Lean Manufacturing Manager

Company background

The German ‘Dockweiler AG’ – group is a world-leading manufacturer of high purity stainless steel tubes, fitting systems and installation solutions for handling fluid and gaseous media in semiconductor, pharmaceutical, analytical and fine chemistry industries. Dockweiler is a family-owned business with more than 70 years of successful history and subsidiaries in the Netherland, UK, Austria, Sweden, USA, Israel, China and Japan, with approx. 700 employees and representations in more than 50 countries worldwide.

‘Dockweiler Asia Co., Ltd.’ in Thailand and Singapore is the second largest subsidiary of the ‘Dockweiler AG’ – group, registered as BOI-company in Thailand, well-established since 2012 and serving as professional manufacturing site for the entire Dockweiler group with ISO 9001- and ASME BPE-certification, as well as the Sales and Manufacturing hub for the Asian market.

To ensure our constant growth and ambitious plans, we seek for our office in Singapore a new team member who enjoys working in a professional, future orientated, international business environment with the ambition to drive the further development and the Sales of our company jointly in a strong team with us, as an experienced:

Lean Manufacturing Manager

The Lean Manufacturing Manager is responsible for leading the deployment of Lean Manufacturing principles and the Toyota Production System (TPS) across the factory to improve Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, and Employee Engagement. The role drives operational excellence by implementing and sustaining TPS methodologies, including Just-in-Time (JIT), Jidoka (built-in quality), Kaizen, standardized work, visual management, pull systems, and structured problem-solving practices.

The position works closely with production, quality, engineering, maintenance, supply chain, and management teams to identify and eliminate waste (Muda), unevenness (Mura), and overburden (Muri), improve process flow and stability, increase OEE, reduce lead times and inventories, and develop a culture of continuous improvement. The Lean Manufacturing Manager reports directly to the Top Management and serves as a coach and change leader, promoting Gemba-based management, employee involvement, and sustainable capability development throughout the operation and organization.

Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Production Management, or a related field.

• Minimum 7–10 years of experience in manufacturing operations, process improvement, Lean Manufacturing, or continuous improvement, preferably in a factory or industrial environment.

• Demonstrated experience leading factory-wide Lean transformation programs and embedding Toyota Production System (TPS) principles into daily management systems, as well as having proven knowledge and experience in implementing of:
  a) Lean Manufacturing principles and tools, including Waste Elimination (Muda, Mura, Muri), Kaizen, 5S, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Standard Work, SMED, TPM
  b) Just-in-Time (JIT) Skills, including Pull Systems, Kanban, Production Flow Optimization (1-piece-flow), Takt Time Management, Heijunka (Production Leveling), Inventory Reduction, Supply Chain Synchronization
  c) Operational Excellence, including OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), Productivity Improvement, Capacity Optimization, Cost Reduction Programs, Bottleneck Analysis

d) Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement (CI), A3 Problem Solving, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act), 5 Why Analysis, Fishbone (Ishikawa) Analysis, DMAIC Methodology, Performance Improvement Projects
e) Leadership & People Development, including Lean Coaching, Change Management, Standard Work Development, Gemba Management, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Employee Engagement, Training and Mentoring, Shop Floor Leadership, Continuous Improvement Culture Building

• Familiarity with ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, or other relevant management systems is an advantage.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to coach, train, and motivate employees at all levels in Lean practices.

• Good communication, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to work effectively with management, production teams, and cross-functional departments.

• Good command of English, both spoken and written.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office; knowledge of ERP/MES systems or Lean/CI reporting tools is an advantage.

• Ability to work full-time at the company’s factory location and support hands-on improvement activities on the shop floor at Khao Yoi, Petchaburi.

 Duties & Responsibilities

•          Lead the implementation and sustainment of the factory's Lean Manufacturing and Toyota Production System (TPS) roadmap. Establish and drive continuous improvement priorities to enhance Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, Productivity, Inventory, and Employee Development.

•          Implement and optimize JIT principles, including pull systems, Kanban, one-piece flow, takt time, and Heijunka. Improve process flow, reduce lead times and inventory, and increase productivity, OEE, and capacity utilization.

•          Drive Continuous Improvement and waste elimination (Muda), unevenness (Mura), and overburden (Muri). Apply VSM, 5S, Standard Work, SMED, TPM, and Visual Management to improve efficiency, quality, stability, and cost performance.

•          Lead cross-functional improvement initiatives using A3, PDCA, 5 Why, Fishbone Analysis, DMAIC, and other structured problem-solving methods. Ensure sustainable improvements through effective root cause analysis and corrective actions.

•          Promote Built-in Quality, Process Stability & Jidoka and quality-at-source principles to improve process capability, reliability, and defect prevention. Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Maintenance and Quality teams to strengthen process control and operational discipline.

•          Drive Lean leadership through Gemba walks, coaching, mentoring, and employee development. Foster engagement, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization.

•          Monitor and report key Lean and operational KPIs, including OEE, productivity, quality, lead time, inventory, delivery, and cost savings. Recommend actions to close performance gaps and sustain improvements.