Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Manufacturing

Zohorecruit; Petaling Jaya; On-site; MYR 1,500,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Zohorecruit is seeking a commercially driven Chief Executive Officer to lead a manufacturing organization in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The role requires scaling business performance, operational excellence, and strong governance across finances, strategy, and stakeholder management.

The CEO will drive market expansion, drive Lean manufacturing, optimize procurement and maintenance, and lead a high-performance leadership team while ensuring alignment with Board and investor expectations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; MBA a plus.
• 15-20 years of leadership in manufacturing with at least 5 years in CEO/MD or equivalent.
• Proven track record in driving operational turnaround, growth, and profitability.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute long-term strategic direction and governance.
• Oversee end-to-end manufacturing operations and cost optimization.
• Lead P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow optimization.
• Drive Lean, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Engage with Board, shareholders, customers, and regulators.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

P&L management

Stakeholder mgmt

Communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, Finance, or related discipline

MBA (added advantage)

Job description

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - Manufacturing

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is responsible for leading the overall strategic direction, operational performance, financial growth, and long-term sustainability of the organization. The CEO will drive business expansion, operational excellence, commercial growth, and organizational transformation while ensuring strong governance and stakeholder management.

This role requires a commercially driven and operationally strong leader with extensive experience in manufacturing environments, preferably with regional exposure and proven success in scaling business performance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the company's long-term business strategy aligned with shareholder and Board expectations.
• Lead organizational growth initiatives, including market expansion, operational transformation, and business diversification.
• Identify new business opportunities, strategic partnerships, and revenue streams.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation across all business functions.

Operational Management

• Oversee end-to-end manufacturing operations to ensure productivity, efficiency, quality, and cost optimization.
• Ensure operational excellence across production, supply chain, procurement, engineering, and maintenance functions.
• Monitor manufacturing KPIs including output, OEE, productivity, yield, inventory, and operational costs.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, automation, and process improvement initiatives.
• Lead overall financial performance including P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow optimization.
• Ensure achievement of revenue, profitability, and EBITDA targets.
• Work closely with the Finance team on financial planning, governance, risk management, and investment decisions.
• Strengthen commercial strategies to improve market positioning and customer growth.
• Drive employee engagement and organizational alignment across all levels.

Stakeholder & Board Management

• Serve as the key liaison with the Board of Directors, shareholders, investors, customers, and external stakeholders.
• Present business performance updates, strategic plans, and growth initiatives to the Board.
• Build strong relationships with key customers, industry partners, and regulatory authorities.

People & Organizational Leadership

• Build a high-performance leadership team and strong organizational culture.
• Lead talent development, succession planning, and leadership capability enhancement.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Drive employee engagement and organizational alignment across all levels.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, legal, environmental, and safety standards.
• Strengthen corporate governance and internal control frameworks.
• Lead risk management initiatives to protect business continuity and operational stability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Administration, Finance, or related discipline. MBA is an added advantage.
• Minimum 15-20 years of leadership experience within manufacturing environments, with at least 5 years in a CEO, Managing Director, or equivalent senior leadership role.
• Strong track record in driving operational turnaround, business growth, and profitability improvement.
• Extensive experience managing full P&L and large-scale manufacturing operations.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance strategic growth and operational execution.
• Experience in regional or multinational manufacturing environments is highly preferred.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, negotiation, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.