About this opportunity

My KoKo is building the first production facility for a cutting-edge, first-of-its-kind coconut water brand in Ben Tre, Mekong Delta: the coconut capital of Vietnam. The factory will run on 100% solar power and source exclusively from local Xiem coconut farmers.

The Vietnam operations manager is the person on the ground who makes it happen, from the first construction permit to the first production run.

The role

Title

Operations manager, Vietnam. Reporting directly to the founder.

Location

Based near Ho Chi Minh City. Regular presence in Ben Tre required throughout the construction and launch phases.

What you own

  • Factory launch coordination: overseeing the construction of the first production facility in Ben Tre from groundbreaking to first production run. Timelines, contractors, materials, and sign-offs
  • Equipment and materials import: coordinating with our logistics agent to bring machinery, solar panels, batteries, and production equipment into Vietnam. Customs, transport, and installation scheduling
  • Local supplier and partner relationships: identifying, vetting, and managing every local supplier including construction contractors, utilities, transport, and maintenance
  • Farmer network: building and maintaining relationships with Xiem coconut farming cooperatives in Ben Tre that will supply the raw material. Understanding their constraints, their seasons, and their capacity
  • Team building: hiring and building the local operations team from scratch including production staff, logistics coordinators, maintenance, and quality control. You identify who is needed, recruit them, and develop them
  • Regulatory and administrative compliance: working with local authorities on permits, environmental approvals, import documentation, and operating licences
  • Ongoing operations management: once the factory is live, you run it. Production scheduling, quality standards, cost control, and reporting to the founder and the board
  • Daily liaison with the European team: keeping the founder and project manager informed with accurate, timely updates on every open item

Compensation

  • 6 days per week, 9 hours per day
  • Entry salary: USD 3,000 per month, reviewed after the first year based on results and factory performance

Working conditions

  • All work-related transport and travel covered
  • Tools provided: Slack, Google Workspace Pro, ClickUp

What we are looking for

  • Native Vietnamese speaker. English at full professional level, written and spoken, is mandatory. All communication with the founder and the European team is in English
  • Based near Ho Chi Minh City with full mobility in the Mekong Delta region
  • Valid Vietnamese driving licence
  • Minimum 7 years of project management or operations experience, with at least 3 years as the principal owner of a project. You were accountable for the outcome, not just a contributor
  • Experience in construction, manufacturing, food production, or logistics is a strong advantage
  • Deeply resourceful: when something is blocked, you find a way around it. When something does not exist, you build it
  • Strong network in the Ho Chi Minh and Mekong Delta region including contractors, suppliers, government contacts, and logistics partners

Next steps

Send your CV to Luka, our HR manager, at hr(at)my-koko(.)com, along with a short note on the most complex project you have led and how you resolved its biggest obstacle. Applications without this note will not be reviewed.