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
