Managing Director

Managing Director – Southeast Asia

Vertex Search has been retained by a leading independent consulting and engineering firm with a strong international footprint across Europe and Asia. This organization specializes in Renewable Energy particularly large-scale Solar PV, Wind, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). It has delivered lender-grade technical advisory, owner's engineering, and due diligence services across APAC for investors, developers, utilities, and financial institutions. The Southeast Asia group operates through established entities across Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia, providing comprehensive advisory, engineering, and project management support across all stages of renewable energy development.

Position Summary

The incoming Managing Director (APAC) will assume overall responsibility for regional leadership, succeeding the current management structure. This is a senior strategic position overseeing multi-country operations, business development, and technical delivery, with full P&L accountability. The successful candidate will drive growth, ensure excellence across technical advisory services, and maintain strong relationships with regional clients and financial stakeholders. The role demands a balance of strategic vision, hands-on operational management, and credibility within the renewable energy investment ecosystem. With investment from a holding company there will be opportunities to deploy capital into 'repowering' mature assets that may underperforming and can benefit from upgrading and retrofitting and proactive asset management.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a 3-year regional strategy covering Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia, in alignment with global business objectives.
• Business Growth: Secure new mandates from existing and new developer clients, IPPs, DFIs, and utilities, positioning the firm as a trusted engineering and advisory partner in the region.
• Operational Delivery: Oversee Owner's Engineer, Lender's Technical Advisor, and Technical Due Diligence assignments from feasibility through COD, ensuring adherence to international quality, safety, and compliance standards.
• Financial Management: Manage regional budgets, pricing strategies, profitability, and cash flow; control commercial risks including scope variation, claims, and underperforming projects.
• Team Leadership: Build, mentor, and expand multidisciplinary engineering and project management teams across multiple Southeast Asian offices, promoting talent development and retention.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Foster relationships with utilities, lenders, EPCs, regulators, and DFIs, representing the company with professionalism and integrity.
• Innovation & Market Development: Champion new service areas such as floating PV, hybrid and BESS-integrated systems, and emerging renewable technologies to strengthen market position.

Experience & Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years' experience in the energy sector, with at least 5 years in senior regional leadership or P&L ownership.
• Proven expertise in utility-scale PV and energy storage projects would be desirable, particularly within technical advisory, owner's engineering, or due diligence roles.
• Demonstrated success in leading operations or delivering projects across multiple Southeast Asian markets.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including negotiation, risk management, and project governance experience.
• Degree in Engineering, Renewable Energy, or related technical field; postgraduate qualifications such as an MBA, PMP, or Chartered Engineer status are advantageous.

Skills & Attributes

• Strategic thinker with deep operational knowledge of project delivery and quality assurance.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills; able to engage credibly with institutional investors, DFIs, and utilities.
• Strong leadership and people-management capability across multicultural environments.
• Fluent in English; regional language proficiency is an asset.
• Willingness to travel extensively across Southeast Asia.

Location

The Board is open to applicants being located in HCMC (Vietnam), Manila, (Philippines), Jakarta (Indonesia) or Bangkok (Thailand). For other locations, please make an enquiry.

Benefits

• Opportunity to lead a respected international engineering and advisory platform during a phase of regional expansion.
• Exposure to landmark renewable energy projects across Southeast Asia.
• Collaborative, technically skilled global team environment.
• Competitive executive package with performance-based incentives.