Production Manager📣 Job Ad

About the Role

Hitachi Energy is seeking a Production Manager for its HVDC converter valve factory in Dammam, Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role involves leading and driving safe, reliable, and world-class production operations to support the factory’s ramp-up and ongoing manufacturing performance. The Production Manager will manage day-to-day production execution, coordinate cross-functional interfaces, and ensure production plans are delivered on time, at the required quality, and within cost and efficiency targets.

Key Responsibilities

• Own production execution for assigned areas, ensuring safe operations, stable processes, and high-quality output.
• Lead shift and production teams to achieve daily and weekly production targets aligned with the factory master plan.
• Ensure production activities adhere to approved work instructions, quality requirements, and applicable standards.
• Establish strong routines for shopfloor management, including production meetings, escalation processes, and daily performance reviews.
• Translate production requirements into executable plans and ensure capacity readiness.
• Manage production flow, bottlenecks, and priorities to protect delivery commitments and reduce disruptions.
• Drive performance against key targets such as on-time completion, throughput, yield, rework, and cost efficiency.
• Ensure operational readiness for key milestones, including ramp-up, new product introduction, model changes, and volume increases.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Quality Assurance

• Collaborate closely with Supply Chain to secure material availability and support production-to-supply readiness.
• Work with Maintenance and Engineering to ensure equipment uptime, readiness, and process stability.
• Coordinate with Logistics and Warehouse teams for smooth inbound and outbound flows.
• Partner with Project Execution and Quality teams for commissioning, trials, and ramp-up activities.
• Ensure production output meets specifications and quality standards through disciplined adherence to quality gates, inspections, and test plans.
• Actively support root-cause analysis for non-conformities and drive effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) with cross-functional partners.
• Promote a "quality at the source" mindset among supervisors and operators.

Leadership and Continuous Improvement

• Lead, coach, and develop production supervisors and team members, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Ensure appropriate training and competence for production tasks, including compliance with safety and work standards.
• Create a performance-driven team culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase productivity, reduce waste, and strengthen process capability.
• Use structured problem-solving approaches to address recurring issues, improve OEE/availability targets, and reduce variation.
• Ensure compliance with corporate policies, safety requirements, and quality standards at all times.
• Support internal audits and readiness for external inspections.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum of 5 to 10 years of experience in manufacturing/production management, production leadership, or operations management, preferably in an industrial environment.
• Proven experience leading shopfloor operations with measurable results in delivery, quality, productivity, and continuous improvement.
• Strong knowledge of production systems, manufacturing processes, and production planning/execution principles.
• Demonstrated leadership capability, including coaching supervisors, influencing teams, and managing performance constructively.
• Strong understanding of quality management principles (*, defect prevention, CAPA, root cause analysis).
• Familiarity with performance management systems and operational KPI tracking (*, OTD, yield, scrap, rework, downtime).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to align cross-functional stakeholders and work in multicultural environments.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in ramp-up and/or new factory setup environments.
• Experience with high-complexity industrial manufacturing, technical assemblies, or specialty components.
• Exposure to global manufacturing environments and standardized ways of working.
• Lean/Six Sigma experience or training, or comparable continuous improvement background.

This full-time position is based in Dammam, Eastern Region, Saudi Arabia. Salary for this role is not disclosed.