The Company
We are partnering with a public-listed company on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. Our client is a leading manufacturer of high-quality printed circuit boards (PCBs), serving a diverse global customer base across the automotive, telecommunications, consumer electronics, medical devices, and industrial sectors.
Renowned for its commitment to quality, innovation, and manufacturing excellence, the company delivers reliable PCB solutions that power advanced technologies and mission-critical applications worldwide.
The Role
Reporting directly to the CEO and COO, the Factory Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership for the company's PCB manufacturing operations. This role is responsible for driving manufacturing excellence by ensuring the achievement of production, quality, cost, delivery, and safety objectives while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and employee development.
The successful candidate will lead cross-functional teams to optimise manufacturing performance, strengthen operational capabilities, and support the company's long-term business growth.
Key Responsibilities
Production & Operations Management
- Lead and oversee all factory operations to ensure production targets are consistently achieved in terms of quality, cost, delivery, and safety.
- Develop and execute production plans that align with customer demand and business objectives.
- Optimise manufacturing processes, production flow, and material utilisation to maximise productivity and operational efficiency.
- Ensure effective deployment of manpower, machinery, materials, and utilities.
- Monitor and analyse key manufacturing KPIs, including yield, cycle time, OEE, productivity, scrap rate, and on-time delivery, implementing corrective actions where required.
- Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Quality Management
- Ensure full compliance with customer specifications, industry standards, and quality management systems.
- Lead quality improvement initiatives to reduce defects, rework, scrap, and customer complaints.
- Partner with QA/QC teams to drive effective root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
- Ensure successful completion of customer, internal, and certification audits.
Process & Technical Management
- Oversee all PCB manufacturing processes, including imaging, drilling, plating, etching, solder mask, surface finishing, testing, and final inspection.
- Support new product introduction (NPI), process validation, technology upgrades, and equipment implementation.
- Evaluate process capability and identify opportunities to improve yield, productivity, and manufacturing efficiency.
- Collaborate closely with Engineering to implement process optimisation and cost reduction initiatives.
Cost & Resource Management
- Drive manufacturing cost optimisation through waste elimination, yield improvement, process enhancement, and resource efficiency.
- Monitor material usage, consumables, inventory, and production costs to minimise losses and improve profitability.
- Support costing, capacity planning, and quotation activities by providing accurate manufacturing data and operational insights.
Leadership & People Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop production, engineering, maintenance, and supporting teams.
- Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
- Oversee workforce planning, succession planning, employee development, and performance management.
- Promote employee engagement while ensuring compliance with company policies and workplace discipline.
Equipment & Maintenance
- Ensure high equipment availability and reliability through effective preventive and predictive maintenance programmes.
- Lead equipment improvement, capacity expansion, and capital investment initiatives to support future business growth.
- Minimise equipment downtime through effective troubleshooting and maintenance planning.
Safety, Health & Environment (SHE)
- Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, and statutory regulations.
- Champion a strong safety culture by promoting proactive risk management and workplace safety initiatives.
- Support sustainability programmes, environmental compliance, waste reduction, and responsible manufacturing practices.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Sales, Planning, Purchasing, Costing, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to ensure seamless operational execution.
- Present factory performance, operational challenges, and improvement initiatives to senior management.
- Support customer visits, technical discussions, audits, and issue resolution while maintaining strong customer relationships.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related discipline.
- Minimum 10 years of experience in the PCB manufacturing industry, including at least 5 years in a senior manufacturing or factory management role.
- Candidates without a relevant engineering degree must possess an additional 5 years of relevant PCB manufacturing experience.
- Strong technical knowledge of PCB manufacturing processes, including Double-sided, Multilayer (minimum 12-layer), and High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCB production.
- Proven experience managing high-volume manufacturing operations with strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
- Strong business acumen with the ability to balance operational performance, quality, cost, and customer expectations.
- Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and people development skills.
- Proficient in written and spoken English. Proficiency in Chinese and/or Japanese will be an added advantage.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
