Job Summary

The Production Manager is responsible for leading and managing all production operations within A~Star Plastics' plastic recycling and compounding facility. This role ensures production targets are achieved safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively while maintaining the highest standards of product quality, workplace safety, and environmental compliance.

The Production Manager oversees all recycling and compounding processes, including material receiving, sorting, shredding, metal separation, extrusion, pelletizing, and packing. The role is responsible for maximizing equipment utilization, minimizing downtime, improving productivity, and developing a high-performing production team.

Key Responsibilities

Production Operations

• Plan, organize, and manage daily production activities to achieve production schedules and customer delivery requirements.
• Lead the overall production process from incoming recyclable plastic materials to finished compounded plastic pellets.
• Monitor daily production output, machine utilization, labour productivity, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Ensure production targets, quality requirements, and delivery commitments are consistently achieved.
• Coordinate production priorities based on customer orders, inventory levels, and machine capacity.
• Review production performance daily and implement corrective actions whenever necessary.
• Ensure proper housekeeping and maintain a clean and organized production environment.

Manufacturing Process Management

• Oversee all plastic recycling and compounding processes
• Optimize production parameters to maximize output while maintaining product quality.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, reduce waste, lower production costs, and increase machine uptime.
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives.

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, supervise, and motivate machine operators.
• Develop manpower deployment plans to optimize productivity across all production lines.
• Conduct regular toolbox meetings and production briefings.
• Train employees on machine operations, production procedures, and quality requirements.
• Monitor employee performance and conduct performance appraisals.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, accountability, discipline, and continuous improvement.

Production Planning

• Develop daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules based on customer demand and available resources.
• Coordinate closely with Sales, Warehouse, Procurement, Maintenance, Logistics, and Quality departments.
• Monitor raw material availability and coordinate procurement requirements to avoid production interruptions.
• Ensure efficient sequencing of production jobs to minimize machine changeovers and downtime.

Inventory & Material Management

• Monitor raw material consumption and finished goods production.
• Control production waste and maximize material recovery.
• Ensure accurate inventory movements between warehouse and production.
• Coordinate stock-taking activities and maintain inventory accuracy.
• Monitor packing materials and production consumables.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to reduce production costs, improve productivity, and eliminate non-value-added activities.
• Improve production KPIs including: Production Output, Scrap Rate.
• Drive process standardization and operational excellence.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Sales, Procurement, Warehouse Logistics, Maintenance and Quality Assurance business units
• Support new production scale-up activities.

Job Requirements

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 3 years in a supervisory or managerial production role.
• Experience in plastic recycling, plastic compounding, extrusion, polymer processing, or plastics manufacturing is highly preferred.
• Experience managing production teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Technical Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of plastic recycling and compounding processes.
• Good understanding of extrusion and pelletizing operations.
• Knowledge of production planning, inventory control, and manufacturing KPIs.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent production planning and organizational abilities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to make decisions under pressure.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Results-oriented with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.