Sr. Manufacturing Director ( Site Leader)

Medtronic; Kulim; On-site; MYR 736,000 - 1,063,000; Full time

Job summary

Medtronic in Malaysia is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Director to establish and scale a new manufacturing site in Kulim, Kedah. You will lead site readiness, facility build-out, and workforce ramp-up to support next-generation medical technologies.

Reporting to global leaders, you will oversee safety, quality, cost, and people metrics, manage product transfers, and build a high-performing team in a regulated, matrix-driven environment.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of manufacturing/operations experience with 10+ years in site leadership
• Experience in medical device/pharma manufacturing and regulated environments
• Proven ability to start up sites, manage product transfers, and scale operations

Responsibilities

• Lead establishment and scale-up of a new manufacturing site.
• Develop site strategy, plans, and capacity initiatives.
• Drive safety, quality, service, cost, and people metrics.
• Lead complex product transfer activities and cross-functional workstreams.
• Build a high-performing leadership team and workforce.
• Drive Lean, GMP, and continuous improvement.
• Partner across global functions for alignment and execution.
• Oversee budgets, resources, and external stakeholder relations.

Skills

Leadership experience

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Global matrix

Employee engagement

Strategic planning

Cost control

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Engineering degree

Job description

Careers that change lives start here. Medtronic is a global leader in healthcare technology with a Mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. Our 95,000 employees work across more than 150 countries to put patients first — developing innovative medical technologies that improve the lives of 72+ million patients each year. Your unique talents will help shape the future of healthcare while building a career grounded in purpose, growth, and impact.

A Day in the Life

Together, we can change healthcare worldwide, which is why we're embarking on a new venture in Malaysia and invite you to be part of our next chapter of innovation. As Senior Manufacturing Director, you will lead the establishment and scale-up of a new manufacturing operation, helping build the site, organization, operational capabilities, and infrastructure needed to support the next generation of life‑changing medical technologies for patients around the world.

Working closely with leaders across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Operations Excellence, and Strategy & Technology teams globally, you will play a key role in driving site readiness, facility build‑out, product transfers, workforce ramp‑up, and long‑term operational success. This is an onsite leadership role based in Kulim, Kedah Malaysia.

As Senior Manufacturing Director, you will lead the establishment and growth of a new manufacturing site and be accountable for performance across Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, and People. You will oversee multiple parallel workstreams including facility development, product transfers, hiring and organizational build‑out, while partnering across a global matrix to ensure successful site readiness and operational execution. This role requires a leader who can drive execution, make timely decisions, align stakeholders, and deliver results in a dynamic and evolving environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the establishment, scale-up, and long‑term operation of a new manufacturing site, ensuring successful execution of site readiness objectives and business priorities.
• Develop and execute site strategy, operational plans, and capacity initiatives to support facility build‑out, organizational growth, product transfers, and future business expansion.
• Drive performance across Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, and People metrics while building a culture of accountability, execution, and continuous improvement.
• Lead complex product transfer activities and cross‑functional workstreams to support successful site launch, operational readiness, and manufacturing performance.
• Build and develop a high‑performing leadership team and workforce through talent acquisition, organizational capability development, succession planning, and employee engagement.
• Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing, the Medtronic Performance System, GEMBA practices, structured problem‑solving, and value stream optimization.
• Partner with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Excellence, Strategy & Technology, and other stakeholders globally to ensure alignment, effective decision‑making, and execution of key priorities.
• Oversee site budgets, resource allocation, and operational investments while representing the organization with external stakeholders, professional organizations, and local community partners.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 15+ years of relevant manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, or supply chain experience and 10+ years of manufacturing site leadership experience; or an advanced degree with 13+ years of relevant experience and 10+ years of manufacturing site leadership experience.
• Plant Manager, Site Leader, or equivalent leadership experience within a large‑scale manufacturing environment.
• Medical device or pharmaceutical manufacturing experience.
• Experience leading manufacturing site start‑ups, greenfield facility development, manufacturing site build‑outs, and product transfer initiatives within a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing operational strategies, building organizational capability, and leading large‑scale manufacturing organizations.
• Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma certification with experience applying structured problem‑solving methodologies and continuous improvement principles.
• Experience operating effectively within a global matrix environment, partnering across functions, geographic regions, and leadership levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Engineering or Technical Sciences.
• Experience overseeing facility development, site readiness, workforce ramp‑up, and organizational scaling activities.
• Breadth of leadership experience across Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain functions.
• Strong financial and operational management experience within a large‑scale manufacturing operation.
• Experience leading operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives within a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading large‑scale change management initiatives.
• Proficiency in both Malay and English, with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.

Physical Job Requirements

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position.

Benefits & Compensation

Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package

A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.

This position is eligible for a short‑term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).

This position is eligible for an annual long‑term incentive plan.