Director of Manufacturing Development

Michael Page; Malacca City; On-site; MYR 312,000 - 368,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth opportunities

Attractive package and benefits

Multinational environment

Job summary

Michael Page invites applications for a senior manufacturing leadership role focusing on Supplier Development across Asia. You will set up the function, drive performance improvements, and lead a team of development engineers while collaborating with Engineering, Quality, and Operations to support new product introductions and supplier readiness.

Ideal candidates bring 15+ years in manufacturing with leadership experience, deep technical expertise in core disciplines, and a proven track record

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related discipline.
• 15+ years of manufacturing experience with factory operations responsibility.
• Leadership roles such as Plant Manager or Manufacturing Director.
• Proven experience establishing new functions or scaling teams.
• Strong track record in recruitment and leadership development across locations.
• 5+ years of people management in a global organisation.
• Deep technical expertise in at least one core manufacturing discipline.
• Experience leading Lean Manufacturing, TPS, Six Sigma, and structured problem solving.
• Knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, process capability, and risk management.
• Willingness to travel extensively across Asia.

Responsibilities

• Lead Supplier Manufacturing Development, including org structure, governance, budget, metrics, and strategy.
• Build and manage a high-performing Supplier Development team across Asia.
• Act as the senior manufacturing expert within the supplier network.
• Conduct on-site supplier factory assessments and evaluate processes and capacity.
• Develop and implement capability assessment methods focused on factory performance.
• Translate assessments into action plans and align suppliers on execution.
• Drive improvements in productivity, yield, quality, cost, and lead times.
• Lead supplier qualification and development based on capability and readiness.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations on NPI and technology transfers.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, TPS, Six Sigma.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Process improvement

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Supplier development

Project management

Problem solving

technical leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Tools

PFMEA

Control plans

Process capability analysis

Manufacturing risk management

Job description

• Great opportunity for growth
• Attractive package and benefits

About Our Client

A multinational technology company specialising in advanced equipment and solutions for the semiconductor industry. With operations spanning Asia, Europe, and the Americas, the organisation is recognised for its engineering expertise, manufacturing excellence, and global customer footprint.

Job Description

• Establish and lead the Supplier Manufacturing Development function, including organisation structure, operating model, governance, budget, metrics, and long-term strategy.
• Build, develop, and manage a high-performing team of Supplier Development Engineers and leaders across Asia.
• Serve as the company's senior manufacturing expert within the supplier network, providing technical leadership and operational guidance.
• Conduct on-site assessments of supplier factories, evaluating manufacturing processes, material flow, equipment capability, maintenance, capacity, planning, inventory management, workforce effectiveness, yield, and throughput.
• Develop and implement manufacturing capability assessment methods focused on actual factory performance, including quality, delivery, capacity, cost, and process capability.
• Translate factory assessments into actionable improvement plans and align suppliers on execution priorities.
• Drive supplier performance improvements in productivity, yield, quality, capacity, cost, lead time, and on-time delivery.
• Lead critical supplier transformation and capability enhancement projects, providing hands-on support when necessary.
• Act as the technical authority in at least one core manufacturing process and build a team with complementary expertise across key manufacturing disciplines.
• Lead supplier qualification, selection, and development activities based on demonstrated manufacturing capability and operational readiness.
• Ensure supplier capabilities are aligned with current and future product roadmaps, proactively identifying and closing capability gaps.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations teams to support new product introductions, technology transfers, and supplier readiness.
• Review supplier manufacturing processes to ensure compliance with engineering drawings, specifications, and quality requirements.
• Support suppliers in PFMEA development, control plan effectiveness, work instruction improvement, and manufacturing risk management.
• Lead structured problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, TPS, Six Sigma, and operational excellence methodologies.
• Coach supplier teams to sustain improvements and embed a culture of continuous improvement.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics and prioritise resources based on business impact and operational risk.
• Develop supplier improvement roadmaps and establish best-practice Supplier Development playbooks for deployment across the organisation.
• Identify, mitigate, and escalation supply, quality, capacity, and operational risks that may impact business performance.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to remove barriers and accelerate supplier performance improvement.
• Build strong relationships with supplier executives, plant managers, operations leaders, and business owners, acting as a trusted manufacturing advisor and strategic partner.
• Ensure the supplier network has the capability, scalability, and operational excellence required to support business growth and future manufacturing needs.

The Successful Applicant

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of manufacturing experience, preferably with direct responsibility for factory operations.
• Previous experience in leadership positions such as Plant Manager, Manufacturing Director, Operations Director, or Manufacturing Engineering Director.
• Proven experience establishing new functions, organisations, or significantly scaling manufacturing or engineering teams.
• Strong track record in organisational design, recruitment, leadership development, and operational process creation.
• Minimum 5 years of people management experience leading engineering or manufacturing teams across multiple locations, ideally within a global organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to assess manufacturing operations quickly and accurately, identifying bottlenecks, constraints, process weaknesses, and improvement opportunities.
• Deep technical expertise in at least one manufacturing discipline such as:
  • Precision machining
  • Plating and surface finishing
  • Mechanical assembly
  • Electro-mechanical assembly
  • Sheet metal fabrication
  • Plastic moulding
  • Weldments
• Ability to influence and gain credibility with supplier manufacturing and engineering teams through technical expertise.
• Experience leading Lean Manufacturing, TPS, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving initiatives.
• Strong background in supplier capability development and manufacturing process improvement.
• Experience in manufacturing cost management, capacity planning, or P&L ownership.
• Knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, process capability analysis, and manufacturing risk management.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Operations teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively to supplier sites, particularly across Asia.

What's on Offer

• Salary range from MYR 28,000 to MYR 33,000.
• Permanent position within the industrial and manufacturing sector.
• Opportunity to work in a multinational corporation (MNC).

Quote job ref: JN-092026-7109110