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The Government has established mechanisms for recruitment of chief engineers and chief architects for the nation’s science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation.
Under Government Decree 231/2025/ND-CP dated August 26, specifying criteria for selection and policies for employment of chief engineers and chief architects for national cause of science and technology development, innovation and digital transformation, Vietnamese citizens and foreigners may be selected and assigned professional tasks by competent authorities to become Vietnam-based chief engineers and chief architects.
Chief engineers include system chief engineers and project chief engineers while chief architects include ministerial-level, provincial-level and project chief architects.
General criteria for selection of chief engineers and chief architects
Article 5 of the Decree specifies the following general criteria for a chief engineer/chief architect to be selected:
- Possessing professional qualifications relevant to the applied position. Priority will be given to individuals possessing degrees or certificates in core technology management or advanced technology, or having received national or international awards in the fields of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
- Having a desire to contribute to the national socio-economic development, a clear resume and good ethical quality; being in good health to work; and being dedicated to the job.
- Having an outstanding reputation, experience and capability in the professional field relevant to the assigned tasks, with a record of works, inventions and products of practical value for the assigned tasks.
- Being able to solve complicated or interdisciplinary technical problems; deal with technological crises; and propose breakthrough or innovative solutions to help accelerate the project implementation as soon as possible.
In case a candidate fails to meet the above criteria but is capable of immediately performing professional tasks as a chief engineer/chief architect, the competent selection authority may decide to select him/her to implement a program, project or task.
In addition to the above general criteria, the Decree details selection criteria for a system chief engineer, project chief engineer, ministerial-level chief architect, provincial-level chief architect, and project chief architect.
Criteria for system chief engineers
Article 6 of Decree 231 require a system chief engineer to satisfy the following criteria:
- Having at least 10 years’ continuous work experience in science, technology, innovation or digital transformation up to the time of selection.
- Possessing the ability to design, organize and coordinate large-scale, multi-component, multi-disciplinary, multi-level programs and projects with high innovation requirements and risks; being able to build a network of domestic and international experts and scientists.
- Having taken charge of at least 2 interdisciplinary science and technology schemes or programs in a strategic system field with great impacts, or at least 2 interdisciplinary science and technology products or tasks in a strategic system field that have been successfully applied, transferred or commercialized.
- Having directly managed or coordinated large-scale, interdisciplinary schemes, programs, or projects in the fields of science, technology, information, finance, law, human resources, or in inter-regional areas; or in the fields of infrastructure, core technology and national digital transformation; or having participated in building or implementing a digital transformation strategy, technology strategy, or a national or sectoral technology roadmap.
Criteria for project chief architects
Under Article 10 of this Decree, a project chief architect must satisfy the following criteria:
- Having at least 5 years’ continuous work experience in science, technology, innovation or digital transformation up to the time of selection.
- Having successfully taken charge of the implementation of at least one program or task in science, technology, innovation or digital transformation with a project-level impacts.
- Being capable of engineering overall architecture of a program or project and organizing the performance of tasks with components of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation within the program or project.
- Being able to work, research and cooperate internationally with foreign entities in high technology, science, innovation, and digital transformation.
This Decree also outlines comprehensive preferential policies for chief engineers and chief architects. These policies cover salary, bonuses, working conditions, and housing and healthcare benefits.- (VLLF)
