Deputy Director, Operations

Role Purpose

The Deputy Director, Operations — supports regional leadership by overseeing the daily operational activities across the region. This role ensures high-quality execution, financial accountability, workforce efficiency, and alignment with overall organizational strategy across all regional sites.

Scope of Responsibility

• Oversee daily execution and standard operating procedures across regional sites.
• Support workforce management, safety culture, and service standards.
• Optimize resource allocation, capacity planning, and regional throughput.
• Promote operational readiness, training, and continuous learning.
• Implement continuous improvement and process optimization frameworks.
• Assist with regional budget execution, expenditure tracking, and asset utilization.

Core Responsibilities

Operational Support & Service Delivery

• Supervise site-level management teams to ensure operational delivery aligns with schedules, budgets, and service standards.
• Manage resource allocation across facilities and locations to balance workload and prevent operational bottlenecks.
• Serve as an operational escalation point for issue resolution, risk mitigation, and contingency management.

Operations Compliance, Health & Safety

• Champion health, safety, environmental, and quality (HSEQ) standards across all operational sites.
• Monitor regional compliance with regulatory mandates, industry standards, and internal guidelines.
• Participate in internal audits, incident evaluations, and the rollout of corrective action plans.

Workforce & Team Leadership

• Guide, mentor, and evaluate site managers and supervisory teams.
• Collaborate with HR on staffing models, talent acquisition, performance management, and retention programs.
• Identify capability gaps and support professional development programs across regional teams.

Financial Oversight & Process Improvement

• Monitor operational expenses against regional budgets, conducting routine variance reviews.
• Identify and implement operational efficiency, waste reduction, and process streamlining projects.
• Assist in evaluating capital investment proposals, equipment acquisitions, and infrastructure upgrades.

Regional Alignment & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act on behalf of the Regional Director during absences or as designated.
• Prepare operational performance reports, KPIs, and updates for executive leadership.
• Coordinate with corporate functions (Finance, IT, Legal, HR) to ensure functional support for site operations.

Performance Measures

• Operational target achievements across safety, quality, and delivery speed.
• Financial tracking against site-level operating budgets and target cost efficiencies.
• Team performance, employee engagement, and retention metrics.
• Audit findings, regulatory compliance records, and risk management readiness.
• Completion rates for key continuous improvement and operational initiatives.

Job Requirements

• Demonstrated progressive leadership experience in multi-site operational management, logistics, field services, or industrial operations.
• Proven background in tracking operational expenditure, optimizing budgets, and managing operational metrics.
• Experience managing teams across diverse geographic locations and international time zones.
• Strong operational risk management, problem-solving, and communication capabilities.
• Ability to travel regularly across the APAC region as required.

Preferred Competencies

• Analytical skills with a focus on data-driven decision-making and performance monitoring.
• Familiarity with continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Agile operations).
• Strong cross-cultural communication and relationship-building skills.
• Adaptability in managing operational changes, expansion, or restructuring.

Chan Chee Meng
EA 07C3069/R1110620