Global Head of External Manufacturing

Job description for Global Head of External Manufacturing at Metasource

External manufacturing strategy

Own and evolve The client’s external manufacturing strategy across Southeast Asia, ensuring the Factory plans support the rapid growth, increase resilience and quality while controlling costs and Brand standards

Own the relationship with Factory Owners (predominantly Korean-owned), build long-term plans and explore new manufacturing routes

Analyse and determine capacity allocation, Factory mix and regional balance across the Manufacturing base (currently Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia)

Third party factory performance & governance

Provide oversight of all third party Manufacturing Partners, ensuring consistent delivery against agreed commercial, quality and service expectations, leading a team of in-house embedded The client specialists in-country reporting in

• Establish clear performance frameworks covering Delivery, Quality, Responsiveness and Continuous Improvement
• Lead regular business reviews with key Suppliers and manage escalation of material risks or performance issues

Production delivery & capacity management

• Ensure Factories deliver On time, In full Production aligned to The client’s demand plans and seasonal peaks
• Oversee capacity planning and load balancing across countries and Suppliers to mitigate risk and avoid bottlenecks
• Partner closely with Planning, Logistics and Commercial teams to protect availability for Wholesale and DTC channels

Cross functional leadership & stakeholder management

Act as the senior Manufacturing interface with Product Development, Supply Chain, Finance, Logistics and the SLT

Be a strong voice inside The client for demanding improvement and organisational change on aspects which impact the ability to deliver quantity, on time and at the right quality

• Translate business strategy into clear Manufacturing priorities and execution plans for regional teams and Suppliers
• Provide clear, data driven updates on Manufacturing performance, risks and opportunities to senior leadership

Quality, Testing & Product Standards

• Be accountable for maintaining The client’s exceptional Quality and Safety standards across all external Factories
• Ensure robust inspection, testing and certification processes are in place, including third party Testing Partners where required
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective action for quality failures, embedding preventative controls
• Supplier development & continuous improvement
• Lead Supplier Capability Development, including Process Standardisation, Training & Operational Excellence initiatives
• Support Factory upgrades in Machinery, Processes and Skills to improve Productivity, Consistency and Scalability
• Encourage a culture of continuous improvement across the external Manufacturing base

Partner with The client Labs, the internal Technology Development team on using latest Technology in Manufacturing and Sourcing to drive efficiencies and improve quality

• Responsible sourcing, ethics & compliance
• Ensure all Partner Factories operate in line with The client’s responsible Sourcing, Ethical & Social Compliance standards
• Oversee Factory Audit programmes, remediation plans and ongoing compliance monitoring across all countries
• Stay ahead of evolving Regulatory, Safety and Chemical Compliance requirements impacting Toy Manufacturing
• Cost, margin & commercial impact
• Own Manufacturing input to cost management and margin protection, balancing efficiency with quality & Brand integrity

Partner with Finance and Procurement to evaluate costs, potential investments or loans and long term Supplier collaborations, with a view of enabling the Manufacturing Partners to invest and secure long term production volumes

• Regional presence & leadership
• Lead and coordinate in country Manufacturing teams and Partners in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand & Indonesia
• Travel regularly within the region to maintain strong Factory relationships and on the ground oversight