Operational Excellence Lead

Private Advertiser; Iskandar Puteri; Sur place; MYR 250 000 - 400 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Private Advertiser is hiring an Operations leader to own the third‑party manufacturing network, drive product commercialisation and manage end‑to‑end procurement and regulatory systems. You will sign off on batch releases and ensure formulation integrity across markets.

You will report to the Business Unit Director and work cross‑functionally to deliver on landed cost, on‑time launches and compliant packaging across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science & Technology or equivalent.
• 8–12 years in FMCG or nutrition operations with depth in at least two areas.
• Proven track record managing third-party manufacturers, audits and regulatory affairs.

Responsabilités

• Own the OEM and co-manufacturing network, including audits, contracts and cost control.
• Lead innovation commercialisation from concept to first commercial run with costed specs.
• Own claims and evidence behind them: nutrition claims, packaging labels, Halal/vegan positioning.
• Oversee end-to-end procurement across proteins, ingredients and packaging.
• Govern quality and regulatory systems, supplier quality, testing strategy and recalls readiness.
• Develop technical documentation: specifications, dossiers and distributor files.

Connaissances

Third-party manufacturing management

NPD commercialisation

End-to-end procurement

Quality & regulatory governance

Supplier audits

Formation

Bachelor's degree in Food Science & Technology

Food Engineering / Nutrition (alternative)

Description du poste

We are building the operations leadership of this business unit with two roles that cover one continuous value chain, side by side.

This role owns everything that reaches the consumer through a partner’s factory or a partner’s material.

• Reports to Business Unit Head , Consumer Applications
• Location: Malaysia
• Travel, 10-30%, across partner and supplier sites in Southeast Asia, India, Korea and China
• Experience 8-12 years across FMCG or nutrition operations

The role

You will own third-party manufacturing, the commercialisation of new products, end-to-end procurement, and the quality and regulatory system that governs all of it.

Where your counterpart owns the assets we control, you own the network we contract. The portfolio’s speed to market, margin on bought-in finished goods, formulation integrity and licence to sell in each market all sit with you.

The role carries genuine gatekeeping authority. You sign batch release, you sign the claims file, and you hold the launch gate when the evidence is not ready — including when commercial pressure says otherwise. We would rather hire someone who has done that than someone who has never had to.

What you will own

• The OEM and co-manufacturing network. Identification, audit and qualification of partners by format and market; contracting and cost negotiation; technology transfer and scale-up; performance scorecards; and dual-source cover for every SKU that matters.
• Innovation commercialisation. The stage-gate from concept to first commercial run; turning marketing briefs into manufacturable, compliant, costed specifications — and reshaping the ones that cannot be; formulation, stability and shelf-life; artwork and labelling governance; launch readiness.
• Claims and the evidence behind them. Nutrient content and function claims, protein quality basis, allergen and free-from statements, Halal and vegan positioning. Claims go on pack when the file supports them.
• End-to-end procurement. Category strategy and sourcing across proteins, functional ingredients and packaging; supplier qualification and risk; input cost exposure alongside the group trading desk; and a live savings pipeline with named actions.
• Quality and regulatory governance. The quality management system as its owner; supplier and partner quality; the external testing strategy; market registration across the footprint; complaint management and recall readiness.
• The technical documentation that unlocks customers and borders. Specifications, certificates, dossiers and distributor technical files that stand up to audit.

What we are looking for

• A degree in Food Science & Technology, Food Engineering, Nutrition, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or equivalent.
• 8-12 years across FMCG or nutrition operations, with real depth in at least two of: third-party manufacturing management, NPD commercialisation, procurement, and quality or regulatory affairs.
• A record of taking products from brief to shelf — you can name the SKUs, the timeline, and what went wrong along the way.
• Direct experience managing third-party manufacturers, including audit, technical transfer and commercial negotiation.
• Strong regulatory and labelling capability in at least one major ASEAN market, and the appetite to build it across the rest.
• Category procurement experience with genuine negotiation ownership and savings you delivered.

  Also valued, though not essential: Experience in protein, functional nutrition or supplement categories including claims substantiation; Halal certification project experience (JAKIM, MUIS, BPJPH); private-label development with European or US retail customers; lead auditor qualification in ISO 22000, FSSC 22000 or BRCGS; regional language capability.

  Working as a pair

  This role works alongside a Manufacturing Excellence Lead, who owns in-house production, private-label delivery and end-to-end logistics. Neither role reports to the other; both report to the Business Unit Director, and both are measured partly on shared outcomes — landed cost, on-time launches and service to customers. We are looking for someone who works well as one half of a pair, and who hands over projects with a complete pack rather than a verbal briefing.

  Why this role

  You will be building, not maintaining. The portfolio is early enough that the systems, standards and partner network you put in place become the way this business runs — and commercially serious enough that the decisions carry real weight, across a footprint spanning Southeast Asia, India and selected Western markets. You will report directly to the Business Unit Director and have a short line to decisions.