Country Manager

TERMS OF REFERENCE 

SERI Country Manager – Vietnam July 2025 – June 2026

 

Overview

SERI is looking for a contractor to manage SERI programs in Vietnam.  The contractor needs to have significant experience working with the garment sector to develop and delivering worker capacity programs that consider the needs of women.  They need to be based in Vietnam and speak Vietnamese.

 

Background

SERI is a collaborative effort with the goal of delivering a unified approach to women’s empowerment in global supply chains. Bringing together the world’s four largest women’s empowerment programs in the global supply chains – BSR’s HERproject, CARE International, Gap Inc.’s P.A.C.E. Program and ILO–IFC Better Work, SERI leverages the combined experience in over 21 countries to achieve transformative change for the millions of women who work within supply chains globally.  

 

SERI focusses on three interrelated pillars of action to tackle both immediate barriers and medium/long term structural improvements for women workers. These include increased agency, confidence, and communication, increased access to and control over financial products, services and resources, enhancement of the capabilities of unions and industry organizations to serve as gender champions, and implementation of policies at the workplace level, but also regional and national levels that promote gender equality.

 

Pillar 1: Capacity Strengthening: Working in factories in key countries, SERI achieves impact with a network of local civil society partners and organizations working on gender equality to deliver worker capacity building programs.  There are two approaches to capacity strengthening programs: the Peer Educator model, where training is implemented by a local partner, and the Integrated (Licensee) model, which is integrated by a brand/supplier directly in their supply chains. There are four options available (i) Foundation – a 13 month needs based worker training program (ii) Digital – a 10-month tablet-based learning on health, financial literacy and stress management, (iii) Respect – one year program on gender-based Violence prevention and remediation and (iv) Financial Health – a one-year program on financial capability, resilience and inclusion.    

 

Pillar 2: Market Transformation: SERI works with and encourages leadership from industry actors (brands, buyers, suppliers and worker representatives) to improve operating practices at all levels in global value chains to support greater gender equality outcomes.  

 

Pillar 3: Influencing: SERI leverages the founding partners’ existing relationships and identify opportunities to work in partnership to influence employer/company/factory policies, programs and budgets, as well as government policies that impact workers, in particular women workers, and support the breaking down of harmful social and gender norms.  

 

SERI in Vietnam

SERI has been present in Vietnam since 2007 through HERproject and Gap PACE programs across Hanoi and HCM regions.  In 2025, SERI is working with over 40 factories to deliver SERI Digital, SERI Respect, SERI Financial Health and SERI Foundation, which are delivered by two implementing partners and through the SERI licencee model.  SERI works closely with global brands and buyers based in Vietnam, and with key stakeholders including founding partners CARE, Better Work and Gap.     

 

The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will form part of the program delivery team within SERI and will be initiative’s Lead/Representative in Vietnam which includes oversight of and responsibility of all SERI activities within Vietnam. The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will be responsible for timely and high-quality program delivery and project management, and for local relationship management of local member representatives, workplace leadership and increasingly – as SERI full Impact Model is activated – with additional local stakeholders such as unions, industry associations, women’s rights organizations, and others as relevant in the Vietnam context. 

 

As part of a highly matrixed team, effective collaboration across other team functions and particularly with in-country teams and local partners will be critical to success. The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will report to the SERI Programs Director.   The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will be based in either Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi and will visit either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh (depending where they are based) on a quarterly basis.

 

Scope of Work 

 

Technical expertise: 

• The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam is expected to bring strong knowledge and experience in the areas of gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, women’s leadership and advancement, supply chains and capacity building.
• They will be working closely with technical leads for SERI Capacity Strengthening programs to ensure program content responds to women workers’ needs and priorities as well as the priorities and gaps of business and is delivered in using global best practice.
• The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will use their understanding of the program topics combined with their understanding of the local context to adapt materials whilst adhering to the global approach.

 

Project Management and Implementation: 

• The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will play a key role in SERI delivery of collaboration and grant funded projects in Vietnam. This includes overseeing program implementation and quality in Vietnam, working closely with local expert partner to ensure programs are delivered on time, and utilizing SERI tools and materials. The Lead is the main contact point for troubleshooting program implementation at the factories.

 

Monitoring, evaluation, and learning:

• The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will be responsible for ensuring that SERI monitoring and evaluation activities are conducted at the highest level in Vietnam. This includes overseeing baseline and endline activities, conducting stakeholder interviews, reviewing monthly progress reports from the local implementing partners, keeping the impact portal up to date and providing progress reports for individual projects.   
• They will work with the program team to ensure consistent learning and improvement of the program, including sharing insights and best practice.

 

Thought Leadership and External Representation: 

• The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will keep up with the latest developments on women’s empowerment, gender equality, women’s leadership and trends within global supply chains, identify leading topics, and contribute to SERI published thought leadership in the area. This includes contributing to writing reports, blogs and articles, and organizing stakeholder events in Vietnam.
• They will represent SERI to external audiences and are expected to build and maintain partnerships with relevant networks and stakeholders in Vietnam.
• The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam will be building, maintaining, and nurturing strong relationships with external partners such as local SERI partners, brands representatives and workplace management and other key industry stakeholders, such as unions and women’s associations.
• If relevant, they will support the team in the design of projects and programs including drafting concept notes.

 

Team: 

• The SERI Country Manager – Vietnam is expected to collaborate with and share learning across a wider team to ensure that activities link up from an impact perspective and have a degree of standardization between them.

 

Deliverables

 

The planned work is expected to take place 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and will be for a maximum of 220 days (pro rata).

 

Technical expertise

• Review and deliver the annual Vietnam country strategy and work plan during 2025.
• Contribute to the program design and implementation of new programs in Vietnam, where relevant, via facilitating dialogue with different stakeholders through needs assessment, interviews, etc.

 

Program delivery and quality oversight

• Delivery to expected standard, on time and within budget, of the Vietnam country workplan and Vietnam workplace programs/grants by 31 December 2025.
• Overseeing local implementing partners, including monthly progress meetings, monitoring program quality and discussing challenges/corrective action.
• Visit factories and run a program quality assurance check.
• Follow up and troubleshoot program implementation in approx. up to 40 factories (subject to change throughout the course of the year).
• Support Training of the Trainer for new local partners or licencees on SERI programs if needed.

 

M&E and Learning

• Oversee SERI data platform for Vietnam, ensuring that factory workplace programs are updated and, approving baseline and endline reports and reviewing monthly reports and case studies prepared by implementing partners.
• Be a thought partner for the global SERI data, evidence and learning strategy.
• Participate in SERI learning calls [regional & global].

 

Stakeholder engagement, external representation, and business development

• SERI Business Development supported – including through meeting global brands and donors when they visit Vietnam and working with local brand teams to develop new opportunities.
• Develop and maintain stakeholder network in Vietnam, and SERI representation to external audiences.
• Organize annual SERI members meeting in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
• Support the team in the design of projects and programs including drafting concept notes for funding opportunities in Vietnam.

 

Payment Schedule

 

The contractor will submit a monthly invoice with all the days worked for the month and what activities were performed per deliverable.  SERI will issue payment within 30 days of receiving the invoice.      The consultant will be responsible for their own taxes and other statutory obligations.   

 

Application Process and timeline:

 

Interested individuals must submit the following by Wednesday 25 June 2025 to:

[email protected].

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Daily rate and availability for this assignment.
• Names and current contacts of 2 referees.

 

Confidentiality Statement and Intellectual Property Rights 

 

All data and information received from BSR for this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in relation to the execution of these Terms of Reference. 

 

All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these Terms of Reference are assigned to SERI, as part of BSR. The contents of written materials obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the expressed advance written authorization of SERI.