QC Manager

PLANT MANAGER

A leading Thai food manufacturing and restaurant chain group operating well-known domestic dining brands across 800+ SKUs. The company is scaling rapidly with plans for domestic and international expansion, transitioning from an entrepreneurial family-owned model toward corporate-level operational standards.

Samut Sakhon, Thailand | Reports to: Owner / COO

ROLE PURPOSE

Lead all manufacturing and central kitchen operations for a high-growth multi-brand restaurant group, overseeing a greenfield factory relocation and commissioning while managing production across a complex, high-SKU environment. The role carries full P&L accountability for plant performance and is responsible for elevating quality systems to Japanese and international standards in preparation for scaled domestic and overseas expansion.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership & Team Building

Lead and develop a cross-functional team of ~50 office staff spanning Engineering, Quality, Production, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Finance, and HR

Manage 200–300 operational floor staff, driving collaboration, engagement, and high performance across all shifts

Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline throughout the plant

Build organisational capability to support the transition from entrepreneurial operations to corporate-grade manufacturing standards

Factory Relocation & Commissioning

Oversee the end-to-end greenfield central kitchen/factory relocation from the existing site to the new Samut Sakhon facility

Ensure uninterrupted supply to all restaurant outlets during the transition period

Manage all commissioning, validation, and go-live activities to meet on-time completion targets

Coordinate with engineering, construction, and equipment vendors to deliver the facility to specification

Quality & Standards Elevation

Establish and embed Japanese and international QA/QC manufacturing standards across all production lines

Drive food safety, hygiene, and regulatory compliance in line with global best practices

Implement robust quality management systems and audit-readiness protocols

Champion a zero-defect culture with measurable yield improvement and waste reduction targets

Production & Supply Chain Management

Plan and manage production operations across ~800 high-complexity SKUs serving multiple restaurant brands

Manage Phase I operations (hybrid manual and automated processes) while preparing infrastructure and workflows for Phase II advanced automation

Drive cost management, production yield optimisation, and on-time SKU delivery fulfilment

Oversee end-to-end operational supply chain planning, inventory management, and demand alignment

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Education: Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Food Science, Chemistry, or Nutrition (Master's in Business, Engineering, or related discipline preferred)

Experience: 10–15 years in plant management or central kitchen operations within food manufacturing, food retail, FMCG, or consumer packaged goods

Technical: Production planning across high-SKU environments; quality management systems (GMP, HACCP, or equivalent); phased automation implementation; ERP and manufacturing execution platforms

Leadership: Proven ability to lead large multi-layered teams (office and floor); hands-on leadership style with strong stakeholder management; track record of driving collaboration and engagement in fast-paced, scaling environments

Certifications: Relevant food safety or quality management certifications preferred

Industry: Food manufacturing, central kitchen operations, food retail, or FMCG/CPG

Our client is a growing food manufacturing and export company specialising in high-end confectionery and food decoration solutions, including sugar, marshmallow, and chocolate decorations. Based in the Pattaya area and serving customers across international markets, the company partners with food manufacturers, bakeries, HORECA operators, and distributors to deliver premium, innovative products.

With a strong focus on quality, food safety, and operational excellence, the company is strengthening its manufacturing capability and is seeking an experienced and hands-on Factory Manager to lead day-to-day operations at its Pattaya facility.

Responsibilities

Lead and supervise all day-to-day operations of the Pattaya site, ensuring production, quality, service, and cost objectives are achieved.

Plan and coordinate production, manpower, warehouse, maintenance, utilities, and site resources to maximise operational efficiency and productivity.

Coordinate effectively with QA, Administration, Sales, and the company’s second manufacturing site to ensure operational alignment, customer requirements, and production priorities are met.

Manage inventory of raw materials, packaging, work-in-process, and finished goods to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Work closely with R&D to support product development, trials, scale-up, and industrialisation of new products.

Monitor operational KPIs, analyse performance, and implement continuous improvement initiatives to increase productivity and reduce costs.

Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, BRCGS, SMETA, Halal, Kosher, and all applicable food safety, quality, environmental, health, and safety requirements, including timely implementation of corrective actions.

Lead, coach, and manage a team of approximately 25–40 employees, ensuring clear accountability, performance, discipline, training, and development.

Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, discipline, tidiness, and continuous improvement across the site.

Proactively escalate operational issues, business risks, and customer-impacting matters to the General Manager, together with clear root causes, proposed solutions, and action plans.

Operational performance: production efficiency, productivity, OTIF, and manufacturing cost control.

Quality & food safety: customer complaints, audit performance, food safety compliance, and product quality.

Inventory management: inventory accuracy, stock turnover, and material loss/waste control.

People management: employee productivity, engagement, turnover, absenteeism, and training development.

Continuous improvement: delivery of improvement initiatives, CAPEX projects, and operational excellence objectives.

Requirements

Lead and supervise all day-to-day operations of the Pattaya site, ensuring production, quality, service, and cost objectives are achieved.

Plan and coordinate production, manpower, warehouse, maintenance, utilities, and site resources to maximise operational efficiency and productivity.

Coordinate effectively with QA, Administration, Sales, and the company’s second manufacturing site to ensure operational alignment, customer requirements, and production priorities are met.

Manage inventory of raw materials, packaging, work-in-process, and finished goods to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Work closely with R&D to support product development, trials, scale-up, and industrialisation of new products.

Monitor operational KPIs, analyse performance, and implement continuous improvement initiatives to increase productivity and reduce costs.

Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, BRCGS, SMETA, Halal, Kosher, and all applicable food safety, quality, environmental, health, and safety requirements, including timely implementation of corrective actions.

Lead, coach, and manage a team of approximately 25–40 employees, ensuring clear accountability, performance, discipline, training, and development.

Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, discipline, tidiness, and continuous improvement across the site.

Proactively escalate operational issues, business risks, and customer-impacting matters to the General Manager, together with clear root causes, proposed solutions, and action plans.

Operational performance: production efficiency, productivity, OTIF, and manufacturing cost control.

Quality & food safety: customer complaints, audit performance, food safety compliance, and product quality.

Inventory management: inventory accuracy, stock turnover, and material loss/waste control.

People management: employee productivity, engagement, turnover, absenteeism, and training development.

Continuous improvement: delivery of improvement initiatives, CAPEX projects, and operational excellence objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in food science, Food Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field.

Minimum 5–8 years’ experience in food manufacturing, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role.

Experience managing production, planning, warehouse, and maintenance operations in a food manufacturing environment.

Solid knowledge of GMP, HACCP, BRCGS, and food manufacturing best practices.

Strong leadership, problem-solving, and people management skills with a hands-on approach.

Strong command of both Thai and English, with the ability to communicate effectively with English-speaking stakeholders.

Proficient in Microsoft Office and ERP systems (Odoo).