Senior Private Sector Lead

Senior Private Sector Lead

Project: United States Department of Agriculture Food for Progress U.S.-Vietnam Trade in Agriculture and Food Safety Expanded

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Start Date: On/around December 1, 2026

Expected Duration: Up to four years

IESC Background: 

Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization that catalyzes private sector growth and creates economic opportunity for people and communities across the economically developing world. Since our founding in 1964 , we have delivered lasting solutions across 139 countries.

IESC is a valued partner to people and communities throughout the economically developing world. We share proven business skills and experience with entrepreneurs, jobseekers, businesses, farmers, cooperatives, and governments. We also offer resources—human, technological, and financial—that sustainably build capacity and empower communities. Our long legacy of strengthening developing economies is matched by our vision for the next generation: a world with economic opportunity for all, where people and communities thrive.    

Project Background:

Building on three decades of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States (1995–2025), the 2025–2026 period marks a significant transformation in bilateral ties. Under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) framework, agricultural cooperation has been identified as a key pillar. This cooperation has deepened beyond merely promoting bilateral trade turnover to focus on technical collaboration and enhancing system management capacity. This progression is an essential step toward realizing joint commitments to transparent, science-based trade, aiming to promote economic prosperity and ensure substantial benefits for the business communities of both nations.

To realize this strategic vision, Vietnam has been officially selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as one of five focus countries for the "Food for Progress" Program for the 2025–2030 period. In Vietnam, the USDA Food for Progress Program will be implemented through the USDA Food for Progress Trade in Agriculture and Food Safety Expanded (TAFSE) project. This opens a rare opportunity for Vietnam to access financial resources and deep expertise from the U.S. to resolve bottlenecks in infrastructure and SPS standards (sanitary and phytosanitary measures), thereby comprehensively modernizing the national agricultural trade system. 

This is a technical assistance project funded by non-refundable official development assistance from the U.S. Government through the USDA, and managed by IESC. From Vietnamese Government, The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) is the project Executing Agency (EA). The Agricultural Projects Management Board (APMB) is the agency assigned by MAE to coordinate with stakeholders during project preparation and implementation. The project will:

· Improve the efficiency of the SPS and food safety systems in Vietnam;

· Strengthen supply chain capacity and cold chain logistics systems;

· Expand access to agriculture trade finance for the private sector; and

· Support Vietnam’s broader goals for innovation, private sector growth, and international integration related to agriculture trade.

The project will operate nationwide, focusing on major cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and localities with major ports and cold chain development needs. 

The project will have a main office in Hanoi and a regional office in Ho Chi Minh City.

General Objectives

The  Senior Private Sector Lead is a technical senior management role responsible for leading engagement with the Vietnamese private sector and providing leadership and oversight to the Ho Chi Minh City office and technical team. In this role, the Senior Private Sector Lead will oversee activity planning and reporting, including all required advance work planning consultations and required approvals. The Senior Private Sector Lead is responsible for providing regular updates, facilitating technical meetings with the private sector, and seeking feedback and ensuring clear and transparent coordination and cooperation.

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) position based at the Ho Chi Minh City office. The Senior Private Sector Lead will oversee a Food Safety Specialist, Temperature Control and Logistics Specialist, and ICT Business Analyst. This position reports to the Project Director (PD).

Responsibilities

· Provide technical oversight and private sector coordination for activity implementation, closely coordinating with the other project technical leads and project support related staff (monitoring, evaluation, learning; communications, finance and administration);

· Provide project oversight of the Ho Chi Minh City office;

· Facilitate private sector engagement dialogue and feedback via workshops, roundtables, and technical working groups between relevant stakeholders to strengthen trade facilitation processes, food safety, and sanitary phytosanitary (SPS) capacities;

· Actively engage in new partnerships and maintain existing partnerships among the private sector, business associations, and other relevant stakeholders;

· Work with private sector partners to secure co-investment into project activities, including grant co-investment requirements;

· Lead the implementation of action plan items in alignment with USDA priorities and in discussion with the USDA Post representative office in HCM City and USDA Food for Progress. This may include facilitating feedback or knowledge related to updated decrees/circulars intended to streamline, clarify, and harmonize processes and procedures with best practices; develop or improve sampling protocols; and develop or improve ICT solutions to improve private sector connectivity to logistics and GVN services;

· Identify and manage short-term technical consultants and supervise contracts to deliver outcomes related to activity implementation;

· Oversee stakeholder and private sector trainings on modernizing food safety, process and procedure implementation, market food safety, and other relevant topics;

· Contribute to required USDA reports and deliverables including annual work plans and all periodic progress reports;

· Participate and contribute to senior management leadership and problem solving;

· Travel to the head office in Hanoi and activity sites as required; and

· Complete other tasks as assigned by the Project Director.

Qualifications

· Master’s degree in business, trade, or a related field required;

· A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience engaging the private sector and facilitating public-private partnerships;

· At least 5 years of supervisory experience;

· Experience on donor-funded development projects is preferred;

· In-depth knowledge of the local operating environment and private sector ecosystem in Vietnam;

· Excellent organizational skills and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment while ensuring adherence to required policies and procedures;

· Articulate, professional, and able to communicate in a clear and positive manner with clients and staff;

· Demonstrated leadership and integrity;

· Maturity, professionalism, positive attitude, and self-motivation;

· Proficient in Microsoft office tools, including SharePoint, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint;

· Fluency in written and spoken Vietnamese and English required; and

· Ability to travel domestically for brief trips.

IESC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please note that this position is intended for a Vietnamese National. Cvs and cover letters should be submitted in English. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the application deadline of 31 October 2026. Early applications are encouraged, as the recruitment process may conclude earlier if a suitable candidate is identified