Manager, Operational Excellence APAC at UPM - The Biofore Company

Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

19 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

21 Mar, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Operational Excellence, Lean Six Sigma, Data Analytics, Problem Solving, Coaching, Mentoring, Value Stream Thinking, Standard Work, Daily Management, Change Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Cross-functional Collaboration, Multicultural Environments

Industry

Manufacturing

Description

Would you like to join a global, growing company that innovates for a more sustainable tomorrow? UPM could be the team for you. We are frontrunners in developing renewable alternatives to fossil-based materials. Besides enabling both businesses and consumers make more sustainable choices, we strive to create a positive UPM experience for all our employees around the world. We live by our values – trust and be trusted, achieve together, renew with courage. Together we can renew the everyday, for a future beyond fossils! Learn more about us as a workplace upm.com/careers We are now looking for a Manager, Operational Excellence APAC. This position will be located in Changshu or Johor Bahru. Greetings from your future manager “We are seeking Manager, Operational Excellence APAC to drive operational performance across our manufacturing network in the Asia-Pacific region. This role partners with regional leadership and plant management teams to deliver measurable improvements in safety, productivity, quality, service, and cost competitiveness. In this role, you’ll combine Lean Six Sigma methodologies with data-driven insights and modern digital tools, and advance a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline while enabling the successful scaling of proven solutions across manufacturing sites.”- Director, Global Operational Excellence What you will do · Execute the global Operational Excellence (OpEx) roadmap within the region, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities · Act as a trusted OpEx business partner to regional and plant leadership, collaborating to identify performance gaps, define improvement priorities, and build and maintain actionable site-level OpEx plans · Lead selected improvement initiatives using Lean Six Sigma and structured problem-solving methodologies, delivering measurable and sustainable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, service, and cost · Coach and mentor site teams who lead OpEx initiatives, providing hands-on guidance on root cause analysis, value stream thinking, standard work, and daily management · Facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing between manufacturing sites to accelerate adoption of best practices and proven solutions · Leverage data analytics, digital tools, and Industry 4.0 solutions to monitor performance. identify improvement opportunities and support fact-based decision-making · Conduct operational assessments to benchmark maturity and capability development · Design and deliver training and workshops to strengthen operational excellence capabilities across the region · Guide teams through change initiatives to ensure consistent implementation and sustained adoption of new processes or technologies · Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline · Promote an environment that encourages collaboration, innovation, and responsible performance · Serve as a role model for UPM values and the “Aiming Higher” mindset Who you are · You have a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field · You have progressive experience in manufacturing, operations development, or operational excellence roles within industrial environments · You have demonstrated experience leading Operational Excellence initiatives, including leading projects as well as coaching or mentoring teams who lead their own improvement efforts · You have Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification preferred · You have experience in partnering with manufacturing site leadership to identify performance improvement opportunities and building roadmaps · You have strong analytical and financial acumen with an ability to translate operational data into business insights · You have strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence across functions and organizational levels · You have experience working in cross-functional and multicultural environments · You are fluent in spoken and written English; additional regional language skills are an asset · You are willing to travel mainly to factories within own Region This is what we offer to you · A meaningful job – We have an inspiring purpose ‘We create a future beyond fossils. Our work is impactful and transformative. · A caring community – Our community is built on great team spirit and shared commitment. We care about each other and the well-being of our colleagues. We support the work-life balance of all our employees. · Development opportunities – We offer you great opportunities to learn and grow throughout your career. We are an international, multi-business organization offering plenty of avenues for personal growth. · Responsible employer - Sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to ambitious, science-based sustainability targets in all areas from climate change to biodiversity. We foster diversity and inclusivity, offering a work environment in which everyone can be themselves. Additional information For support with submitting your application, please contact the HR Service Center at careers@upm.com #LI-DNP UPM is a material solutions company, renewing products and entire value chains with an extensive portfolio of renewable fibres, advanced materials, decarbonization solutions, and communication papers. Our performance in sustainability has been recognized by third parties, including EcoVadis and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. We operate globally and employ approximately 15,100 people worldwide, with annual sales of approximately €9.7 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. UPM – we renew the everyday

Responsibilities

This role is responsible for driving operational performance across the Asia-Pacific manufacturing network by partnering with leadership to deliver measurable improvements in safety, productivity, quality, service, and cost competitiveness. The manager will execute the global Operational Excellence roadmap, lead improvement initiatives using structured methodologies, and coach site teams on best practices.