Back Office Director / HR Director - New Market Launch

Green SM is a leading electric vehicle (EV) and sustainable mobility solutions provider headquartered in Vietnam. We are expanding into international markets and preparing to launch operations in a new market. Join us in driving the future of sustainable mobility

Position Overview

The Director of Back Office is a senior leadership role responsible for setting the strategy, shaping the organizational structure, and building the Back Office team (Recruitment, Training, HR, and Admin) in a new market. This is an organizational-architect role — the incumbent will design the operating model, establish policy frameworks, hire and lead local managers/team leads, who will in turn own the day-to-day execution. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with experience in greenfield organizational build-out and the ability to lead through others rather than execute hands-on.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Organizational Design

• Develop the overall Back Office strategy for the new market, aligned with business objectives and the market's stage of growth (from launch to scale-up).
• Design the organizational structure, operating model, and workforce planning roadmap for HR, Recruitment, Training, and Admin functions.
• Set priorities, allocate resources and budget across each phase of market development.

2. Building & Leading the Local Team

• Recruit and develop local managers/team leads (HR Manager, Recruitment Lead, Admin Lead, etc.) who will own detailed day-to-day operations.
• Coach and mentor local managers to ensure they can execute independently and effectively.
• Build a performance-driven culture, set goals, and oversee KPIs at a strategic level — without getting into daily hands-on tasks.

3. Policy Framework & Governance

• Approve and oversee the development of HR policies, recruitment processes, training programs, and administrative procedures — ensuring compliance with local law and consistency with Group standards.
• Establish reporting mechanisms, internal controls, and risk governance across the Back Office function.
• Ensure systems (payroll, HRIS, administrative/financial processes) are properly selected and implemented from day one.

4. Strategic Liaison with Head Office

• Serve as the senior point of contact representing Back Office in strategic discussions with Head Office in Vietnam and relevant vertical departments.
• Ensure the local Back Office strategy stays aligned with overall Group direction.
• Report directly to senior leadership on organizational build-out progress, risks, and strategic recommendations.

5. Operational Performance Oversight

• Track macro-level performance indicators (headcount growth, operating costs, compliance levels, local team performance).
• Direct process improvement and automation initiatives, delegating detailed implementation to the local team.
• Assess and adjust the organizational model as the market scales.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Finance, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• 8-10+ years of experience in Back Office/HR/Operations management, including at least 4-5 years in a senior leadership role (Director/Head level) managing through mid-level managers — not a hands-on execution role.
• Proven experience building a new organization at a strategic level (greenfield setup) — having designed operating models and built management teams from scratch.
• Systems-level thinking, strong big-picture judgment, and data-driven decision-making.
• Ability to lead through influence, and to build and develop a bench of capable local managers.
• Experience working with a multinational Head Office/Group, balancing global standardization with local adaptation.
• Excellent communication skills, comfortable engaging and reporting to the most senior leadership.