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.