Plant/Factory Director

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.
• Strong understanding of spray drying and chemical extraction processes, including related production operations and equipment.

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.