[Confidential] --- Head of Engineering / General Manager (Engineering)

General Manager, Engineering

Industrial Industry | Malaysia

Monroe Consulting Group, an executive recruitment firm, is partnering with a leading organisation within the Industrial sector to hire a General Manager, Engineering. This opportunity is based in Malaysia.

Position Overview

Lead the Engineering department responsible for designing cast resin and oil-filled distribution and power transformers to customer specifications and market requirements.
Drive the delivery of timely, cost-effective and reliable transformer designs while building a self-sufficient engineering organisation with strong leadership succession and sustainable operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

Department Leadership

• Define the annual department budget and staffing requirement
• Assign suitable personnel to design, review, verify and validate designs
• Finalise training requirements for the department
• Communicate department and management objectives to all engineering staff

Design and Technical Delivery

• Deliver timely, cost-effective and reliable transformer designs to customer specifications and market needs
• Support tender and offer submissions with product design, BOM preparation and technical submittals
• Review designs for optimisation, standardisation and ease of manufacture
• Take part in contract reviews and design reviews of tenders and contracts
• Provide technical support to Manufacturing, Supply Chain, QA and other functions during execution
• Lead technical analysis of test failures and field failures, and their rectification
• Develop and maintain design software with the technical know-how provider, covering technology changes, standardisation of material and construction, and minimisation of material and product cost
• Coordinate technology transfer, including design tools and design knowledge

Approvals

• Engineering specifications and documents
• Design changes
• ISO system documentation and revisions

Quality, Safety and Compliance

• Ensure design activities comply with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, plus internal QA and HSE regulations
• Ensure products are made strictly to established engineering practice, workshop drawings and the work instruction system

External Engagement

• Run design review meetings, internal, external and with customers
• Liaise with customers, suppliers, other manufacturers and the technical know-how provider to achieve divisional technology objectives

Key Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
• Minimum 15 years' experience in design engineering within the transformer industry or a closely related industry
• Proven track record leading engineering managers or senior engineers, with demonstrated delegation and succession planning outcomes
• Experience managing a design function that supports tendering, project execution and manufacturing
• Preference for candidates from transformer and switchgear manufacturers, or adjacent heavy electrical sectors
• Malaysian candidates are preferred, including overseas Malaysians seeking to return to Malaysia
• Foreign RP-T holders with the relevant profile may also be considered

Technical / Functional Expertise

• Expertise in transformer design engineering, including cast resin and oil-filled distribution and power transformers
• Experience supporting tender and offer submissions, including product design, BOM preparation and technical submittals
• Strong capability in design review, optimisation, standardisation and design-for-manufacture principles
• Experience in contract reviews and design reviews for tenders and contracts
• Technical support experience across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance and related functions
• Proven experience analysing and resolving test failures and field failures
• Experience developing and maintaining design software
• Knowledge of technology transfer, including design tools and design knowledge management
• Understanding of engineering specifications, design changes and ISO system documentation
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards
• Familiarity with QA and HSE regulations
• Experience conducting design review meetings and managing technical discussions with customers, suppliers and manufacturing stakeholders

Soft Skills & Leadership Competencies

• Leadership and people management
• Strong communication skills
• Planning and organisational skills
• Priority, workload and production planning and management
• Ability to delegate effectively and empower engineering managers
• Performance management and team development capabilities
• Succession planning and talent development
• Quality management
• Safety and compliance leadership
• KPI and performance management
• Inter-departmental collaboration and stakeholder influence
• Ability to balance tender support, live projects, design changes and operational priorities
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Ability to manage customer-driven changes while maintaining delivery timelines and cost objectives
• Capability to build autonomous, high-performing engineering teams and foster cross-functional collaboration