General Manager (1-year contract)

toyota tsusho asia pacific pte. ltd.; Shenton Way; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Toyota Tsusho Asia Pacific PTE. LTD. in Singapore seeks a senior leader to oversee regional sales and planning for Toyota and Lexus products, guiding distributors toward market leadership.

Responsibilities include developing mid-term and annual plans, steering cross-border initiatives across ASEAN, Oceania and beyond, and ensuring financial discipline and strategic execution with a focus on dealership networks and subsidiary management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field from a reputable university.
• Minimum 12 years in Automotive Trading industry.
• Overseas experience with cross-border leadership across ASEAN/Oceania/Middle East.
• Experience managing automotive businesses across multiple countries.
• 5+ years in dealer network or subsidiary management, incl. emerging markets.
• 3+ years TPS and JIT for field operations.
• Experience handling sanctions compliance (UN/US/etc.).
• 8+ years leading multicultural teams across locations.
• Knowledge of Dealer Management System for sales and finance.

Responsibilities

• Business & Planning Management: lead regional sales, drive distributor plans, and align pricing, promotion, PR with brand principals.
• New Business & Projects: develop Toyota & Lexus value chain in Mekong region with partners; decisions aligned with policy.
• Team Management & Subsidiaries: HR planning, budgeting, oversee subsidiaries, travel, and KPI progress.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-border coordination

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

English-Japanese bilingual

Team building

Financial oversight

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Engineering / Automotive Management / Economics

Tools

Dealer Management System

Job description

Responsibilities:

Business and Planning Management (50%)

• Regional leadership role in sales and marketing of Toyota & Lexus products;
• Establish and implement plans to drive distributors in achieving and sustaining a market leadership position in their respective markets;
• Work closely with brand principal in the area of Demand & Supply management, Product and Pricing strategies, Promotion and Marketing campaigns, Public Relations and other initiatives;
• Provide leadership and vision by establishing mid-term and annual plans;
• Implement strategic initiatives and actions to achieve Company objectives;
• Evaluate and report progress on plans to the stakeholders;
• Manage expenses and review/approve monthly financial reports;

New Business & Projects (30%)

• Develop Toyota & Lexus business and new car value chain (aftersales, fleet business, automotive finance and other initiatives) in Mekong region namely Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, in cooperation with subsidiary companies or strategic partners;
• Make business decisions that are financially responsible, accountable and justifiable in accordance with Company policies and procedure.

Team Management and Subsidiaries Management (20%)

• Human resource planning, recruitment, staff development and training;
• Demonstrated ability to lead 10 department staff and performance management;
• Oversee preparation of department annual budget and fiscal goals;
• Provide vision regarding overall financial health and efficiency of the department;
• Accountable for subsidiary companies’ financial performance, including but not limited to fraud prevention, investment planning, compliance to Japan headquarter accounting policy;
• Perform business management for subsidiary companies – budget planning, investment approval, monthly financial management dividend, and report to Japan headquarter;
• Guide subsidiary companies or strategic partners to establish business strategy and compliance guidelines for business, including, customer screening, export and import control, payment, and periodically review & evaluate the progress of the same;
• Periodically report performance of subsidiary companies to top management and headquarter in Japan.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Automotive Management, Economics, or a related discipline from a reputable local or international university.
• Minimum 12 years progressive work experience in Automotive Trading industry.
• Prior experience working overseas, with responsibility for cross-border business leadership, stakeholder management, and business operations across ASEAN, Oceania, the Middle East, or other international markets.
• Proven experience managing automotive businesses across multiple countries, particularly within ASEAN, Oceania, the Middle East, and other emerging markets.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in dealer network management, distributor operations, or subsidiary management, including emerging markets such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, or similar developing markets.
• Minimum 3 years Toyota Production System (TPS), and Just in Time (JIT) for managing field operation is essential.
• Minimum 5 to 10 years’ experience of business requiring severe scrutiny and investigation to comply United Nations, US and other sanction rules.
• Demonstrated leadership experience of at least 8 years, with a proven track record of leading and developing multicultural teams, including managing managers and teams across multiple locations.
• Knowledge in Dealer Management System for managing sales and finance of subsidiary companies is required.
• Excellent strategic planning, analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with a results-oriented and customer-focused mindset.
• Proven ability to handle multiple projects, prioritize and arrange tasks and schedules to deliver outcomes on time, work under high pressure.
• Strong interpersonal skills, negotiation, effective communication, open minded and positive attitude to coordinate among external partners and internal group companies.
• Business-level proficiency in both English and Japanese is required to effectively communicate with Japanese headquarters, affiliated companies, and external business partners.
• Willingness to travel frequently overseas and respond effectively to business requirements across regional markets at short notice.