Manufacturing Process Engineering Manager
Celestica
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Job summary
Celestica in Malaysia seeks a Manufacturing Process Engineering Manager to lead the SMT/frontend process engineering team, driving manufacturing excellence through yield improvement, process optimization, and equipment strategy. You will own SMT process performance, support NPI transfers, and align with capacity growth for sustained business expansion.
You will oversee process qualification, development, and ramp readiness for new lines and products, while deploying advanced manufacturing
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering required; manufacturing focus preferred.
- 10+ years in SMT/frontend manufacturing engineering with leadership experience.
- Proven experience in SMT, NPI, yield improvement, optimization and scale-up.
- Familiar with PCBA processes: Reflow Profiling, Manual Insertion, Wave Soldering, Selective Soldering, Rework Processes.
- Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, PFMEA, SPC, DOE, and problem-solving.
Responsibilities
- Lead PCBA frontend SMT process engineering team including senior engineers and technicians.
- Own SMT process performance including yield, UPH, defect reduction, downtime improvement, and process stability.
- Oversee SMT process qualification, development, optimization, and ramp readiness for new production lines and products.
- Evaluate and deploy SMT technologies, automation, and advanced manufacturing practices.
- Drive process standardization and best practice deployment across all SMT lines.
- Lead NPI readiness and production ramp for new products, ensuring capability and capacity.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Responsible for leading the overall SMT/frontend process engineering function, driving manufacturing excellence through process optimization, yield improvement, equipment strategy, automation, team leadership, and operational execution. This role owns SMT process performance, supports business growth and capacity expansion, and ensures robust manufacturing process readiness for new product introduction (NPI), customer requirements, and operational continuity.
Lead and manage the SMT/frontend (solder paste printing, reflow profile, wave soldering, press fit & de-paneling) process engineering team, including senior process engineers, process engineers, technicians, and engineering operators.
Own overall SMT manufacturing process performance including yield, UPH, defect reduction, involve downtime improvement, and process stability.
Develop and execute SMT manufacturing process strategies aligned with plant operational goals, capacity growth, and business expansion.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity, efficiency, quality, and cost competitiveness.
Lead SMT line balancing, layout optimization, capacity planning, and line configuration strategy.
Oversee SMT process qualification, process development, optimization, and ramp readiness for new production lines, technologies, and products.
Lead process parameter development, profiling, process validation, and manufacturing readiness activities.
Evaluate and deploy new SMT technologies, automation solutions, and advanced manufacturing practices.
Provide technical leadership for stencil printing, SPI, placement, reflow, AOI, selective soldering, and associated frontend manufacturing processes.
Drive process standardization and best practice deployment across all SMT lines.
Own SMT yield performance and drive defect reduction through structured problem-solving methodologies.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions for process excursions, customer issues, and manufacturing disruptions.
Partner closely with Quality, Manufacturing, Equipment, and Operations teams to improve process capability and product quality.
Ensure process robustness through PFMEA, control plans, SOPs, work instructions, and process audit compliance.
Support customer audits, technical reviews, and manufacturing capability presentations.
Define SMT equipment roadmap, upgrade strategy, lifecycle management, and technology refresh plans.
Support capital expenditure planning, business case justification, and equipment investment decisions.
Partner with equipment engineering on machine performance optimization, preventive maintenance strategy, and equipment reliability improvement.
Oversee tooling, fixtures, and process-related hardware readiness.
Lead SMT process readiness for NPI transfer, product industrialization, and production ramp.
Ensure successful scaling of manufacturing capability to support revenue growth, customer demand, and business continuity.
Collaborate with Program, Operations, Supply Chain, and Customer teams to ensure launch readiness and execution excellence.
Support business continuity planning (BCP), risk mitigation, and contingency manufacturing readiness.
Build, coach, mentor, and develop a high-performing SMT process engineering organization.
Establish clear team goals, development plans, succession planning, and capability-building strategies.
Foster accountability, ownership, technical excellence, and strong execution culture.
Drive talent retention, workforce capability growth, and organizational readiness for expansion.
Act as key interface between Manufacturing, Quality, Equipment Engineering, Program Management, Supply Chain, and customers.
Lead cross-functional taskforces for manufacturing recovery, crisis response, urgent business priorities, and operational escalations.
Provide strategic technical input to plant leadership for manufacturing expansion, automation, and competitiveness.
Take on interim assignments or additional responsibilities as required by business priorities.
Strong leadership, people development, and decision-making capability.
Deep technical expertise in PCBA & SMT manufacturing processes and frontend technologies.
Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, PFMEA, SPC, DOE, 8D, RCA, and structured problem-solving.
Strategic mindset with ability to align technical execution to business objectives.
Strong stakeholder management and customer-facing communication capability.
Experience in automation, smart manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
Ability to perform effectively in fast-paced, high-pressure manufacturing environments.
Strong crisis management, escalation handling, and business continuity leadership.
Results-driven with strong ownership, urgency, and execution discipline.
This version is written at a true manager level (not senior engineer level) with stronger emphasis on people leadership, strategy, Capex ownership, business growth, and operational accountability.
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Manufacturing / Mechanical / Electronics Engineering or equivalent).
10+ years in SMT/frontend manufacturing engineering, with at least 3–5 years in people management leadership.
Strong hands-on experience in SMT manufacturing processes and high-volume electronics manufacturing.
Proven experience in SMT, NPI, yield improvement, process optimization, and manufacturing scale-up.
Proven ability to lead and manage engineers, technicians and engineering operators in daily operations.
Familiar with PCBA manufacturing processes including:
Reflow Profiling
Manual Insertion
Wave Soldering
Selective Soldering
Rework Processes
Good understanding of DFM rules and wave soldering process guidelines.
Certified / knowledgeable in IPC-A-610 and J-STD standards.
Proficient in SPC, PFMEA, 8D, and 5 Why analysis methodologies.
Strong exposure to SMT manufacturing and frontend process control.
Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies is an added advantage.
- Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Malaysia?
- 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 an Engineering Manager?
- How many years' experience do you have as a manager / team lead?
Headquartered in Toronto, Celestica Inc. is a global leader in high-reliability design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions. We enable major brands to launch complex products in markets like Aerospace, Defense, HealthTech, and Industrial, driving a smarter, sustainable future.
In 2023, Celestica expanded its footprint with a new Design Centre in Penang, Malaysia. This strategic hub collaborates with our global engineering teams to develop cutting-edge Hardware Platform Solutions. The Penang team focuses on next-gen Networking, Storage, and Server technologies to power Cloud, AI, Machine Learning, Edge, and 5G deployments worldwide.
Headquartered in Toronto, Celestica Inc. is a global leader in high-reliability design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions. We enable major brands to launch complex products in markets like Aerospace, Defense, HealthTech, and Industrial, driving a smarter, sustainable future.
In 2023, Celestica expanded its footprint with a new Design Centre in Penang, Malaysia. This strategic hub collaborates with our global engineering teams to develop cutting-edge Hardware Platform Solutions. The Penang team focuses on next-gen Networking, Storage, and Server technologies to power Cloud, AI, Machine Learning, Edge, and 5G deployments worldwide.
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