Factory Manager (Central Kitchen)

Bell Ward; Shah Alam; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Bell Ward in Shah Alam is seeking an experienced production and maintenance leader to drive daily operations, improve yield, reduce waste and enforce process discipline across a food manufacturing setting.

You will oversee manpower, budgeting, supplier and vendor management, and ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP, HALAL, MESTI, ISO, DOSH, DOE and BOMBA while maintaining batch traceability and on-time dispatch.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in a related field.
• 8–12 years of experience in manufacturing or plant management, preferably within food manufacturing / FMCG central kitchen operations.
• Proven experience managing Production and Maintenance functions.
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes, production planning, yield, waste reduction and cost control.
• Hands-on experience in driving OEE, productivity, downtime reduction and continuous improvement / Kaizen.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, HALAL, MESTI and ISO requirements.
• Familiarity with DOSH, DOE and BOMBA regulatory requirements and audit processes.
• Experience managing production manpower, supervisors and frontline teams.
• Strong budgeting, OPEX management, cost-per-unit analysis and variance control.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily production operations to maintain stability and process discipline.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement Kaizen / continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversee manpower productivity, material utilisation and utility costs.
• Lead Maintenance to maximise equipment uptime and reduce breakdowns.
• Implement preventive maintenance and manage external equipment vendors.
• Ensure production plans are executed according to demand and capacity.
• Oversee outbound readiness, including packing, labelling, staging, batch traceability and dispatch timelines.
• Develop cost-per-unit assumptions based on yield, manpower and operational efficiency.
• Track KPIs including output, waste, productivity and downtime.

Skills

OEE Improvement

Continuous Improvement

Budgeting & Cost Control

Production Planning

Supervisory Leadership

Vendor & Maintenance Management

Regulatory Compliance

Batch Traceability & Dispatch

Data-driven Decisions

Education

Bachelor’s/Diploma in Food Science/Engineering/Operations

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily production operations and drive production stability, yield improvement, waste reduction and process discipline
• Identify bottlenecks and implement Kaizen / continuous improvement initiatives
• Oversee manpower productivity, material utilisation and utility costs
• Lead Maintenance to maximise equipment uptime and reduce breakdowns
• Implement preventive maintenance and manage external equipment vendors
• Ensure production plans are executed according to demand and capacity
• Optimise manpower allocation and ensure readiness for new production lines
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP, HALAL, MESTI, ISO, DOSH, DOE and BOMBA
• Lead regulatory audits, inspections and maintain an audit-ready facility
• Oversee outbound readiness, including packing, labelling, staging, batch traceability and dispatch timelines
• Prepare and manage Central Kitchen OPEX budgets and monitor actual vs budget performance
• Develop cost-per-unit assumptions based on yield, manpower and operational efficiency
• Track key KPIs including output, waste, productivity and downtime
• Lead and develop Production and Maintenance teams, strengthening supervisory capabilities and accountability
• Collaborate closely with Commercial, Procurement and QA/QC teams to ensure smooth operations

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree/Diploma in Food Science, Food Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management or a related field
• 8–12 years of experience in manufacturing, production, plant or factory management, preferably within food manufacturing, FMCG or central kitchen operations
• Proven experience managing Production and Maintenance functions
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes, production planning, yield, waste reduction and cost control
• Hands-on experience in driving OEE, productivity, downtime reduction and continuous improvement / Kaizen
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, HALAL, MESTI and ISO requirements
• Familiarity with DOSH, DOE and BOMBA regulatory requirements and audit processes
• Experience managing production manpower, supervisors and frontline teams
• Strong exposure to budgeting, OPEX management, cost-per-unit analysis and variance control
• Experience with preventive maintenance, equipment reliability and vendor management
• Strong understanding of batch traceability, dispatch readiness and production-to-delivery coordination
• Data-driven with the ability to monitor and improve output, waste, labour productivity and downtime KPIs