Business Development Director (Automotive) at Qode

Ho Chi Minh City, , Vietnam -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

13 Sep, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

15 Jun, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Business Development, Strategic Partnerships, Government Relations, Stakeholder Management, Regulatory Coordination, Market Analysis, Negotiation, Project Management, Commercial Acumen, Infrastructure Development, Public Policy Analysis, Strategic Planning, English Proficiency, Vietnamese Proficiency, Problem Solving, Influencing Skills

Industry

Software Development

Description

Business Development Director Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Workplace Type: On-site About the Role The Business Development Director plays a key role in driving our client commercial growth by identifying, developing, and managing strategic partnerships that can accelerate market entry, expand infrastructure access, generate new business opportunities, and strengthen our client mobility ecosystem in Vietnam. This role is primarily responsible for business development and partnership expansion, including initiating and managing potential strategic business partners in the areas of fleet/platform/transportation/logistics, ecosystem collaboration, and other strategic growth opportunities such as carbon credit, green electricity supply, etc. that support our client city-by-city sustainable expansion plan. In addition, the role will provide strong support in government engagement, regulatory coordination, and license / permit enablement to help remove external barriers to business growth. This includes engaging relevant authorities and stakeholders to support approvals, public site access, electricity connection, and compliance-related matters required for our client operations and expansion. The role therefore requires a commercially minded individual who can both originate and develop new business opportunities and navigate the external stakeholder environment to help our client execute efficiently in a rapidly evolving green mobility and electrification landscape. Key Responsibilities 1 - Business Development & Strategic Partnership Development Identify, develop, and manage strategic business partnership opportunities across relevant areas such as fleet/platform/transportation/logistics, infrastructure access, public/private site access, ecosystem collaboration and other growth-enabling business models that can generate new business opportunities for our client. Evaluate and prioritize partnership opportunities based on strategic fit, commercial potential, execution feasibility, and scalability. Build and drive a strong partnership pipeline to support our client market entry, city-by-city expansion, customer acquisition, infrastructure rollout, and commercial growth. Lead or support commercial discussions with potential partners to develop win-win cooperation models aligned with our client business objectives. Support negotiation and alignment of partnership frameworks, commercial principles, collaboration scope, and implementation approach. Work closely with internal cross-functional teams to assess business cases, operational implications, regulatory requirements, and execution needs for new opportunities. 2 - Market Development & Opportunity Identification Continuously monitor local E2W (Electric Two-Wheeler) market development, market trends, competitor activity, and ecosystem changes, and provide timely market insights to internal stakeholders. Identify external opportunities that can accelerate our client commercial growth, infrastructure expansion, and ecosystem development. Track developments in urban mobility, green transport, electrification, low-carbon transition, and related market trends to identify new avenues for business growth. Provide forward-looking recommendations to help shape our client market expansion, partnership strategy, channel development, and infrastructure deployment plans. 3 - Government Engagement & External Stakeholder Support Support the development and execution of our client government engagement approach at central and local levels, in alignment with business priorities. Build, maintain, and strengthen constructive relationships with relevant government agencies, regulatory bodies, public sector stakeholders, utilities, and state-owned enterprises where relevant. Act as a key coordination point for engagement with authorities related to business development priorities such as licenses, permits, public land, electricity connection, infrastructure rollout, and regulatory matters. Support regular communication and engagement with relevant government departments to improve alignment, visibility, and support for our client expansion plans. Represent or support our client in meetings, working sessions, briefings, and discussions with government stakeholders and external authorities as needed. 4 - License, Permit & Regulatory Approval Enablement Support the coordination and follow-up of required business licenses, permits, and government approvals necessary for our client operations, pilot projects, commercial launch, battery swapping infrastructure, and future expansion. Track external approval requirements relevant to business development projects and help ensure timely submission, follow-up, and closure. Work with internal teams, legal advisors, consultants, and government stakeholders to help resolve approval bottlenecks and regulatory issues affecting commercial progress. Maintain visibility of critical permit and approval timelines, dependencies, and risks that may impact our client rollout plans. Support internal planning by highlighting approval risks and proposing mitigation actions where needed. 5 - Public Land, Site Enablement & Infrastructure Support Support engagement with relevant government departments, public authorities, land-related stakeholders, and local bodies to facilitate public site access and approvals for battery swap station deployment. Work with internal site development and asset development teams to align external engagement with our client network expansion priorities. Support coordination related to land use approvals, municipal requirements, local documentation, and other site-related government processes. Identify government-backed, policy-supported, or strategic location opportunities that may accelerate infrastructure rollout. 6 - EVN & Electricity Connection Coordination Support engagement with Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and other relevant authorities or utilities regarding electricity supply and power connection for our client station deployment and operation. Coordinate with internal teams to support application, follow-up, approval, and issue resolution related to power connection. Help address issues related to electricity access, timing, capacity, and operational readiness that may affect rollout plans. Identify opportunities to improve speed, predictability, and scalability of electricity connection processes to support business expansion. 7 - Regulatory Monitoring & Policy Support Monitor and interpret relevant regulations, decrees, circulars, and local implementation requirements in Vietnam, especially in areas related to: EV / e-mobility Battery swapping infrastructure Electrification Electricity connection Land use / public land lease Construction / installation approvals Environmental, safety, and operational compliance Provide timely updates to internal stakeholders on regulatory developments that may affect partnerships, expansion, investment plans, or operating requirements. Support assessment of how policy developments may create risks or unlock opportunities for our client commercial growth. Help ensure our client business development initiatives remain aligned with evolving regulatory requirements. 8 - Internal Coordination & Stakeholder Management Work closely with our client leadership and cross-functional teams to ensure business development priorities are aligned with government engagement, approvals, and implementation plans. Coordinate with Legal, Operations, Asset Development, Supply Chain, Marketing, Technical, Finance, and other relevant teams to support partnership execution and external stakeholder alignment. Coordinate with external legal counsel, consultants, land agencies, utilities, and other external parties where required. Prepare high-quality business development materials, briefing notes, stakeholder maps, meeting materials, talking points, status reports, and escalation notes for management review. Maintain proper records of partnership pipeline, engagement progress, approval status, stakeholder communications, and key action items. Required Skills & Qualifications Education Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Business Development, Public Policy, Law, Government Affairs, Engineering, Urban Planning, Political Science, or a related field. Experience Minimum 8–12 years of relevant experience in business development, strategic partnerships, external affairs, government affairs, infrastructure development, regulatory coordination, or stakeholder management. Strong experience in developing external partnerships and driving commercial opportunities in Vietnam. Experience working with government authorities in Vietnam, ideally in sectors such as: 1. Energy 2. Infrastructure 3. Transport 4. EV / E-mobility 5. Industrial projects 6. Public utilities 7. Real estate / Site development Proven track record in developing strategic partnerships, unlocking new business opportunities, or supporting market expansion initiatives. Experience in the automotive field is a must. Knowledge Strong understanding of Vietnam’s business environment, stakeholder landscape, and market development dynamics. Good understanding of Vietnam’s government structure, approval processes, and regulatory environment. Knowledge of policy and regulatory developments related to: Electrification EV ecosystem Low-carbon development Green growth strategy Urban mobility Public land / infrastructure approvals Strong understanding of how strategic partnerships, ecosystem collaboration, and external stakeholder engagement can enable commercial growth and infrastructure scale-up. Key Interfaces Internal CEO Head of Business Development Operations Asset Development / Network Expansion Legal / Compliance Finance Marketing / Corporate Communications Supply Chain / Technical teams External Strategic business partners Central government ministries and agencies Provincial / city / district authorities Departments responsible for industry, transport, planning, environment, land, construction, electricity, and licensing EVN (Electricity of Vietnam) and relevant utility entities Public land / infrastructure authorities External legal advisors, consultants, and industry associations Personal Attributes High integrity and sound judgment. Mature, credible, and professional in dealing with government stakeholders and external partners. Resilient and patient in navigating complex approval processes. Proactive, resourceful, and hands-on. Able to manage ambiguity and fast-changing policy environments. Strategic mindset with strong execution discipline. Commercially minded and opportunity-driven. Skills & Competencies Strong business development mindset with the ability to identify, shape, and convert opportunities into partnerships and growth initiatives. Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management capability. Strong commercial acumen and strategic thinking. Good understanding of how regulatory developments and external stakeholders affect business execution and market expansion. Strong negotiation, influencing, and collaboration skills. Strong project management and follow-through capability. Strong problem-solving skills in dynamic and fast-changing environments. Excellent communication, presentation, and coordination skills. Ability to work effectively across internal and external stakeholders with professionalism and credibility. Strong written and spoken Vietnamese and English. Nice to Have(s) Master’s degree is a plus. Experience supporting permits, approvals, government support, or stakeholder alignment for project implementation is highly preferred. Experience engaging with central government, provincial/city authorities, district-level stakeholders, utilities, and state-owned enterprises is an advantage. Experience dealing with land-related approvals, utility connection, public site coordination, or regulatory compliance is a plus. Experience in a matrix organization, JV (Joint Venture) environment, or multinational company is preferred.

Responsibilities

Drive commercial growth by identifying and managing strategic partnerships in the fleet, logistics, and green mobility sectors. Coordinate with government authorities to secure licenses, permits, and electricity connections for infrastructure expansion.