Director, Manufacturing Operations (Based in Batam)

PCI; Penang; On-site; MYR 350,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

PCI Private Limited, a member of the Celestica family, is seeking a seasoned Operations Leader in Penang to drive manufacturing excellence across our EMS operations. You will own cost management, productivity, and the strategic development of the production footprint.

The role requires 15+ years in contract manufacturing, a strong commercial mindset, and proven leadership of diverse teams. You will partner with global stakeholders to improve margin and deliver reliable end-to-end solutions.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive operations leadership in contract manufacturing or complex operations.
• Strong commercial savviness with ability to partner with senior management and customers.
• Executive communication with clear, actionable insights.
• Deep expertise in production planning, scheduling, supply chain and cost modelling.
• Proven ability to develop and mentor high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing excellence initiatives to optimize plant costs and CAPEX.
• Oversee factory layout, equipment installation, and pilot line validation.
• Drive Lean, Six Sigma, TPM and Industry 4.0 roadmaps for performance gains.
• Establish KPI dashboards for OEE, cycle time, and quality targets.
• Manage budget, resources and cost-reduction targets across operations.
• Develop talent and build a resilient, scalable operations organization.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial acumen

Executive communication

Operations management

People development

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.