Regional Head of Operations, Asia Pacific

Role Overview

We are seeking an accomplished Regional Head of Operations to lead manufacturing and operational excellence across multiple production sites. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving sustainable gross margin expansion by systematically reducing product costs, optimizing manufacturing efficiency, strengthening supply chain performance, and improving operational productivity.

The ideal candidate may come from a variety of industries including industrial manufacturing, automotive, engineered products, medical devices, electronics, consumer products, packaging, chemicals, building materials, or other complex manufacturing environments.

Key Responsibilities

Margin Expansion & Cost Leadership

• Own and deliver annual gross margin improvement targets across the region.
• Identify and eliminate cost from every stage of the manufacturing process without compromising quality, safety, or customer service.
• Drive reductions in:
  • Direct labor costs
  • Material costs
  • Scrap and waste
  • Production inefficiencies
  • Inventory carrying costs
  • Logistics and distribution costs
  • Manufacturing overhead
• Lead value engineering, product cost optimization, and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Establish rigorous cost visibility and accountability mechanisms across all plants.

Manufacturing Operations Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight across multiple manufacturing sites and operations teams.
• Ensure safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations.
• Standardize operational processes and best practices across the region.
• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, yield, and capacity utilization.
• Develop scalable manufacturing capabilities to support business growth.

Production Scale-Up & Program Execution

• Lead manufacturing readiness for new customer programs and product launches.
• Ensure capacity, resources, tooling, equipment, and supply chain readiness to support growth.
• Deliver customer programs:
  • On time
  • At committed cost targets
  • At required quality standards
• Manage operational risks associated with production ramp-up and expansion.

Supply Chain & Procurement Partnership

• Partner with supply chain and procurement teams to improve material economics and supplier performance.
• Drive supply continuity while reducing total landed cost.
• Improve inventory turns, working capital efficiency, and forecast accuracy.

Continuous Improvement

• Build a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping, TPM, Kaizen, or equivalent methodologies.
• Establish data-driven performance management systems across the organization.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop plant managers and operations leaders across the region.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, execution, and measurable outcomes.
• Create succession plans and strengthen organizational capability across operations functions.