General Manager

Job Description

General Manager, ZPWC Social Business
Location: HCMC (initially) & Long An (factory-based), Vietnam

About YUNUS ENVIRONMENT HUB

Yunus Environment Hub (YEH) is the global social business network creating solutions for the environmental crisis. Co-founded and led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus, YEH supports and develops social business solutions addressing environmental issues in a financially self-sustainable way. Focus areas are solutions for improved waste management & sustainable plastic recycling, circular economy, carbon neutrality, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, access to clean water and clean energy.

Zero Plastic Waste City (ZPWC) is a program that enables sustainable municipal waste management systems based on a modular social business approach that will result in the creation of the ZPWC social business and plastic recycling facilities in Long An Province, Vietnam. It focuses on the establishment of a recycling plant that produces high-quality products made of low-value and currently unconsidered plastics. These products can be used as input materials in the furniture and construction industry such as recycled plastic boards, as well as recycled plastic pellets / granules.

A social business is understood as a non-dividend, non-loss organization that seeks to create social impact based on a viable business model. With this approach, the envisioned impact touches on the entire plastic waste value chain of segregation, collection, sorting and processing. This effect will be supported through additional efforts of the social business in collaboration with local partners.

The ZPWC social business is implemented by Yunus Environment Hub (YEH) in partnership with, and sponsored by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), and is part of the Vietnam National Plastic Action Partnership, promoted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in partnership with the World Economic Forum, in response to the official call of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. It aims to create an environmentally friendly city, sustainable waste management, a market demand for low-value plastics and to increase the recycling of currently unconsidered waste types, raising environmental and social awareness, to create employment opportunities and to improve working conditions of local people, especially informal waste collectors.

Since April 2020, the establishment of the ZPWC social business has successfully transitioned from an initial pilot phase to a preparatory implementation stage. The actual implementation phase will officially begin once the social business has been legally registered during the first quarter of 2021.

GENERAL MANAGER OF THE ZPWC SOCIAL BUSINESS

Overall Responsibilities

The General Manager will be the top executive for the social business, responsible for strategy, overall operations, budgets, people, financial outcomes, and last but not least impact creation. Responsibilities thus include:

  • Develop and review a viable strategy and set clear growth objectives for the social business
  • Oversee daily operations and the production processes including the sourcing of plastic waste as input material from local suppliers
  • Ensure the development of tactical programs to pursue targeted goals and objectives regarding impact creation and financial viability
  • Control budgets and optimize expenses, incl. evaluation and decision upon key investments in equipment, infrastructure, and talent
  • Lead and manage a team of up to 20-50 people, incl. overseeing recruiting and talent development
  • Evaluate and improve operations to ensure the overall delivery and quality of the social business’ offerings to customers
  • Ensure staff follows health and safety regulations
  • Engage with the parent organisation YEH in broader organizational strategic planning and prepare regular reports
  • Provide solutions to issues (e.g. profit decline, employee conflicts, loss of business to competitors)
  • Coordinate and manage local partners & stakeholders to contribute to systemic impact creation in waste management

Responsibilities during Construction Phase (approx. January – April 2021):

During the construction phase, the General Manager will work closely with YEH Project Manager to set up the social business. The objective is to have a well set-up social business that will be able to sustain and operate in a financially self-sustainable way in the long run.

  • Business registration: According to the procedure for incorporation of a foreign-owned business in Vietnam, Project Approval, Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) and Business Registration Certificate (BRC) need to be obtained.
  • Ordering and set-up of machines: The production machinery that has not yet been purchased during earlier project phases will need to be ordered and installed.
  • Set up of the facility: The processing facility will be located in an industrial area that meets the requirements in terms of plastic recycling industry, sourcing and distribution opportunities, space, available human resources, etc. Potential renovations and setup works will need to be overlooked.
  • Permissions: Any (remaining) necessary permissions (e.g. security or hygiene certificates, Environmental Impact Assessment) will need to be applied for.
  • Sourcing: A critical measure during the construction and set-up phase is the establishment of sourcing infrastructure. In this phase, the social business will tap into the existing supply chain for recyclable plastic waste, mainly by establishing business relationships with educational organizations, waste collection firms, aggregators and waste pickers and work on its supplier strategies.
  • Distribution: Based on initial talks and project briefings, contracts and agreements with local and global purchasers from selected industries (particularly plastic conversions, furniture and construction industries) need to be signed.
  • Staff: Having assessed the human resource needs to ensure well-functioning operations, staff for the social business will be recruited and trained.

Responsibilities thereafter:

  • Start of production: Steady growth of production capacity towards full production within three years.
  • Products: The production will initially focus on the main product category chosen during earlier project phases, as well as future complementary products
  • Sourcing: Through strategic partnerships with aggregators and key players in waste collection, the objective is to significantly raise the demand for lower-value plastics that so far remained uncollected.
  • Distribution: A strong focus on expanding sales volumes, building new markets and thus creating additional demand for the products. Contracts with additional purchasers need to be closed.

Requirements:

  • Overall, the General Manager should be a positive, hands-on and respectful leader who seeks to make a change on this planet.
  • 5-10 years of work experience in a similar role as a General Manager
  • Proven experience in the waste management & plastic recycling sector
  • Background in organization set-up and management, ideally with an advanced degree (e.g. Masters in Business Administration)
  • Strong insight into the objectives and principles of a social business
  • Entrepreneurial mind-set and hands-on mentality
  • Strategic and financial planning skills
  • Independent and reliable work style
  • Fluent in English and Vietnamese (Vietnamese national)
  • Proven leadership skills
  • Excellent communication skills & critical and analytical thinking
  • Strong in negotiations & contract management
  • Familiarity with Government agencies and multi-stakeholders
  • Problem-solving aptitude

To apply:

Please send your CV and a short cover letter including your earliest starting date and salary expectations to Ms. Tam Phan @ [email protected] with the subject “ZPWC_GM_your full name”. Review of applications will begin from 20 January 2021, and will continue until the position is filled.

Job Details
Organisation Name: 
Zero Plastic Waste City (ZPWC)
Location: 
Ho Chi Minh; Long An
Application Deadline: 
Sat, 2021-02-20