General Manager(Sales/Business) — E-Waste Recycling & IT Asset Recovery

Salary: RM 20,000 – RM 30,000 per month

General Manager — E-Waste Recycling & IT Asset Recovery

Location: Penang, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Work Mode: Hybrid

Employment type: Permanent

Experience Level: 10+ years

Work Eligibility: Applicants must have the legal right to work in Malaysia. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Our client is a Hong Kong-based leader in sustainable technology lifecycle solutions, specialising in e-waste recycling, secure data destruction, and IT asset disposition across five countries, including Malaysia and Vietnam. They provide comprehensive services for data centre decommissioning, ensuring environmentally-friendly disposal and maximising value recovery from retired IT assets. With a commitment to sustainability, they support clients globally, helping to extend the lifespan of equipment and contribute to the circular economy.

We are seeking an experienced General Manager — Business Development & Operations to drive business growth and oversee operational excellence at the Penang Operations Center, building strategic partnerships and ensuring efficient, compliant, and profitable operations across Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Responsibilities

- Lead business development initiatives to acquire new customers and expand recycling and IT asset recovery channels across Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

- Develop and maintain relationships with technology vendors, OEMs, and channel partners to secure opportunities involving retired IT equipment.

- Build partnerships with data centre operators, enterprise customers, and other stakeholders for IT asset disposition, equipment recovery, and recycling projects.

- Pursue business opportunities with electronics and electrical appliance brands, manufacturers, energy storage and industrial equipment companies, and recycling traders.

- Establish long-term partnerships with upstream waste generators and downstream processors, smelters, and buyers of recovered materials.

- Lead commercial negotiations, pricing strategies, and contract execution to secure a stable supply of recyclable materials and sustainable profit margins.

- Identify opportunities in refurbishment, remarketing, secure data destruction, data centre decommissioning, and complementary services.

- Take full P&L responsibility for the Penang entity, including revenue, costs, and profitability.

- Prepare annual budgets and quarterly rolling forecasts for management.

- Deliver agreed annual revenue and profit targets.

- Oversee factory operations, dismantling production, warehousing, and logistics.

- Coordinate workshop, warehouse, and support teams to improve productivity, service delivery, and cost efficiency.

- Ensure effective coordination across equipment collection, processing, recovery, and downstream delivery.

- Lead recruitment, training, performance management, and incentive programmes for key local positions.

- Establish clear team responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability.

- Manage stakeholder expectations across customers, suppliers, employees, and headquarters.

- Align local priorities with organisational objectives.

- Ensure operations comply with Malaysian environmental regulations, occupational safety and health requirements, and cross-border waste transportation requirements.

- Oversee secure handling and processing of retired IT equipment, supporting customer data protection and asset traceability requirements.

- Promote a strong safety culture, targeting zero major safety incidents and zero environmental compliance violations.

Requirements

Must-have:

- Bachelor's degree in any related discipline.

- At least 10 years of relevant experience in manufacturing, environmental recycling, or resource recovery.

- At least 5 years in a senior management role, such as General Manager, Plant Manager, Operations Director, Regional Manager, or equivalent.

- Applicants must have the legal right to work in Malaysia. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

- Strong experience in Sales or Business Development (BD), or Procurement within Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) companies or comparable industry peers.

- Experience in manufacturing, environmental recycling, or resource recovery.

- Experience in a senior management role (e.g., General Manager, Plant Manager, Operations Director, Regional Manager, or equivalent).

- Experience managing financial performance, budgets, forecasts, and operational costs.

- Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and resolve problems under resource constraints.

- Excellent communication, coordination, and stakeholder management skills.

- Fluency in English, Bahasa Malaysia, and Mandarin.

- Strong familiarity with the electronics/EMS supply chain, including relevant industry processes and business operations.

Nice-to-have:

- Direct experience in recycling or IT asset recovery.

- Established relationships with technology vendors, OEMs, or channel partners relevant to sourcing retired IT equipment.

- Experience working with data centre operators or enterprise customers on IT asset disposition, equipment recovery, or decommissioning.

- Familiarity with secure data destruction, refurbishment, remarketing, and reverse logistics.

- Experience in electronics and electrical recycling, power battery recycling, or plastics and rubber recycling.

- Knowledge of recycling and resource recovery markets in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

- Existing relationships with waste generators, dismantling facilities, downstream processors, or buyers of recovered materials.

Benefits:

- Contractual 13th-month bonus

- 6 Months Performance bonus

- Sales incentive

- Petrol allowance