Senior Operations Manager

Our Client is the global market leader in the design, testing, and manufacture of specialty filter solutions for the tobacco industry. Headquartered in Singapore, the company operates nine manufacturing facilities across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, supported by two Innovation Centres, an accredited Scientific Services laboratory, and a Centre of Excellence dedicated to sustainability.

With a workforce of approximately 2,000 employees, Our Client serves customers in more than 120 countries worldwide.

Guided by a strong sense of partnership, Our Client’s purpose is to support its partners in transforming their businesses and realizing sustainable growth—succeeding together through collaboration. Its mission is to be a responsible, customer-focused innovation leader, delivering excellence in sustainable solutions for today and the future.

Responsibilities:

• Provide strong leadership across Production and Engineering & Maintenance, ensuring operational plans and performance targets are achieved.
• Lead and monitor production, process engineering, technical training, maintenance and related operational activities.
• Drive improvements in productivity, efficiency, cost, quality and customer satisfaction across the manufacturing operation.
• Ensure effective utilisation of machinery, labour, materials and other manufacturing resources.
• Monitor production performance and take timely corrective action where performance deviates from established standards.
• Lead employee development initiatives through effective training, communication, coaching and engagement.
• Drive the Manufacturing Improvement Program, encouraging continuous improvement and operational best practices.
• Ensure effective management and maintenance of production assets and equipment.
• Optimise the use of production materials, equipment and electricity while maintaining appropriate cost controls.
• Ensure operational procedures and practices meet required health, safety, quality and environmental standards.
• Provide leadership and accountability for the site's Occupational Safety & Health management systems.
• Work collaboratively with the wider site leadership team to support customer requirements and overall plant performance.
• Contribute to the development of a strong operational leadership pipeline and a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Chemical, Electrical or Mechanical Engineering.
• Minimum 7 years of experience leading manufacturing and plant operations.
• Strong spoken and written English.
• Demonstrated experience managing sizeable manufacturing operations and developing teams.
• Strong understanding of Production and Engineering/Maintenance operations.
• Knowledge of Statistical Process Control (SPC), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and Production Planning & Inventory Control (PPIC).
• Proven experience or involvement in Operational Excellence programmes such as IWS or comparable manufacturing/production systems used by multinational organisations.
• Strong knowledge of total manufacturing cost management and cost improvement.
• Good understanding of workplace hazards, risk management and maintaining a safe and compliant manufacturing environment.
• Experience in Tobacco manufacturing will be advantageous; relevant experience from FMCG or other complex manufacturing environments will also be considered.

What We Are Looking For

Beyond technical and operational capability, the successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong leadership presence and the ability to inspire and engage teams.
• A collaborative, one-team mindset and willingness to work across functions and sites.
• Strong business acumen and an understanding of how operational decisions influence cost and business performance.
• A coaching-oriented approach to developing people and future leaders.
• The maturity and breadth to work effectively in a multinational, matrix environment.
• A track record of taking ownership, driving improvement and delivering measurable operational results.
• The ambition and potential to progress into broader site leadership and future GM responsibility.