Job Title: Senior Director, New Product Introduction (NPI)
Location: Penang
Job Summary
The Director, New Product Introduction (NPI) is responsible for leading the global NPI organization to successfully transition new products from design and development into high-volume manufacturing. This role provides strategic leadership across cross-functional engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, manufacturing, and program management teams to ensure products are launched on time, within budget, and meet customer, quality, and business objectives. The Director will drive manufacturing readiness, operational excellence, process optimization, and continuous improvement while developing organizational capabilities that support business growth and technology innovation.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and execute the global New Product Introduction (NPI) strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, product roadmaps, and customer requirements.
- Lead multidisciplinary NPI teams, including product engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, test engineering, quality, automation, and program management.
- Manage the end-to-end NPI process from product concept, design transfer, prototyping, validation, pilot production, manufacturing qualification, and production ramp to full-scale manufacturing.
- Partner closely with R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, and Manufacturing to ensure seamless product industrialization and successful production readiness.
- Drive manufacturing readiness through Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), Design for Test (DFT), process validation, risk assessments, and production qualification.
- Establish and optimize NPI processes, governance, KPIs, and best practices to improve launch execution, product quality, cycle time, yield, and operational efficiency.
- Lead product transfer activities across global manufacturing sites, ensuring successful technology transfer, process standardization, and operational capability development.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, yield enhancement, automation, productivity improvements, and accelerated time-to-market.
- Build and develop high-performing engineering teams by providing technical leadership, coaching, succession planning, and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
- Serve as the executive interface with customers, suppliers, and senior leadership by providing program updates, managing technical and operational risks, and ensuring successful delivery of strategic business objectives.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline Master's degree is preferred.
- Minimum of 15 years of experience in New Product Introduction (NPI), Product Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Operations within the semiconductor, photonics, electronics, or advanced manufacturing industries, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
- Proven track record of leading complex NPI programs from product development through high-volume manufacturing, including global product transfers and manufacturing scale-up.
- Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, DFM/DFA/DFT principles, APQP, FMEA, process validation, yield improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, automation, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Demonstrated ability to lead large cross-functional and global teams, manage multiple complex programs, influence executive stakeholders, and deliver measurable improvements in quality, cost, cycle time, and time-to-market.
