General Manager - Machining

Pride Global; Penang; On-site; MYR 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Pride Global invites applications for General Manager – Machining Division to lead across Malaysia and Singapore. This role oversees CNC machining, manufacturing engineering, quality, and continuous improvement to drive safety, quality, delivery, and cost across sites.

The ideal candidate brings extensive multi-site leadership in precision machining, with a track record of strategic growth and operational excellence in aerospace/semiconductor equipment or related high-precision industries.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of relevant manufacturing/precision engineering experience.
• 8–10 years in senior leadership with multi-site responsibility.
• Proven track record in driving operational excellence and strategic growth.

Responsibilities

• Lead Machining Division operations across Malaysia and Singapore.
• Drive SQDC objectives and ensure site standardization and best practices.
• Oversee CNC machining, manufacturing engineering, tooling, and automation.
• Drive Lean/Six Sigma and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage P&L, budgets, capex, and key KPIs (OEE, yield, delivery).
• Develop strategic roadmap and capacity for future business needs.
• Maintain customer and stakeholder relationships and drive new opportunities.

Job description

General Manager – Machining Division

• Location : Bayan Lepas, Penang
• Employment Type: Full-time Employment
• Open for : Local/PR

Job Objective

The General Manager – Machining Division will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Machining Division across manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and Singapore. The role is accountable for driving overall business performance, operational excellence, quality, cost competitiveness, and sustainable growth across the division.

The incumbent will oversee end-to-end machining operations, including production, manufacturing engineering, quality, capacity planning, and continuous improvement, while ensuring strong alignment and operational consistency across multiple sites.

The position requires a proven leader with extensive experience in precision machining, CNC manufacturing, advanced manufacturing technologies, and multi-site plant management, preferably within industries such as aerospace, semiconductor equipment, and high-precision engineering.

Key Responsibilities

1. Regional Operations Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction for Machining Division operations across Malaysia and Singapore.
• Establish and drive alignment between sites to consistently achieve Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC) objectives.
• Ensure operational standards, processes, and best practices are consistently implemented across all facilities.
• Drive improvements in productivity, capacity utilization, manufacturing efficiency, and operational reliability.
• Promote cross-site collaboration and sharing of best practices, resources, and technical capabilities.

2. Strategic & Business Leadership

• Develop and execute the strategic roadmap for the Machining Division in alignment with long-term business objectives.
• Identify and implement strategies to support sustainable revenue growth, operational scalability, and margin improvement.
• Evaluate and develop new manufacturing capabilities, technologies, and capacity to support future business requirements.
• Support new business development opportunities by providing technical, operational, capacity, and cost inputs.
• Ensure the division remains competitive and well-positioned within the regional precision engineering and manufacturing landscape.

3. Manufacturing & Process Excellence

• Oversee all aspects of CNC machining, manufacturing engineering, process development, tooling, automation, and capacity planning.
• Drive the implementation of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead initiatives to improve productivity, machine utilization, OEE, cycle time, yield, throughput, and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to optimize manufacturing processes, reduce waste, improve workflow, and lower manufacturing costs.
• Promote the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and automation to enhance operational competitiveness.

4. Quality, Compliance & Operational Control

• Ensure full compliance with customer requirements, applicable industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal quality systems.
• Maintain robust quality management and operational control systems across all manufacturing sites.
• Drive improvements in product quality, process capability, manufacturing reliability, and customer satisfaction.
• Establish a strong culture of quality ownership, problem-solving, and preventive action throughout the organization.
• Ensure effective management of customer audits, regulatory requirements, and quality-related issues.

5. Financial & Performance Management

• Take overall responsibility for the Machining Division’s P&L, operating budgets, capital expenditure, and financial performance.
• Establish and monitor key operational and financial KPIs, including OEE, productivity, cost per part, yield, scrap, capacity utilization, and on-time delivery.
• Drive initiatives to improve operating margins, manufacturing efficiency, and cost competitiveness.
• Evaluate and prioritize capital investments based on business requirements, capacity needs, technology advancement, and return on investment.
• Establish appropriate performance management systems to ensure accountability across all levels of the organization.

6. Customer & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers and strategic business partners.
• Participate in technical and operational discussions with customers regarding manufacturing capabilities, quality, capacity, delivery, and process improvements.
• Partner closely with commercial and business development teams on new opportunities, costing strategies, quotation support, capacity planning, and customer requirements.
• Develop strong relationships with strategic suppliers and key external partners to support operational and business objectives.
• Collaborate effectively with corporate and functional stakeholders to ensure alignment of divisional priorities.

7. Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead, develop, and motivate a high-performing leadership team across Malaysia and Singapore.
• Strengthen the capabilities of plant managers and functional leaders through effective coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Establish clear accountability, performance expectations, and organizational objectives.
• Foster a culture built around collaboration, ownership, accountability, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Develop a strong talent pipeline and ensure the organization has the capabilities required to support future growth.
• Drive effective communication and collaboration across multiple sites and functions.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• An MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification will be an added advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience within the manufacturing, precision engineering, or advanced machining industry.
• At least 8–10 years of experience in senior leadership positions with direct responsibility for machining or manufacturing operations.
• Proven track record in managing multi-site manufacturing operations, regional plants, or geographically distributed manufacturing teams.
• Strong technical and operational expertise in CNC machining, precision engineering, manufacturing processes, and production management.
• Experience within aerospace, semiconductor equipment, industrial equipment, or other high-precision manufacturing environments is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in driving operational excellence, continuous improvement, cost reduction, productivity enhancement, and business growth.
• Strong commercial, financial, strategic planning, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead and develop senior management teams in a complex, multi-site manufacturing environment.