Director of Finance - Manufacturing Controller, Malaysia

Private Advertiser; Ipoh; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent manufacturing company in Malaysia is seeking a Director of Finance - Manufacturing Controller to manage financial oversight and strategy for their large-scale production operations. Responsibilities include leading financial forecasting, overseeing cost management, and driving operational efficiency initiatives. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in complex manufacturing environments, strong understanding of cost accounting principles, and proven leadership abilities. This role offers a competitive salary and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in multinational high-tech & manufacturing environment.
• At least 3 years in a controller or senior finance leadership role.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead Annual Operating Plan and financial forecasting for Malaysia manufacturing.
• Analyze production variances and identify improvement opportunities.
• Oversee cost accounting processes and ensure accurate inventory valuation.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Business partnering

Cost accounting principles

ERP systems proficiency

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting or Business

MBA or CPA/CMA preferred

Tools

Oracle ERP

Hyperion

Advanced Excel

Job description

Director of Finance - Manufacturing Controller, Malaysia

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We are seeking a highly skilled Director of Finance as Manufacturing Controller to lead financial management and performance oversight across our large-scale production operations in Malaysia. This role is responsible for driving cost efficiency, supporting strategic decision-making, and ensuring financial integrity within a complex, high-volume manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in large factories, strong analytical capability, and a hands‑on approach to partnering with operations leaders. The successful candidate will work collaboratively & closely with many global teams to manage the financial operations of the growing Malaysia manufacturing business and serve as a key finance business partner to the Datacenter Business Group (BG).

Key Responsibilities

Lead Annual Operating Plan (AOP), rolling forecasts, and long‑range planning for all Malaysia manufacturing sites for the Datacenter BG.

Implement strong financial controls across the factories with recommendations for cost savings initiatives.

Analyze production variances, cost drivers, and financial performance to identify risks and opportunities as well as areas for improvement.

Develop standardized reporting dashboards and KPIs for plant, BG and corporate leadership.

Cost Accounting & Inventory Management

Oversee cost accounting processes including standard costing, bill of materials (BOM), routings, labor efficiency, and overhead absorption.

Ensure accurate inventory valuation, cycle count reconciliation, and cost of goods sold (COGS) reporting.

Review and update standard cost to reflect real production conditions.

Operations Partnership

Serve as the primary finance partner to Production, Supply Chain, Engineering, Procurement, Operations and other Manufacturing teams.

Oversees all Manufacturing related accounting operations across the factories ensuring accuracy, compliance and optimal efficiency on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.

Provide financial insights to support decisions related to production schedules, capacity planning, capital investments, and process optimization.

Participate in continuous improvement initiatives such as Lean, Six Sigma, and automation projects.

Controls & Compliance

Ensure alignment with corporate accounting policies, internal controls, and audit requirements.

Strengthen financial processes and governance across all manufacturing sites.

Mitigate risk by implementing robust cost controls and conducting root‑cause analysis for financial deviations.

Performance Management

Drive initiatives to improve productivity, reduce waste, optimize labor utilization, and enhance asset efficiency.

Monitor and report on plant KPIs including Overall Equipment Effectiveness, scrap, yield, throughput, and inventory turns.

Provide leadership in ad‑hoc projects as required by the Datacenter BG, including scenario modeling, sensitivity analysis, and cost‑to‑serve evaluations.

Leadership Scope

Lead a ~10‑person team through experienced direct reports; recruit, mentor, and grow high‑performing talent

Promote speed, agility, continuous improvement, and a culture of accountability with clear objectives and frequent, high‑quality feedback.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field (MBA or CPA/CMA preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in multinational high‑tech & manufacturing environment, with at least 3 years in a controller or senior finance leadership role.
• Experience supporting large factories or multi‑site operations (high volume, complex production).
• Strong understanding of standard costing, cost accounting principles, and manufacturing workflows.
• Proficient in ERP systems (Oracle or equivalent), Planning (Hyperion) and advanced Excel/analytics tools.
• Proven ability to influence cross‑functional stakeholders at all levels and communicate financial insights to non‑financial audiences.
• Demonstrated track record of driving operational efficiency and cost improvements.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem‑solving.
• High attention to detail and financial accuracy.
• Business partnering and communication skills.
• Leadership and team development abilities.
• Ability to perform effectively in fast‑paced, large‑scale environments.

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Your application will include the following questions:

• What's your expected monthly basic salary?
• Which of the following types of qualifications do you have?
• How many years' experience do you have as a Manufacturing Controller?
• How many years' experience do you have with forecasting for businesses?