Business Unit Manager

PURPOSE OF JOB

The Business Unit Manager is responsible for leading the commercial, operational, and strategic development of the assigned Business Unit BU. This includes driving revenue growth, developing customer accounts, managing supplier relationships, overseeing product/solution portfolios, and ensuring profitable business performance. The BU Manager leads a cross-functional team and acts as the key decision-maker bridging customer requirements, internal capabilities, and market strategy across regions (SG, MY, CN).

This role requires strong leadership, commercial acumen, and the ability to collaborate across multiple sites. Regular overseas travel is necessary for customer, supplier, and site engagements.

JOB DUTIES

1. Business Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and execute BU business strategies in line with company objectives.

• Own the BU P&L, revenue targets, forecast accuracy, and profitability KPIs.

• Identify market trends, develop product/solution positioning, and pursue growth opportunities.

• Lead business reviews and performance reporting to senior management.

2. Sales & Customer Management

• Drive key account development and expand customer portfolio.

• Support and guide sales engineers in pre-sales activities, solution proposals, and negotiations.

• Build and maintain long-term customer relationships to reinforce business continuity and trust.

• Resolve critical commercial or delivery issues to ensure customer satisfaction.

3. Product/Solution Portfolio Management

• Oversee product lifecycle planning (introduction → maturity → phase-out).

• Coordinate with suppliers, principals, and technical teams to align offerings with market needs.

• Evaluate product cost structure, pricing strategy, and margin performance.

• Support product training internally and externally.

4. Cross-Site Operational Coordination

• Work closely with Operations, Engineering, QA, and Procurement teams in Singapore, Malaysia, and China.

• Support planning of assembly operations, supplier localization, and technical builds when required.

• Ensure BU processes comply with company policies and quality standards.

5. People Leadership

• Lead, coach, develop, and evaluate BU team members (Sales, Application, PM roles).

• Allocate responsibilities and align personal targets to BU objectives.

• Foster a collaborative, performance-driven culture.

• Identify succession pipeline and develop future leaders.

CANDIDATE’S REQUIREMENTS

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in technical sales, business management, application engineering, or product management in optical, mechanical, photonics, instrumentation, or precision engineering industries.

• Proven track record in leading teams and managing key accounts or commercial portfolios.

• Experience managing suppliers or principals across Asia/Europe/US.

• Familiarity with assembly/production operations and cross-site collaboration is an advantage.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Mechanical/Optical/Physics/Mechatronics/Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.

• Additional training in Business Administration/Product Strategy/Sales Leadership is advantageous.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Strong leadership, communication, and people management skills.

• Ability to influence and collaborate with cross-functional and cross-cultural teams.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word); CRM/ERP familiarity preferred.

• Good command of written and spoken English. Ability to communicate in Mandarin will be an advantage due to frequent communication with regional customers and suppliers whose working language is Mandarin.

• Must be willing to travel frequently (SG, MY, CN + occasional global suppliers).

KEY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR THE JOB: (Core & Behavioural)

• Strategic Thinking & Commercial Insight

• Customer Relationship Management

• Product & Technical Acumen (optics/mechanical/precision systems)

• P&L & Data-Driven Decision Making

• Cross-Site Execution & Project Coordination

• Leadership, Coaching & People Development