Director, Manufacturing Operations (Based in Batam)

PCI; Penang; On-site; MYR 350,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

PCI Private Limited, part of Celestica, seeks an accomplished Operations leader to drive manufacturing excellence at our Penang EMS site. You will own the plant budget, lead Lean and CI programs, and oversee new product introduction from prototyping to high-volume production.

The ideal candidate brings 15+ years in contract manufacturing, strong commercial acumen, executive communication, and a passion for coaching a high-performing team to deliver cost and quality improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Business Administration required or preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive operations leadership in contract manufacturing or complex operations.
• Track record of winning deals, growing revenue and improving margins.
• Strong executive presence and ability to translate data into actions.
• Deep expertise in production planning, scheduling, and cost modelling.
• Passion for building teams and developing talent.

Responsibilities

• Own and optimize plant cost budget and reduce variances in labor, maintenance, and scrap.
• Oversee facility layout, equipment installation, and pilot line validation.
• Lead Lean, Six Sigma, TPM and Industry 4.0 roadmaps for manufacturing excellence.
• Set KPIs for OEE, cycle time, and quality with dashboards and reviews.
• Manage CAPEX, operating budgets and resource allocation to hit cost targets.
• Mentor and develop a high-performing, accountable operations team.
• Drive rapid NPI from prototyping to mass production and DFM feedback.

Skills

Proven Leadership

Commercial Savvy

Exceptional Communication

Operations Mastery

People Developer

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Business Administration

Job description

This position is with PCI Private Limited, a proud member of the Celestica family.

Headquartered in Singapore, PCI is an established global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider. For over 50 years, we have delivered reliable end-to-end design, supply chain, and engineering solutions to top-tier international brands, combining our deep industry expertise with operational excellence across our regional footprint.

As part of the Celestica group, this role offers the unique opportunity to work within a close-knit, agile business environment while enjoying the global stability, reach, and network of a world-class technology leader.

Responsibilities:

1. Manufacturing Excellence

• Total Production Spend Management: Own and optimize the total plant cost budget, driving down variance in direct labor overheads, equipment maintenance, and material/component scrap.
• Factory Setup & Industrialization: Oversee facility layout design, equipment installation, and pilot line validation for new manufacturing operations.
• Operational Excellence: Implement Lean, Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and Industry 4.0 automation roadmaps.
• Performance & Quality Control: Establish KPI dashboards for overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), cycle time reduction, and zero-defect quality standards.
• Resource & Budget Management: Manage capital expenditure (CAPEX), operating budgets, and resource allocation to achieve cost-reduction targets.

2. Core Operations Competencies

• Highly-Scalable Workforce & Labor Management: Direct Labor (DL) optimization, oversee complex scheduling and up-skilling matrix with master plan for DL
• SMT & Assembly Line Efficiency: OEE maximization, yield & scrap control and level-loading optimization.
• Rapid New Product Introduction: Competencies in prototyping to mass production, time-to-market (TTM) and provide DFM back to the engineering team to optimize yield.
• Cost-Out & Continuous Improvement (CI): Conversion cost reduction and champion in Kaizen, 5S, lean six-sigma and any other CI initiatives
• Coaching & Talent Development: Invest in mentoring, coaching, and developing a resilient, high-performing team.
• Resource Effectiveness: Optimize resource allocation within the operations organization to maximize output and operational efficiency.
• Organization Design: Refine team structures as the company scales to align operations capabilities with evolving business needs.

4. Strategic Focus

• Market Trends & Insights: Staying ahead of the game and must shift focus from daily firefighting to building a scalable, resilient, and future-proof manufacturing ecosystem.
• Strategic Business Partner: Strong business and commercial acumen to partner with respective stakeholders to win deals and grow the business.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Business Administration is preferred.
• Proven Leadership: 15+ years of progressive operations leadership in contract manufacturing, industrial, or complex operations environments (Contract manufacturing background strongly preferred).
• Commercial Savvy: Demonstrated track record in working with senior management team, customers and internal stakeholders across the organisation to win deals, grow revenue and improve margin.
• Exceptional Communication: Professional-level written and verbal executive presence; adept at translating complex manufacturing data into clear operational actions.
• Operations Mastery: Deep expertise in production, scheduling, supply chain, manpower planning, and cost modelling.
• People Developer: Passionate about building teams, coaching direct reports, and fostering a collaborative, accountability-focused culture.

Why Join Us?

At PCI, We Grow Together. We are committed to recognizing and supporting each individual’s unique career journey within a close-knitted culture built on trust, respect, and dignity.

As part of Celestica, we empower innovation and excellence while providing an inclusive, flexible environment that promotes work-life balance so you can bring your best self to work.