Manufacturing Transfer Project Lead

Advantest Corporation; Penang; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Advantest Corporation in Penang, Malaysia seeks a seasoned Program Manager to lead manufacturing transfer activities from internal to contract manufacturing. You will develop detailed transfer plans, schedules, resource plans, and risk mitigation, while coordinating cross-functional teams across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Procurement, and CM.

Key responsibilities include executive updates, milestone tracking, issue resolution, and ensuring readiness, throughput, and quality

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field.
• MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the overall program manager for manufacturing transfer activities.
• Develop and execute detailed transfer plans, schedules, resource plans, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Lead cross-functional teams across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Procurement, and Contract Manufacturing.
• Drive program reviews, executive updates, milestone tracking, and issue resolution.
• Escalate critical risks and develop recovery plans when necessary.
• Ensure transfer milestones are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Act as the primary interface between ATS and the contract manufacturer.
• Establish and manage operational governance with CM leadership.
• Ensure manufacturing processes, documentation, work instructions, test procedures, and training programs are fully implemented.
• Monitor CM readiness, capacity, quality performance, and delivery metrics.
• Drive accountability for CM execution and continuous improvement activities.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Executive communication

Influence without authority

Negotiation

Continuous improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field

MBA preferred

Tools

ERP

PLM

Job description

• Serve as the overall program manager for manufacturing transfer activities.
• Develop and execute detailed transfer plans, schedules, resource plans, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Lead cross-functional teams across Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Procurement, and Contract Manufacturing.
• Drive program reviews, executive updates, milestone tracking, and issue resolution.
• Escalate critical risks and develop recovery plans when necessary.
• Ensure transfer milestones are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Act as the primary interface between ATS and the contract manufacturer.
• Establish and manage operational governance with CM leadership.
• Ensure manufacturing processes, documentation, work instructions, test procedures, and training programs are fully implemented.
• Monitor CM readiness, capacity, quality performance, and delivery metrics.
• Drive accountability for CM execution and continuous improvement activities.

Manufacturing Transfer Execution

• Lead all phases of product transfer from internal manufacturing to contract manufacturing.
• Coordinate prototype builds, pilot runs, first article builds, qualification activities, and volume ramp.
• Ensure manufacturing equipment, tooling, fixtures, test systems, and materials are available and qualified.
• Manage transfer checkpoints and ensure completion of all deliverables prior to production release.
• Validate production readiness before volume shipment authorization.

Supply Chain & Operations Readiness

• Coordinate sourcing, procurement, inventory transfer, and supplier readiness activities.
• Ensure material availability to support pilot builds and production ramp schedules.
• Establish inventory strategies, logistics flows, and service support models in Malaysia.
• Partner with Procurement to identify cost reduction opportunities and localization strategies.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure manufacturing processes meet company quality standards and customer requirements.
• Drive process validation, yield improvement, and corrective action activities.
• On-Time Delivery
• First Pass Yield
• Product Quality
• Cost Performance
• Capacity Utilization
• Lead audits, qualifications, and customer manufacturing assessments as required.

Stakeholder & Executive Communication

• Provide regular status updates to executive leadership.
• Coordinate communication across global stakeholders in North America, Asia, and Europe.
• Maintain project documentation, action registers, risk logs, and program trackers.
• Facilitate milestone reviews and decision-making forums.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field.
• MBA preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of manufacturing, operations, supply chain, or program management experience.
• 5+ years leading manufacturing transfers, NPI, or outsourcing initiatives.
• Direct experience working with contract manufacturers in Southeast Asia.
• Experience in semiconductor test, thermal solutions, electronics manufacturing, capital equipment, or high-mix low-volume manufacturing environments strongly preferred.
• Proven success managing cross-functional global programs.

Technical Knowledge

• NPI and volume manufacturing transfer processes.
• Contract manufacturing operations.
• Supply chain management and procurement.
• Manufacturing quality systems.
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
• ERP and PLM systems.
• Program management tools and methods.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills.
• Ability to influence without direct authority.
• Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Structured problem-solving and risk management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively across cultures and time zones.
• Willingness to be hands‑on during factory startup and ramp activities.

All Locations

Penang , Malaysia

Field of Activity

Research & Development (Hardware Development)

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This Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or on any other basis prohibited by law. Information on race, gender and national origin will only be used for statistical and record keeping purposes, and will not be used in making any employment decisions. All information provided will be kept separate from your expression of interest. Providing this information is strictly voluntary, and you will not be subjected to any adverse action or treatment if you choose not to provide this information. If you do not choose to answer these questions, we ask that you select "Decline to Identify" for each question. Thank you for your voluntary cooperation.