Section Manager, R&D Lab Operation at Ambu in Malaysia

Ambu A/S is currently looking for a Section Manager, R&D Lab Operation to be based in Penang, Malaysia.

Are you passionate about leading engineering teams, driving operational excellence, and enabling innovation in a highly regulated environment? As our Section Manager, R&D Lab Operation, you will play a key role in ensuring efficient laboratory operations that support product development, verification activities, and lifecycle management initiatives across Ambu's product portfolio.

In this role, you will lead a team responsible for R&D laboratory testing, verification activities, storage management, and lifecycle engineering support. You will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders including R&D, Quality Engineering, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, and Product Development teams to ensure robust governance, compliance, and execution of engineering projects.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced engineering leader who enjoys balancing people leadership, technical problem-solving, process optimization, and strategic planning in a dynamic international environment.

Key Responsibilities

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Lead and execute Lifecycle Engineering strategies, projects, and initiatives to support product improvements, process optimization, and operational excellence.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the R&D laboratory, including testing, verification activities, laboratory governance, and storage management.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers and technicians through performance management, capability development, and resource planning.
• Plan and monitor annual Lifecycle Engineering objectives, including budgeting, capacity planning, resource allocation, project prioritization, and performance tracking.
• Support product design and development activities through test method development, verification planning, storage specifications, technical documentation, and technical sourcing activities.
• Provide technical leadership and hands-on support in laboratory testing, investigations, problem-solving activities, and verification execution when required.
• Drive design changes and lifecycle management projects in compliance with Ambu procedures, quality requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve laboratory governance processes to ensure stable, reproducible, and compliant operations.
• Collaborate effectively with global and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure successful delivery of product and business objectives.

Suggested Candidate Profile

Skills and experiences can be earned in many different ways, and we understand that the best fit for the role cannot be prescribed on paper. You are, however, likely to succeed in this position if you:

• Hold a Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Bring at least 5 years of leadership or management experience within a laboratory engineering, testing, verification, or product development environment.
• Have proven experience establishing, implementing, and maintaining laboratory governance processes and quality-compliant testing environments.
• Possess strong knowledge of quality systems, quality engineering principles, and engineering process controls.
• Have experience leading technical teams, managing resources, and driving performance in a structured and results-oriented manner.
• Demonstrate excellent analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and project management capabilities.
• Have strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions, cultures, and global locations.
• Ideally have experience from the medical device industry or another highly regulated industry.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment and demonstrate a proactive mindset, a strong sense of ownership, and urgency in delivering results.
• Are comfortable working independently while promoting knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Communicate fluently in written and spoken English, with the ability to engage stakeholders at both operational and management levels.