Business Development Manager Vietnam - Subsidiary Setup (m/f/d)

ABOUT DEPARTER - THE KNOW-WHO PEOPLE

Departer is a leading German Executive Search firm with over 20 years of experience in global leadership recruitment. We specialize in placing executives in medium-sized enterprises and private equity portfolio firms across ASIA, MEAI, DACH, and ANZ regions. With a deep understanding of the DACH economy, we facilitate successful placements within global management teams across corporate headquarters and entities abroad.

Our client is a long-established German manufacturer of industrial machinery, combining decades of engineering expertise with an international network of subsidiaries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. The company serves customers in wastewater technology, biogas, agriculture, and industrial applications and is now taking the next step in its strategic expansion. To develop the Vietnamese market from the ground up, we are seeking a dedicated Business Development Manager Vietnam, Subsidiary Setup (m/f/d).

As Business Development Manager Vietnam (m/f/d), you will be among the first people on the ground and will take full ownership of the market entry. You will drive sales and business development, establish dealer structures, build a local service partner network, and lay the commercial foundation for lasting success in the country, working in close cooperation with the German headquarters.

This is a rare opportunity to shape a market from its earliest stage. After an initial phase of approximately 12 to 18 months, you will take the lead in establishing the local subsidiary and assume full leadership responsibility for its further development, including the build-up of a local team.

Your duties and responsibilities will include:

• Develop the Vietnamese market end to end and identify growth potential in fields such as agriculture, biogas, wastewater treatment, and industrial manufacturing
• Establish, support, and expand dealer structures while taking direct responsibility for sales results as well as for lasting customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Qualify dealer partners in service and application topics so that customers receive a consistently high standard of support
• Set up and develop a local service partner network together with the service organisation of the parent company
• Define and roll out the market entry approach along with the marketing, sales, and service strategies for Vietnam
• Position the company at trade fairs, conferences, and industry gatherings to build visibility and credibility in the market
• Track market developments, competitor activities, and customer feedback and translate these insights into sharper product positioning and business development plans
• Coordinate closely with the German headquarters and with the global sales, marketing, and technical functions to keep strategies aligned and customer support at a high level
• Take the lead in setting up the local subsidiary after the initial phase, build its operational structures, and gradually recruit, develop, and lead a local sales and service team

To be successful in this role, you should have the following skills and experiences:

• Technical education in mechanical engineering, process engineering, chemical engineering, or a comparable discipline
• Hands-on technical understanding and the ability to explain demanding products in a way that convinces customers
• Several years of experience as Sales Manager, Business Development Manager, or in a comparable commercial function with responsibility for sales and customer service, ideally including first leadership exposure
• Demonstrable success in building dealer networks and in designing and executing sales and service strategies within B2B machinery business
• Exposure to pumps, agricultural machinery, biogas, or wastewater equipment is considered an advantage
• Confident handling of CRM systems such as Salesforce is welcome
• Entrepreneurial mindset, resilience, and the drive to build a business from scratch, paired with the ambition to grow into a local leadership role
• Fluency in Vietnamese and a strong command of English; German language skills are a plus
• Willingness to travel regularly within Vietnam

Our client offers an attractive overall package in line with your experience and the responsibility of the role, together with the reliability and long-term perspective of an established German engineering company. You will benefit from short decision-making paths, direct access to the headquarters, and a level of entrepreneurial freedom that is rarely found in comparable positions. Seize the opportunity to build a market and, over time, an organisation that carries your signature.