Production Manager

Key Responsibilities:

Production Planning & Scheduling
• Own and maintain the master production schedule across multiple concurrent jobs of varying scope, complexity and duration.
• Sequence production activities to balance delivery deadlines, changeover efficiency, machine capacity and workforce capabilities.
• Maintain accurate capacity visibility and identify over-commitment risks before they affect customer delivery.

Delivery Performance
• Take ownership of on-time delivery, monitoring job progress daily against agreed milestones and initiating corrective action early.
• Escalate at-risk jobs with clear recovery recommendations, including overtime, schedule resequencing, subcontracting or revised delivery dates.
• Work closely with Sales, Procurement and Engineering to ensure customer commitments are realistic and achievable by the production team.

Daily Execution & Decision-Making
• Lead daily production meetings focused on upcoming deadlines, current constraints and required schedule changes.
• Make timely operational decisions as circumstances change, including reallocating labour, resequencing jobs, approving practical workarounds and prioritising competing requirements.
• Resolve bottlenecks, material shortages and technical issues in real time by engaging the appropriate stakeholders before problems escalate.

Resource & Material Management
• Allocate manpower according to changing production requirements, individual competencies and certification needs.
• Coordinate with Procurement and Stores to align material availability with the production schedule and anticipate long-lead requirements.
• Manage equipment utilisation, preventive maintenance windows and tooling readiness to minimise disruption and maximise productivity.

Quality, Safety & Continuous Improvement
• Ensure all output meets specifications and customer requirements the first time.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action for rework, defects and non-conformances.
• Enforce workplace safety standards and WSH compliance without exception.
• Drive sustainable improvements in setup times, work-in-progress levels and shop-floor flow within a high-mix, low-volume production environment.

People & Team Leadership
• Lead, coach and develop supervisors, technicians and production personnel.
• Strengthen cross-skilling and workforce flexibility to reduce dependency on individual employees.
• Establish clear expectations for productivity, quality, safety and discipline, and ensure consistent follow-through.

Requirements
• Diploma or degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing or Production Engineering, or a related discipline.
• At least five years of experience in production management or planning, including a minimum of two years within a high-mix, low-volume, make-to-order or engineer-to-order environment.
• A proven record of taking direct accountability for delivery performance and ensuring jobs are completed and shipped on time.
• Strong production scheduling capabilities and practical experience using ERP or MRP systems.
• Confident and decisive judgement when working under time pressure or with incomplete information.
• Sound practical knowledge of fabrication, assembly, machining or heavy-equipment production processes, with the ability to read and interpret technical drawings.
• Strong communication skills across both shop-floor and office environments, with the ability to set firm expectations for production teams and communicate credibly with customers and senior management.

Advantageous
• Practical experience applying Lean principles, SMED or quick-changeover techniques, or the Theory of Constraints within a low-volume production environment.
• Experience in heavy equipment, structural fabrication, welding operations or vehicle body building.
• Familiarity with WSH requirements, ISO 9001 standards, and lifting or structural quality requirements.
• Working proficiency in Mandarin or Malay for communicating effectively with production employees and regional stakeholders.