vinfast | automotive & electric vehicle manufacturing

position: director of purchasing

industry: automotive / electric vehicles

location : hanoi, vietnam (mandatory)

about the role

vinfast is seeking an experienced and highly strategic director of purchasing to lead the company’s purchasing organization and develop a world-class procurement strategy across its automotive and electric vehicle manufacturing operations.

this is a senior leadership position with direct responsibility for purchasing strategy, supplier sourcing, commercial performance, cost competitiveness, supplier performance, supply continuity, and procurement organization development .

the successful candidate will work closely with executive management, engineering, manufacturing, quality, finance, logistics, and other functions to build a competitive, resilient, and high-performing automotive supplier ecosystem supporting current and future vehicle programs.

key responsibilities

- develop and execute the overall purchasing strategy in alignment with corporate objectives, vehicle programs, manufacturing requirements, product development plans, localization targets, and long-term business growth.
- lead strategic sourcing and commercial negotiations across automotive components, systems, materials, and services, including supplier selection, rfq/rfq evaluation, commercial negotiations, pricing strategy, contracts, and long-term supplier agreements.
- drive purchasing competitiveness and cost reduction through cost-breakdown analysis, should-cost modeling, benchmarking, va/ve, localization, supplier productivity, volume leverage, and continuous cost-improvement initiatives.
- build and manage a world-class automotive supplier base , including supplier identification, sourcing, qualification, nomination, onboarding, development, performance management, and strategic supplier relationship management.
- establish and manage purchasing performance kpis , covering cost savings, purchase price variance, supplier performance, localization, payment terms, quality, delivery, capacity, and supply risk.
- ensure supply continuity for vehicle production , working closely with suppliers, manufacturing, production planning, logistics, quality, and engineering to identify and resolve potential supply constraints and production risks.
- lead supplier risk management and business continuity , including capacity constraints, financial instability, quality issues, geopolitical risks, raw-material volatility, logistics disruptions, and single-source dependencies.
- partner with engineering and product development from early vehicle-program stages to ensure sourcing decisions support target cost, design-to-cost, manufacturability, localization, quality, timing, and production readiness.
- drive localization and supplier development strategies ,



expanding the competitive local supplier ecosystem while maintaining required standards for cost, quality, technology, capacity, and delivery.
- establish strong purchasing governance and processes , ensuring compliance with corporate policies, delegation of authority, audit requirements, sourcing procedures, contract governance, and erp-based purchasing workflows.
- lead procurement transformation and digitalization , leveraging erp systems, spend analytics, procurement dashboards, automation, market intelligence, and data-driven decision-making to improve transparency and operational effectiveness.
- develop and lead a high-performing purchasing organization , including organization design, talent development, succession planning, performance management, and creation of a culture of accountability, commercial excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- represent purchasing at senior management and executive levels , providing clear visibility on sourcing strategies, cost performance, supplier risks, major commercial decisions, and critical supply issues.

mandatory qualifications & experience

- bachelor’s degree or higher in supply chain management, procurement, industrial engineering, business administration, finance , or a related discipline.
- minimum 12–15 years of progressive purchasing/procurement experience, with significant leadership responsibility.
- mandatory: proven experience working directly for an automotive oem (original equipment manufacturer). candidates whose experience is exclusively with tier 1/tier 2 suppliers, trading companies, distributors, or general manufacturing companies will not be considered .
- mandatory hands-on experience in oem automotive purchasing , covering production parts/components, automotive systems, materials, or other categories directly supporting vehicle manufacturing.
- proven track record of leading strategic sourcing, supplier nomination, commercial negotiations, cost reduction, supplier development, and purchasing performance management within an automotive oem environment.
- strong understanding of the automotive oem purchasing lifecycle , including sourcing strategy, rfq, supplier nomination, tooling, engineering changes, localization, launch readiness, mass production, and supplier performance management.
- demonstrated experience supporting new vehicle programs / product launches , from sourcing and supplier nomination through sop and mass production.
- strong knowledge of automotive cost structures, cost breakdowns,



should-cost analysis, va/ve, commodity pricing, localization, and supplier productivity improvement .
- proven experience managing local and international automotive suppliers and complex multi-tier supply chains.
- strong understanding of incoterms, international purchasing, import/export processes, supplier contracts, commercial terms, and supply chain risk management .
- demonstrated ability to negotiate and manage high-value, long-term commercial agreements with strategic suppliers.
- experience working cross-functionally with engineering, r&d;, manufacturing, quality, finance, logistics, production planning, and senior executive management .
- strong proficiency in erp systems such as sap, oracle, or equivalent , with the ability to leverage procurement and spend data for strategic decision-making.
- strong analytical capability using power bi, tableau, advanced excel , or equivalent data-analysis tools.
- proven ability to lead large and multicultural teams , develop senior procurement talent, and influence stakeholders at executive level.
- strong commercial acumen, strategic thinking, negotiation skills, financial understanding, and problem-solving capability.
- fluent in english, both written and spoken.

preferred experience

- experience in ev / electric vehicle manufacturing or other advanced automotive technologies.
- experience with greenfield automotive manufacturing projects, new plant ramp-up, or large-scale localization programs .
- experience managing purchasing organizations across multiple countries or manufacturing sites .
- experience in a rapidly growing automotive company undergoing procurement transformation and supplier-base expansion .

what vinfast offers

- competitive compensation package with performance-based bonus.
- opportunity to take on a high-impact executive leadership role within a rapidly growing general automotive and electric vehicle company.
- opportunity to influence purchasing strategy, supplier ecosystem development, localization, and cost competitiveness at scale .
- dynamic, entrepreneurial, and high-performance working environment.
- significant opportunities for career growth, organizational leadership, and international exposure .
- the opportunity to help build and transform a world-class automotive oem purchasing organization .

join vinfast

if you are a senior automotive oem purchasing leader with a proven track record in strategic sourcing, supplier management, cost optimization, commercial negotiations, and vehicle-program purchasing, we invite you to join vinfast and help build a globally competitive and resilient supply base for the future of automotive and electric vehicle manufacturing.

location: hanoi, vietnam

position: director of purchasing

industry: automotive / electric vehicles

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