The Client
Our client is a global leader in manufacturing of specialty vehicles, access equipment and vehicle bodies for defense, concrete placement, refuse hauling, and fire & emergency markets. The US-headquartered company supplies high quality products to its customers in these market segments all over the world. The Fortune 500 company has a multi-billion dollar turnover, and employs close to 15000 people across more than 20 manufacturing sites and several sales and service facilities.
One of its divisions now plans to set up a greenfield manufacturing facility in a major city in China and is looking for a dynamic professional to set up and manage the operations.
Position : General Manager
Job Code : Leaders/GM-CN/0109/MO
Location : Major city, North China
Job Description :
The selected candidate will build and lead a team of experienced professionals to set-up and lead a 300-strong integrated state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which will service clients in China and overseas.
Detailed project planning, budgeting, procurement, plant layout, technology transfer, engineering, construction, installation and commissioning, vendor selection and management, government approvals, logistics, trial runs, overall coordination etc. will be the key activities during the initial phase to set up the facility.
Once the plant is commissioned, the General Manager will provide overall strategic and operational leadership to the team covering the following operations :
a. Fabrication
b. Welding
c. Assembly and Testing
d. Painting
as well as key site functions such as Materials, Engineering, Procurement, Quality, IT, Logistics, Finance, Legal & Compliance and HR.
Management of local government relations and Customer Satisfaction will also be two key areas of responsibilities.
The position reports to the President-Asia as well as the VP of Global Operations. Direct reports include divisional managers for each manufacturing division as well as functional managers.
This is a key management position and plays a crucial role in driving the growth plans of the company in Asia Pacific. The selected candidate will ensure that annual business objectives are met by appropriate deployment of resources, monitoring & guidance in :
• Plant Operations (achieving planned production, delivery schedules, inventory management, assets and equipment management, quality management etc)
• Supply chain management
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Cost management, Lean Manufacturing and Margin Optimization Programs
• Total Quality Management and Six Sigma
• Team Building, Skill Enhancement, Training & Development
• Enhancing work culture and building Total Employee Involvement
• Industrial Relations, Wage Agreements, Government Liaison
• IT/ERP Systems
Requirements :
- Critical competencies required for success in this role include strong Business Leadership
- Operational Excellence, Result Orientation, Entrepreneurial Drive and Interpersonal Skills
- Ideal candidates would hold graduate/post-graduate qualifications in mechanical/automotive engineering from premier institutions. An MBA would be preferred
- Candidates should have at least 20 years of work experience of which the past 5 years should be in a similar leadership role in high volume automotive production or assembly industry
- Candidates must be experienced and mature techno-commercial leaders with strong track record of creating/managing successful manufacturing operations
- Strong technical background coupled with P&L focus, leadership and team-building abilities, a passion for manufacturing businesses, and a strong entrepreneurial flair will be essential
- Proven leadership and man-management skills; strong business focus; a solution-oriented approach; excellent communication and presentation skills; a positive, "can do" attitude; and high energy level will be critical for success in this role
- Fluency in English and Mandarin is essential
- The position is open to candidates of all nationalities who are interested in working in China on a long/medium term
Interested candidates please send cover letter, cv and expected remuneration to singcham@singcham.com.cn
SingCham: To be an influential chamber, representing the commercial interests of its members, with access to various resources.