Project Manager Engineering

VAT Group; Batu Kawan; On-site; MYR 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

VAT Group in Batu Kawan, Malaysia, is seeking a dedicated Project Manager to lead key account projects from ideation through industrialization, coordinating cross‑functional teams across engineering, manufacturing and quality. This role requires strong ownership and the ability to navigate a matrix organization in a global context.

You will translate customer needs into actionable project outcomes, manage risks and KPIs, and report status to stakeholders, driving continuous improvement and

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Project Manager in a global matrix organization.
• Strong ownership, autonomy and leadership in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience with New Product Development or product transfer projects preferred.
• Excellent communication skills in English; Mandarin would help with China customers.

Responsibilities

• Support Key Accounts on new product development, customization and escalation.
• Act as dedicated Project Manager for key accounts, coordinating all projects at account level.
• Translate customer needs into impactful project outcomes for product advancement.
• Coordinate and ensure transparency across the key account project portfolio across BUs.
• Lead projects through Innovate Product milestones: Ideation to Commercialize.
• Develop project plans, monitor progress, manage risks, and report to stakeholders.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Ambiguity tolerance

Communication

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Project

Primavera

Dynamics 365

Job description

At VAT, we change the world with vacuum solutions. As the world’s leading supplier of high-performance vacuum valves, we have been driving innovation for more than 60 years. With over 3,200 employees worldwide, we operate from our headquarters in Haag, Switzerland, with manufacturing sites in Switzerland, Malaysia and Romania, as well as sales and service hubs around the world. We are guided by our passions: integrity, teamwork, customer centricity, and innovation – always working together as #oneVAT.

Location: Batu Kawan, MY

Employment Type: Permanent

Joining us means becoming part of a passionate, international team where your voice is heard, your ideas matter, and your career growth is supported.

Roles, Responsibilities and Job Expectations

• Responsible to support Key Accounts team on new product development, customization, and escalation.
• Act as the dedicated Project Manager for the key account(s), responsible for coordinating and governing all assigned projects at account level.
• Translate customer needs into impactful project outcomes that directly contribute to product advancement.
• Take an overarching role in coordinating and ensuring transparency across the entire key account project portfolio, including product & technology development, customization, and industrialization projects across all BUs.
• Lead project through VAT’s Innovate Product process with several milestones (Ideation, Concept, Design, Prototype, Verification, Industrialize, Commercialize)
• You will work in close collaboration with various disciplines from the Key Functions such as KAM, KPM, KQM, KSCM, and extended functions such as PM, PQE, PLSCM, DE and may not limited to it.
• Responsible to acquire project resources (team members) from various departments and form a project team accordingly.
• Take a leadership role and navigate project team towards project goals, leading cross‑functional project teams without direct line authority in a matrix organization.
• Develop project management plan, execution of the plan in a timely manner, consistently monitor project progress and actively attend to project risk, issue, or anything that could give a negative impact to a project.
• Responsible for project KPIs (scope, schedule, project‑cost and product‑cost) ensuring alignment with key account delivery commitments, business priorities, and customer impact.
• Ensure all defined project deliverables and process compliance are met
• Provide project status report to superior, Management & key‑stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion
• Ensure communication and engagement with project key‑stakeholders are always at the optimum level.
• Attend VAT Innovation Project Review and Process Complance Board (Management) for a status report, change request or project milestone approval.
• Proactively contribute and support in continuous improvement activities.

Minimum Qualification

• Proven experience as a Project Manager with hands‑on mentality, preferably in a global matrix organization – while demonstrating strong ownership and high degree of autonomy.
• Strong stakeholder management skills in complex key‑account environments and ability to manage ambiguity, frequent scope changes, and high customer pressure.
• Bachelors degree in Engineering or related discipline.
• 5+ years working experience as Program/Project Manager or Project Leader or Project Engineer.
• Experience in New Product Development or New Product Introduction (Manufacturing) or Product transfer project
• Broad entrepreneurial profile with affinity to technical, supply, marketing, and quality topics.
• Excellent in communication (verbal and writing). Mandarin speaking would be an advantage for communication with China customers.

Preferred Qualification

• Professional Project Management certification such as PMP, PMI-ACP from recognized organization (such as PMI, IPMA)
• Hands‑on with project management software (such as Microsoft Project, Primavera, Dynamic 365, etc.)
• Experience or knowledgeable in manufacturing processes, Vacuum-valve, Semi‑conductor process/application.
• People management /people-manager role

Our commitment to inclusion, fairness and equal opportunities

We believe in meaningful careers, continuous learning, and equal opportunities for everyone to drive our innovation and success. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace. If you have concerns, our compliance channel is available at our website. All reports are handled with strict confidentiality and in accordance with our Code of Conduct.