About the role

We seek a strong candidate with proven leadership and people management skills to be an 'understudy' to the incumbent before taking over the Factory Manager – Coatings Plant role in due course. A hands-on and practical role where you will take full accountability for the operation of this Plant. You will be responsible for the safe, efficient, and cost-effective operation of the chemical manufacturing facility. The role has full responsibility for production performance, production planning, material planning, inventory accuracy, quality, process control, and continuous improvement.

The Factory

Manager is expected to provide strong technical and operational leadership and support the Coatings Plant's future business growth.

Key responsibilities

- Lead the day-to-day operation of the coatings manufacturing facility and take full ownership for safety, quality, delivery, cost and people performance.
- Ensure production targets are achieved while maintaining approved formulations, batch instructions, process parameters and quality requirements.
- Own short and medium-term production planning for coatings products and ensure manufacturing priorities are clearly communicated to the production team.
- Work closely with Supply Chain and Procurement to ensure correct raw materials, packaging and consumables are available to meet the production plan.
- Lead process improvement activities using an engineering and data-based approach, with strong focus on safety, capacity, labour productivity, quality and cost reduction.
- Lead Lean, 5S, Kaizen, root cause analysis and waste reduction activities within the PU factory.
- Identify and develop CAPEX proposals required to improve coatings capacity, automation, safety, quality and operational reliability.




- Take full ownership for safety performance of the coatings factory and ensure all work is carried out in accordance with company HSE requirements and applicable regulations.
- Ensure all products are manufactured to approved formulations, specifications and quality procedures.
- Work closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, HSE, Engineering, Maintenance, Warehouse and Finance to achieve agreed business objectives.

About you

- Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Minimum 5 years of solid manufacturing experience incorporating people management experience – leading production teams in a factory environment.
- Experience within a chemical, polymer, coatings, adhesive, resin, paint, blending, mixing or similar process manufacturing environment.
- Proven interest and experience in factory automation, process improvement, equipment selection and implementation of practical engineering solutions.
- CAPEX projects from concept through installation and commissioning.
- Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and ability to use production and inventory data for decision making.
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, RCA or Six Sigma methodologies is highly desirable.
- Experience working within ISO 9001 or similar quality system and strong understanding of controlled manufacturing procedures.
- Experience managing chemical manufacturing risks, chemical handling and protected work practices is strongly preferred.
- Strong engineering and analytical problem-solving skills with ability to identify root causes rather than only manage symptoms.

About us APT (Advanced Polymer Technology) is the leading global manufacturer of polyurethane-based materials, acrylic coatings and synthetic turf products for sporting and recreational applications.

📌 Factory Manager - Coatings Plant (Dandenong South)
🏢 APT Asia Pacific
📍 Dandenong South