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Plant/Factory Director

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Plant/Factory Director – Commissioning & Manufacturing Operations

Location: Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia

Relocation to Pasir Gudang, Johor is required

Job Summary

A leading multinational manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced, visionary, and results-driven Factory Director – Commissioning & Manufacturing Operations to lead the commissioning, operational readiness, start-up, stabilization, and commercial operation of a new large-scale manufacturing facility in Johor, Malaysia.

This strategic leadership role will play a critical part in driving commissioning activities, establishing manufacturing systems, building operational capabilities, and ensuring a successful transition into commercial operations.

The successful candidate will provide overall leadership across all manufacturing functions, including Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Utilities, Quality Assurance & Quality Control (QA/QC), Food Safety, Warehouse, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), and Operational Excellence.

This position is ideal for an experienced manufacturing leader with proven success in greenfield projects, plant commissioning, operational readiness, and large-scale manufacturing operations.

Key Responsibilities

Plant Commissioning, Start-Up & Operational Readiness

Lead all plant commissioning, start-up, and operational readiness activities.
Manage equipment validation, testing, and performance verification activities.
Coordinate closely with project teams, consultants, contractors, OEM suppliers, and engineering partners.
Ensure smooth transition from project execution into commercial manufacturing operations.
Drive plant stabilization and achievement of production ramp-up targets.
Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve operational challenges during commissioning and start-up phases.
Establish manufacturing systems, procedures, and operational standards prior to commercial production.
Deliver operational readiness milestones, performance guarantees, and manufacturing KPIs.

Factory Operations & Manufacturing Leadership

Provide overall leadership and direction for all manufacturing operations.
Oversee day-to-day activities across Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Utilities, Warehouse, QA/QC, and EHS functions.
Establish operational strategies to achieve business objectives and production targets.
Drive operational excellence, productivity improvement, and cost optimization initiatives.
Ensure efficient utilization of manpower, equipment, facilities, and resources.
Develop and monitor key operational performance indicators (KPIs).
Build a high-performance culture focused on safety, quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Production Management

Oversee production planning, scheduling, and execution activities.
Ensure production targets, quality standards, and customer requirements are consistently achieved.
Improve manufacturing efficiency, productivity, and process performance.
Lead initiatives to improve yield, reduce waste, and optimize manufacturing costs.
Implement manufacturing best practices and continuous improvement programs.
Ensure optimal inventory management of raw materials, packaging materials, and finished goods.

Engineering, Maintenance & Utilities Management

Lead engineering, maintenance, reliability, and utilities functions.
Establish and maintain effective preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
Optimize equipment reliability, plant availability, and operational uptime.
Manage utilities including boilers, steam systems, compressed air, chilled water, water treatment systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and other process support utilities.
Lead root cause investigations and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
Drive reliability excellence and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) initiatives.
Ensure long-term asset integrity and equipment performance.

Quality Assurance, Quality Control & Food Safety

Ensure compliance with all quality, food safety, customer, and regulatory requirements.
Maintain compliance with:
- GMP
- HACCP
- Halal Standards
- Food Safety Management Systems
- FSSC 22000 / ISO Standards
- Customer and regulatory requirements
Promote and strengthen food safety and quality culture across the organization.
Support customer, certification, regulatory, and internal audits.
Lead continuous quality improvement initiatives.

Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS)

Establish and maintain a strong safety culture across all departments.
Ensure compliance with all applicable environmental, health, and safety regulations.
Lead risk assessments, incident investigations, and safety improvement initiatives.
Implement safe operating procedures, permit-to-work systems, and risk management programs.
Drive continuous improvement in workplace safety performance and environmental sustainability.

Leadership & People Development

Build, lead, mentor, and develop multidisciplinary teams across manufacturing functions.
Establish performance management systems and accountability frameworks.
Develop succession planning and talent development initiatives.
Foster a culture of teamwork, ownership, discipline, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Drive employee engagement and organizational capability building.

Financial & Business Performance

Manage manufacturing operational budgets and expenditures.
Monitor operational costs and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
Drive productivity improvements and operational efficiency initiatives.
Support annual business planning, CAPEX projects, and strategic initiatives.
Deliver agreed operational and financial performance targets.

Stakeholder & Regulatory Management

Liaise with government agencies, regulatory authorities, certification bodies, contractors, consultants, suppliers, and customers.
Represent the company during audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews.
Ensure compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements.
Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline.
Master's Degree or MBA will be an added advantage.

Experience

Minimum 20 years of progressive manufacturing experience within food, ingredients, dairy, biotechnology, nutritional, FMCG, or related manufacturing industries.
Minimum 10 - 15 years in senior leadership positions such as Factory Manager, Plant Manager, Operations Director, Manufacturing Director, General Manager, Plant Director, or equivalent.
Proven experience leading large-scale manufacturing facilities.
Demonstrated success in plant commissioning, start-up, operational readiness, and plant stabilization projects.
Strong experience managing Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Utilities, QA/QC, Food Safety, Warehouse, and EHS functions.
Proven experience in greenfield manufacturing projects is highly preferred.
Experience working within multinational manufacturing environments is highly preferred.
Experience leading large cross-functional teams in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred Industry Background

Candidates with experience in the following industries will be highly preferred:

Food Ingredients Manufacturing
Dairy Manufacturing
Nutritional Ingredients Manufacturing
Biotechnology Manufacturing
Specialty Ingredients Manufacturing
Food Processing Manufacturing
Agricultural Processing Manufacturing
FMCG Manufacturing

Experience in greenfield projects, factory start-ups, ingredient manufacturing, complex process manufacturing, and large-scale manufacturing operations will be a significant advantage.

Technical Competencies

Factory Operations Management
Plant Commissioning & Start-Up
Operational Readiness
Manufacturing Excellence
Production Management
Engineering & Maintenance Management
Utilities & Reliability Management
Food Safety & Quality Systems
GMP, HACCP & Halal Compliance
FSSC 22000 / ISO Standards
Lean Manufacturing
TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)
Continuous Improvement
Root Cause Analysis
CAPEX Project Management
Cost Management & Budgeting
Digital Manufacturing & Industry 4.0

Leadership Competencies

Strategic Leadership
Business Acumen
Strong Decision-Making Skills
Change Management
Stakeholder Management
Team Development & Coaching
Problem Solving & Analytical Thinking
Excellent Communication & Interpersonal Skills
Results-Oriented Leadership
Cross-Functional Collaboration

Why Join Us

Opportunity to lead a major manufacturing start-up and operational excellence journey.
Strategic leadership role with significant influence on business growth and operational success.
Opportunity to build and establish a world-class manufacturing organization from the ground up.
Exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies and international best practices.
Dynamic and fast-growing multinational manufacturing environment.
Attractive remuneration package with long-term career growth opportunities.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.