between our members - the business community - and local, national, regional, and European authorities, EuroCham advocates on its members' behalf, to generate improvements in the business environment, raise awareness on key issues and disseminate information on issues relating to doing business in Vietnam.

MAIN DUTIES

Job Title:

Head of Office (HoO) cum External Relations Manager (ERM)

Reporting to:

Executive Director

Direct supervising:

Yes

Job Summary:

The Head of Office is responsible for the overall development, performance and maintenance of the office activities to obtain the maximum efficiency, quality, service and profitability for the organization.

Under her/his responsibilities as External Relations Manager, he/she is in charge of enabling high-level access to Vietnamese governmental bodies and representatives, as well as institutional decision makers.

Location

Hanoi – Vietnam.

Willingness to regularly travel within Vietnam, mostly to Ho Chi Minh City

Type of Contract

24 months fixed term contract upon successful completion of a 2-month probation period

• longer terms extension subject to performance

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal:  EuroCham  Executive  Director,  Board  and  Management, Advocacy Team, Sector Committees, Marketing & Communication, Admin and Events.
• External: Vietnamese Government central and local officials, the European Delegation to Vietnam, media, external service providers, etc.

Main Duties  and Key Performance Indicators:

The Head of Office in Hanoi assists the Executive Director in a variety of missions, including but not limited to:

• effective liaison, support and assistance with the whole of the organization,
• maintain and improve mechanisms for head office activities, including surveying and  measuring  the  operations,  process, outcomes and  profitability  and disseminate  feedback  to the appropriate internal entities,
• improve existing systems to manage the head  office  functions, analysis and documenting,
• developing plans for the office’s progress and growth,
• recruitment, training, set action and targets, appraise and manage performance, development, coaching and general support of the team in Hanoi to ensure targets are met,
• reporting to the Executive Director on a regular basis as agreed
• developing plans for team activities to include strategy to achieve agreed targets,
• delegate authority and responsibility to team with supervision, accountability and review,
• set an  example  for  team  members of  commitment,  head  office process and activities, work ethics and habits and personal character
• maintain accurate records,
• responsibly use resources and control expenses to meet agreed budgetary controls,
• interact and co-operate with all members of the organisation, its suppliers and members.

From time to time the HoO may be expected to be part of special projects as are reasonably required of your job role, as well as attend external events / networkings to represent EuroCham.

The HoO is responsible for your allocated workload and must meet all targets as agreed with her/his Line Manager. He/she must contribute towards the smooth running of the organisation generally.

Under her/his responsibilities as External Relations Manager, she/he is expected to:

• assist the Executive Director and the Board of Directors in establishing and maintaining excellent contacts with the Vietnamese central  and local governmental  institutions/agencies,  and  with Vietnamese  trade organizations  and  business  associations  (like VCCI, MOFA, ….),
• Continue and regularly update the existing stakeholder mapping, showing crucial contacts in the relevant institutions. Being a key point of contact with the EU-Delegation to Vietnam and the Vietnamese Government,
• The ER Manager is taking proactively care of all necessary arrangements of the EU-Vietnam Business Council (EVBC) and the EU-Vietnam Business Forum (VEUBF),
• The ER manager occasionally has to represent and promote EuroCham at official occasions such as meetings, receptions, networking-events and conferences in Hanoi and beyond as requested by the Executive Director and/or  relevant  for her/his duties.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education and Training Background:

Bachelor degree or higher in Business Administration, Communications, Public Relations, Trade and Investment or a related field is required

Work Experience:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in field of Government Affairs, Public Affairs;
• High level of experience in working with Government bodies at both national and local level as well as experience with advocacy;
• Broad understanding of functions and structure of the Vietnamese Government at both national and local level;
• Good knowledge and understanding of the business and investment environment in Vietnam;
• Experience in working in a multicultural team;
• A passed experience of managing an office would be a strong asset.

Management Experience:

A track record of successfully leading and coordinating cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams as well as strong experience in external relations management, ideally for an FDI operating in Vietnam.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrated   excellent   communication   and   diplomatic   skills, advanced networking and partnership building techniques;
• Advanced  presentation  skills  at  senior  level  industries  and/or government platform;
• Ability  to  work  effectively  in  multi-disciplinary  teams  and  also independently;
• High standards of integrity, professionalism and personal discipline;
• Ability to produce position papers or other required documents in English.

Languages:

Fluent written and spoken Vietnamese and English.

Software and Package Skills:

Good computer skills with Microsoft Office Tools, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint are required.

What We Offer:

• Strong network development in a large diversity of industries in Vietnam with authorities, Embassies and the European FDIs.
• Great insight into the trade and investment issues in Vietnam;
• Competitive compensation package;
• A cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary professional working environment.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in this job opportunity, please send your CV with a cover letter and your references (if any) to [email protected] . All applications must be received by 28 Feb 2023 at 17:00 Hanoi time.

NB: Due to the high number of expected applications, only short listed candidates will be contacted.