Project Manager
Bakery School/ Social Enterprise
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
CONTEXT
The European Institute of Cooperation and Development (IECD) is an international solidarity organization founded in 1988, dedicated to implementing socio-economic development projects in partnership with local institutions. IECD focuses on key areas such as education, vocational training and professional integration, entrepreneurship, and access to healthcare for the most vulnerable populations.
Video link: https://youtu.be/jOb_LiYuPBQ
The French Bakery School in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMV), inspired by its counterpart in Huế, has successfully trained over 100 underprivileged youth, enabling all of them to secure stable employment within the bakery and pastry sector.
In Ho Chi Minh City, IECD partnered with Thu Duc Technical College (TDC) to launch a specialized vocational training program. Since 2017, the school has welcomed 20 young people annually from disadvantaged backgrounds, selected based on national socio-economic criteria. The comprehensive 18-month curriculum includes 6 months of internships, combining hands-on technical training in French bakery and pastry—aligned with the French CAP standard—with English classes and essential life skills courses, to enhance the students’ employability.
With its strong emphasis on practical learning, the program has, since 2019, enabled students to sell the baked goods produced during their training. The revenue generated directly contributes to the school’s operational costs, solidifying its model as a self-sustaining social enterprise.
To support this growing initiative, IECD is recruiting a Project Manager (PM) for the French Bakery School in Ho Chi Minh City. The PM will be responsible for managing both the vocational training center and the social enterprise, ensuring educational excellence while driving the business’s financial sustainability.
The PM will lead two dedicated Vietnamese teams—one focused on the training center and the other on the social enterprise—and will benefit from the guidance of a regional bakery expert for technical support.
ROLES
- Lead Training Center Activities
Supervise the Training Coordinator to:
- Ensure the effective delivery of training across all disciplines (bakery-pastry practice, technology, English, and life skills), while continuing to formalize curricula and lesson plans for greater recognition by local and regional authorities.
- Guarantee compliance with hygiene and safety standards throughout the students’ training.
- Oversee personalized support for each student, both academically and personally, to maximize their success.
- Regularly engage external experts to strengthen the skills of trainers and educators.
- Identify internship and employment opportunities for graduates and expand the network of potential employers.
- Coordinate student recruitment twice a year.
- Oversee Social Enterprise Operations
Supervise the Operations Manager to:
- Ensure the strategic vision of the social enterprise is effectively implemented, aligning daily operations with the project’s core values and objectives.
- Set medium- and long-term goals, deploying necessary resources to achieve them, with the primary aim of increasing the project’s self-financing capacity.
- Enforce strict compliance with hygiene and quality standards in both production and finished products, following local regulations and internal protocols.
- Maintain consistency between the enterprise’s vision, objectives, and activities to ensure both impact and sustainability.
- Manage the financials of the social business activities
- Representation & Partnerships
- Represent the program at institutional levels to boost its visibility and influence.
- Collaborate closely with the IECD Communications Officer to highlight the school’s pedagogical model.
- Maintain strong relationships with the local partner Thu Duc Technical College (TDC), fostering continued knowledge transfer.
- Build and sustain partnerships with educational authorities and industry professionals (future employers of the students).
- Represent La Boulangerie Française within the ASSET-H&C network.
- Financial Oversight & Reporting
- Maintain strict oversight of all expenditures and validate financial transactions.
- Manage project finances, including drafting the annual budget and its quarterly updates (revenues and expenses).
- Prepare operational and financial reports for donors and funding partners.
- Work with the Finance Team to ensure proper preparation for the annual internal audit.
- Human Resources Management
- Lead the project and social enterprise teams, fostering continuous skill development and promoting autonomy.
- Identify and recruit new local talents to strengthen the existing team.
- Engage external experts to enhance the skills of both the management team and the students.
- Development & Expansion
- Support TDC in implementing the bakery curriculum, co-developed with IECD, within its hospitality and culinary program, and facilitate potential adoption by other technical schools.
- Oversee the expansion of La Boulangerie Française and its social enterprise by collaborating with new partners in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
- Raise funds locally
- Collaborate with the Partnership Officer to secure regional and global funding
QUALIFICATIONS
Degree: Master’s in management or international business
Experience: 8 years of professional experience, including at least 3 years in business/project development. Experience in the Education and/or Food & Beverage sectors, or in collaboration with local authorities, will be considered an asset.
Desired Skills & Competencies:
- Strong commitment to supporting vulnerable populations
- Solid project management skills
- Excellent internal and external communication abilities
- Proven team management skills and the ability to collaborate with technical experts
- An entrepreneurial mindset
- Languages: Proficiency in English and French at a professional level. Vietnamese is a plus.
- Strong cultural awareness and sensitivity to Vietnamese customs
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
POSITION DETAILS
Reporting to:
- The IECD Vietnam Representative, based in Ho Chi Minh City
- IECD Social business Director in SEA, based in Ho Chi Minh City
In close collaboration with:
- The Hospitality & Catering Program Team under the FIP (Training for Professional Integration) division, based in Paris
- The bakery expert
Location: Thu Duc City, Vietnam Contract Type: International Solidarity Volunteer (V.S.I.) or local contract
Salary: 30,000,000 to 40,000,000 VND Gross, depending on the profile
Starting date: May 2025
How to apply: Please send application to [email protected] no later than April 25, 2025.