Production Manager

Western Digital; Bayan Lepas; On-site; MYR 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital in Penang, Malaysia, seeks an experienced FQAP Operations Leader to own and drive Finished Goods Quality & Packing operations, ensuring timely, quality-compliant shipments to HDD operations while meeting plan and customer requirements.

You will provide end-to-end leadership across shipment execution, inventory control, disposition management, quality, compliance, people capability, and continuous improvement, acting as the main interface among FQAP, Manufacturing, Quality, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related field) is required.
• 8–10 years of manufacturing/operations experience, including 3–5 years in a managerial role.
• Experience in HDD, semiconductor, electronics, or high-volume precision manufacturing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead Finished Goods Quality & Packing (FQAP) operations to meet HDD shipment commitments.
• Provide end-to-end operational leadership: shipment execution, inventory control, disposition, quality, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate with FQAP, Manufacturing, Quality, Process Engineering, Planning, Logistics, and downstream HDD operations to mitigate shipment risks.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Kaizen

5S

Leadership

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related field)

Tools

SAP

MES

Job description

• Job Type (exemption status): Exempt position - Please see related compensation & benefits details below
• Business Function: Production

Company Description

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.

As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in.

We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.

This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.

We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.

Join us and let’s shape the future of data.

Job Description

Own and lead Finished Goods Quality & Packing (FQAP) operations to ensure timely and quality-compliant shipment of finished media to HDD operations, consistently meeting or exceeding the agreed shipment plan and customer requirements.

Provide end-to-end operational leadership covering shipment execution, inventory control, disposition management, quality, compliance, people capability, customer coordination, and continuous improvement.

Act as the key operational interface between FQAP, Manufacturing, Quality, Process Engineering, Planning, Logistics, and downstream HDD operations to proactively identify and resolve risks affecting shipment performance.Key Accountability Areas

Shipment Plan Achievement: Ensure FQAP consistently supports and meets HDD shipment commitments.

Inventory Health: Maintain effective control of On-Hold and shippable inventory, including aging management.

Disposition Closure: Drive timely disposition decisions and execution of disposition actions.

Quality Performance: Ensure FQAP Quality Objectives and applicable quality KPIs are achieved.

People Capability: Ensure Coordinators, Technicians, and Operators are trained, certified, competent, and compliant with SOP requirements.

IMS & RBA Compliance: Maintain operational compliance and audit readiness.

Customer/Technical Support: Ensure OCK Thailand and other external partners meet defined technical and quality requirements.

Continuous Improvement: Drive improvement and error-proofing initiatives that strengthen operational reliability and reduce risk.

Risk & Escalation Management: Proactively identify and elevate issues that may affect shipment, quality, inventory, or customer commitments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Shipment Plan & Operational Execution

Lead daily FQAP operations to ensure shipment commitments to HDD are achieved safely, accurately, and on time.

Monitor shipment plan, inventory availability, shipment readiness, and operational constraints to identify potential gaps and risks.

Proactively escalate and coordinate recovery actions for any foreseen or actual shipment risks, ensuring appropriate containment and recovery plans are established.

Attend daily manufacturing meetings and present key FQAP performance indicators, including shipment status, inventory readiness, retest support, disposition status, and critical operational issues.

Coordinate cross-functional resources to support urgent shipment requirements and minimize impact to production and customer commitments.

2. On-Hold Inventory & Disposition Management

Drive the end-to-end disposition of On-Hold inventory, working closely with Process Owners, Quality, Engineering, and other stakeholders to ensure timely decisions and closure.

Actively follow up with process owners on aging On-Hold inventory and remove barriers preventing timely disposition.

Drive execution of approved dispositions, including controlled shipment, retest, sorting, rework, return-to-source, and other disposition activities.

Monitor disposition progress and provide escalation where delays may impact inventory health, shipment capability, or business objectives.

Establish effective tracking and follow-up mechanisms to prevent excessive aging of On-Hold inventory.

3. Shippable Inventory & Aging Control

Monitor shippable inventory aging and ensure inventory remains within defined aging requirements and business targets.

Identify aging-risk inventory and drive timely actions with relevant stakeholders to prevent inventory from exceeding established limits.

Review inventory trends and develop appropriate recovery actions for aged or at-risk material.

Ensure effective inventory prioritization to support shipment requirements while maintaining inventory quality and compliance.

4. People & Workforce Management

Lead and manage a team comprising Coordinators, Technicians, and Operators to ensure effective execution of FQAP operations.

Establish workforce capability through structured training, certification, qualification, and competency management.

Ensure employees understand and consistently comply with applicable SOPs, work instructions, quality requirements, safety requirements, and operational controls.

Monitor team performance, identify capability gaps, and drive appropriate training and development actions.

Promote a culture of ownership, discipline, quality awareness, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

5. Quality Management & IMS Compliance

Ensure FQAP operations maintain compliance with applicable Integrated Management System (IMS) requirements, procedures, standards, and internal controls.

Drive implementation and sustainability of applicable Quality, Environmental, Safety, Business Continuity, and Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) requirements within FQAP.

Ensure operational processes are audit-ready with appropriate documentation, records, controls, and supporting evidence.

Support internal and external audits and drive timely closure of audit findings and improvement opportunities.

Ensure operational practices are aligned with company policies, customer requirements, and applicable regulatory/compliance expectations.

6. Quality Objectives & Performance Management

Own and manage FQAP Quality Objectives, ensuring defined targets are clearly communicated, monitored, and achieved.

Establish appropriate action plans and countermeasures for objectives that are at risk of missing target.

Maintain objective evidence and supporting records demonstrating achievement and sustainability of Quality Objectives.

Review performance trends and drive corrective and preventive actions where required.

Ensure FQAP performance remains aligned with overall site and business quality objectives.

7. Continuous Improvement & Error-Proofing

Identify operational gaps, recurring issues, and process risks and lead continuous improvement initiatives to improve FQAP performance.

Drive error-proofing / mistake-proofing (Poka-Yoke) initiatives to prevent human and process-related errors.

Lead improvement activities related to shipment accuracy, packaging quality, inventory control, operational efficiency, and process reliability.

Utilize data, trend analysis, root-cause analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to develop sustainable solutions.

Promote a continuous improvement culture within the FQAP organization.

8. Technical Coordination

Act as Technical Coordinator for Business Partners, the appointed packaging and cassette collection partners supporting HDD operations in Thailand.

Serve as the primary technical interface between FQAP and Business Partnerfor packaging and cassette quality requirements.

Ensure OCK Thailand understands and consistently follows established accept/reject criteria, quality specifications, handling requirements, and customer expectations.

Monitor quality performance and address non-conformances or recurring issues through structured follow-up and corrective actions.

Coordinate with relevant stakeholders to resolve technical and quality issues affecting packaging material flow and HDD shipment readiness.

Support continuous improvement initiatives with Business Partnerto improve packaging quality and reduce customer-impacting issues.

9. Packaging Quality & Customer Issue Management

Drive and support improvement activities related to loose bag, packaging integrity, cassette condition, and other shipment-related quality issues.

Investigate recurring packaging-related issues and coordinate cross-functional corrective actions.

Ensure effective containment and escalation of issues that have potential customer or shipment impact.

Support implementation and sustainability of corrective actions through appropriate monitoring and verification.

10. Cross-Functional Leadership & Communication

Serve as a key FQAP representative in daily manufacturing and cross-functional operational meetings.

Provide clear and timely communication on shipment performance, inventory risks, disposition status, retest requirements, quality concerns, and recovery actions.

Coordinate effectively with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Planning, Logistics, and Process Owners to resolve operational constraints.

Escalate critical issues to management with clear problem statement, business impact, risk assessment, and recovery plan.

Drive accountability across stakeholders to ensure agreed actions are completed within committed timelines.

Qualifications

Required :

• Bachelor's degree inEngineering(Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related field)
• Minimum8–10 yearsof manufacturing/operations experience, with at least3–5 yearsin a managerial role
• Experience inHDD, semiconductor, electronics, or high-volume precision manufacturingpreferred

Skills :

• Strong knowledge ofLean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 5S
• Proficiency inproduction planning systems(SAP, MES, or equivalent)

Preferred :

• Excellentleadership and people managementskills
• Stronganalytical and problem-solvingabilities
• Effectivecross-functional communicationand stakeholder management
• Ability to work in afast-paced, high-pressureenvironment
• Fluent inEnglish; Bahasa Malaysia is an advantage

Additional Information

#LI-SK1

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [emailprotected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WD and its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately toWD Ethics Helpline or email [emailprotected] .

By clicking the link above or any third-party link within this posting, you are leaving this site and going to a third-party website where the third-party website's terms and privacy policy apply