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.