Senior Engineering Manager

Ambition; Johor; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambition in Malaysia is seeking a Senior Engineering Manager to oversee electrical, automation, and overall engineering health of the manufacturing plant. You will lead the engineering and maintenance functions, drive automation improvements, and provide hands-on leadership to plant teams in support of production, quality, and safety objectives.

You will manage capital projects, budgets, and cross-functional collaboration with Production, Quality, and Food Safety teams to maintain reliability

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years in plant/manufacturing engineering with hands-on electrical and automation expertise.
• Experience in food manufacturing or hygienic/regulatory environments (pharma, FMCG) is preferred.
• Track record of leading engineering/maintenance teams, including shift-based operations.
• Experience leading capital projects – automation upgrades, line installations, commissioning.
• Solid understanding of food safety/hygienic design standards (GMP/HACCP-adjacent) related to equipment.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills with hands-on plant-floor leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own the plant's electrical systems, PLC/SCADA and automation infrastructure - uptime, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Lead automation upgrades and capital improvement projects from scope through commissioning.
• Ensure electrical systems and automation controls comply with safety, food safety, and regulatory standards.
• Drive predictive/preventive maintenance programs to reduce unplanned downtime on critical equipment.
• Lead, coach, and develop the engineering and maintenance team, including shift-based technicians and engineers.
• Own engineering budgets, spare parts strategy, and contractor/vendor management.
• Partner with Production, Quality, and Food Safety teams to resolve equipment issues without compromising hygiene or compliance.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Automation (PLC/SCADA)

Leadership

Food manufacturing experience

Capital projects

Safety & regulatory standards

Problem solving

Education

Electrical Engineering / Mechatronics degree

Job description

The Senior Engineering Manager is responsible for the electrical, automation, and overall engineering health of the manufacturing plant, ensuring production lines run reliably, safely, and efficiently. This role leads the engineering and maintenance function, drives automation and reliability improvements, and provides strong hands‑on leadership to plant engineering teams to support production, quality, and food safety objectives.

Responsibilities

• Own the plant's electrical systems, PLC/SCADA and automation infrastructure - uptime, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Lead automation upgrade and capital improvement projects (new lines, retrofits, control system upgrades) from scope through commissioning.
• Ensure electrical systems and automation controls comply with relevant safety, food safety, and regulatory standards.
• Drive predictive/preventive maintenance programs to reduce unplanned downtime on critical equipment.
• Lead, coach, and develop the engineering and maintenance team, including shift-based technicians and engineers, building bench strength and technical capability.
• Own engineering budgets, spare parts strategy, and contractor/vendor management.
• Partner with Production, Quality, and Food Safety teams to resolve equipment issues without compromising hygiene or compliance standards.
• Champion a strong safety culture on the plant floor, including lockout/tagout and electrical safety practices.
• Report on plant reliability metrics (OEE, downtime, MTTR/MTBF) to senior management and drive corrective action plans.
• Identify and lead process/equipment improvement initiatives to boost line efficiency, reduce waste, and lower energy/utility costs.
• Support new product introductions and line changeovers from an engineering feasibility standpoint.
• Contribute to long-term capital and automation roadmap planning for the plant.

Requirements

• 8-10+ years in plant/manufacturing engineering, with strong hands‑on electrical and automation (PLC/SCADA) expertise.
• Proven experience in food manufacturing or another regulated/hygienic manufacturing environment (pharma, FMCG) preferred.
• Track record of leading and developing engineering/maintenance teams, including shift‑based operations.
• Experience leading capital projects - automation upgrades, line installations, commissioning.
• Solid understanding of food safety/hygienic design standards as they relate to equipment and electrical systems (e.g., GMP, HACCP‑adjacent engineering controls) is a plus.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, with a bias toward hands‑on plant‑floor leadership over desk‑only management.
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline.

The Senior Engineering Manager is responsible for the electrical, automation, and overall engineering health of the manufacturing plant, ensuring production lines run reliably, safely, and efficiently. This role leads the engineering and maintenance function, drives automation and reliability improvements, and provides strong hands‑on leadership to plant engineering teams to support production, quality, and food safety objectives.

Responsibilities

• Own the plant's electrical systems, PLC/SCADA and automation infrastructure - uptime, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Lead automation upgrade and capital improvement projects (new lines, retrofits, control system upgrades) from scope through commissioning.
• Ensure electrical systems and automation controls comply with relevant safety, food safety, and regulatory standards.
• Drive predictive/preventive maintenance programs to reduce unplanned downtime on critical equipment.
• Lead, coach, and develop the engineering and maintenance team, including shift‑based technicians and engineers, building bench strength and technical capability.
• Own engineering budgets, spare parts strategy, and contractor/vendor management.
• Partner with Production, Quality, and Food Safety teams to resolve equipment issues without compromising hygiene or compliance standards.
• Champion a strong safety culture on the plant floor, including lockout/tagout and electrical safety practices.
• Report on plant reliability metrics (OEE, downtime, MTTR/MTBF) to senior management and drive corrective action plans.
• Identify and lead process/equipment improvement initiatives to boost line efficiency, reduce waste, and lower energy/utility costs.
• Support new product introductions and line changeovers from an engineering feasibility standpoint.
• Contribute to long-term capital and automation roadmap planning for the plant.

Requirements

• 8-10+ years in plant/manufacturing engineering, with strong hands‑on electrical and automation (PLC/SCADA) expertise.
• Proven experience in food manufacturing or another regulated/hygienic manufacturing environment (pharma, FMCG) preferred.
• Track record of leading and developing engineering/maintenance teams, including shift‑based operations.
• Experience leading capital projects - automation upgrades, line installations, commissioning.
• Solid understanding of food safety/hygienic design standards as they relate to equipment and electrical systems (e.g., GMP, HACCP‑adjacent engineering controls) is a plus.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, with a bias toward hands‑on plant‑floor leadership over desk‑only management.
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline.