Senior Engineering Manager (Polish Process)

About our group:

Polish Process (Backend Operations) Group at Seagate International (Johor) is part of the Substrate Manufacturing operation, which produces aluminum substrates used in Seagate’s HDD media. This team plays a critical final‑stage role in ensuring the substrate surface is perfectly smooth, defect‑free, and ready for downstream processes.

About the role - you will:

Be responsible for leading, optimizing, and overseeing the full spectrum of polishing operations within the manufacturing environment. This role ensures process stability, product quality, equipment reliability, and safe operations while driving continuous improvement initiatives aligned with organizational goals. The manager leads a team of engineers, technicians, and operators to achieve high output efficiency, cost effectiveness, and compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

• Lead daily polishing operations to meet output, quality, and cycle time targets.
• Manage polishing processes, recipes, parameters, and work instructions.
• Drive yield improvement, cost reduction, and equipment/process optimization.
• Lead root cause analysis for process, yield, and equipment issues.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety, EHS, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead, develop, and coach engineers, line leaders, and technicians.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams and suppliers to support NPI and technology transfer.

About you:

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of polishing technologies (CMP-style processes, mechanical polishing, consumables behavior, pressure control, slurry chemistry).
• Proficient in statistical analysis tools (Minitab, JMP, SPC).
• Knowledge of FMEA, 8D, Lean, Six Sigma methodologies.

Soft Skills

• Strong communication, leadership, and decision‑making abilities.
• Ability to lead under pressure and manage cross-functional priorities.
• Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving skills.

Your experience includes:

• 5 to 8 years experience in a high‑volume manufacturing environment, preferably in semiconductor, HDD, precision polishing, or similar processes.
• Proven experience in process engineering, production operations, or continuous improvement roles.
• Leadership or team‑lead experience is preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Materials, Chemical Engineering, or related field.

Location:

Located in Johor Bahru’s technology park, our office is one of the largest electronics component manufacturers in Johor. On site, we encourage employees to lead active and healthy lives. The facility provides a cafeteria offering healthier menu options. Employees have fun and build strong relationships by participating in many sports, recreation and cultural activities like badminton, soccer and chess tournaments. We’re also proud to give back to the greater Johor community through many STEM volunteer activities.

Location: Johor, Malaysia
Travel: None