Factory Manager | Rice Milling Operations

Our strategic partner is an international company specializing in rice milling and value-added rice-based products, supplying both domestic and export markets, with a strong commitment to quality, food safety, and operational excellence.

Location: Long An, Vietnam

Summary

Our strategic partner is seeking a Factory Manager – Rice Milling Operations to independently manage a paddy-to-rice processing facility. The role oversees production, quality, maintenance, procurement, warehouses, manpower, vendors, and regulatory coordination while optimizing costs, yield, recovery, and plant performance. Reporting to the Business Head – Rice / Management, the position requires full-time residence at the factory, with accommodation provided.

Job Responsibilities

Complete Factory Operations:

• Independently oversee all daily rice-mill operations.
• Maintain smooth paddy receiving, drying, cleaning, dehusking, whitening, polishing, grading, sorting, packing, and finished-goods handling.
• Schedule and monitor daily production against the target of 300–500 MT of paddy per day.
• Maximize effective use of machinery and factory capacity.
• Track production losses, recovery, broken percentage, head rice yield, and by-products.
• Identify production bottlenecks and take corrective action.
• Maintain preventive maintenance schedules and timely servicing of critical machinery.
• Work with machinery OEMs and technical service providers as needed.

Paddy Procurement & Supplier Network:

• Build and maintain a dependable network of paddy suppliers and aggregators throughout Vietnam.
• Select suitable paddy varieties and sourcing channels to meet customer requirements.
• Evaluate paddy quality before purchasing.
• Sustain effective relationships with farmers, collectors, traders, and paddy suppliers.
• Align paddy purchasing requirements with the commercial team.
• Track seasonal supply, quality, and prices across paddy varieties.
• Accept only approved paddy that meets the factory’s requirements.

Rice Quality Management:

• Take full ownership of finished-rice quality and required standards.
• Apply strong technical knowledge of grain length and appearance, moisture, milling degree, whiteness, polishing, Head Rice Yield, broken percentage, yellow grains, chalky grains, damaged/discoloured grains, red/black grains, foreign matter, paddy percentage, immature grains, and seeds and other impurities.
• Develop and maintain suitable quality-control procedures throughout production.
• Investigate customer complaints and implement corrective actions addressing root causes.
• Keep production aligned with customer specifications and export requirements.

Commercial Responsibilities:

• Apply strong commercial judgment alongside technical expertise.
• Assess how paddy quality, yield, processing losses, and production efficiency affect commercial results.
• Track milling recovery and production costs.
• Optimize paddy selection for the best commercial yield.
• Limit waste and avoid unnecessary operating expenditure.
• Understand the economics of rice varieties and processing configurations.
• Coordinate production plans and customer requirements with the commercial team.
• Advise management on paddy procurement, production costs, and finished-rice yield.
• Make commercially viable factory decisions aligned with company objectives.

Vendor & Service Provider Network:

• Establish and maintain a reliable network of Vietnamese vendors.
• Manage suppliers of paddy, packaging materials, spare parts, machinery, maintenance services, electrical/mechanical services, transport, labour and manpower, and other factory requirements.
• Negotiate competitive rates while preserving quality and reliability.
• Secure critical spare parts and consumables when required.

People & Manpower Management:

• Lead all factory employees and workers.
• Determine manpower needs based on production schedules.
• Assign duties and shifts effectively.
• Track employee performance, discipline, and attendance.
• Train staff in production procedures, quality standards, safety, and hygiene.
• Promote accountability and operational discipline.
• Address employee concerns and maintain a productive workplace.
• Provide adequate supervision on every shift.

Government & Regulatory Coordination:

• Coordinate with relevant Vietnamese government departments and local authorities.
• Maintain required licenses, registrations, permits, and statutory compliance.
• Work with government officials, inspectors, and regulators as needed.
• Maintain compliance with applicable requirements for food safety, environment, labour, fire safety, factory operations, rice/paddy processing, and exports.

Inventory & Warehouse Management:

• Track stocks of paddy, finished rice, broken rice, and by-products.
• Keep stock records accurate.
• Apply FIFO and stock rotation where appropriate.
• Reduce stock losses, contamination, moisture damage, and quality deterioration.
• Coordinate finished-product loading and dispatch.
• Maintain warehouse hygiene and effective pest control.

Job Requirements

• Degree or Diploma in Rice Milling Technology, Food Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Food Processing, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Additional technical training in rice milling is an advantage.
• 5–10 years of relevant experience in rice milling, rice processing, or agricultural commodities.
• Proven hands-on experience independently managing a 300–500 MT/day paddy-to-rice mill.
• Technical expertise in paddy procurement, milling operations, quality control, production planning, maintenance, inventory, manpower, and vendor management.
• Commercial understanding of production costs, yield/recovery, processing losses, and factory efficiency.
• Experience working with government authorities and managing food safety, environment, labour, fire safety, and export requirements.
• Experience in modern Vietnamese rice mills supplying or exporting to international markets is strongly preferred, with established relationships across the Vietnamese paddy/rice supply chain.
• Strong leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and take ownership of factory performance.
• Willingness to reside at the factory full-time and supervise early-morning/night shifts or respond immediately to operational issues when required. Factory accommodation is provided.

If you possess the required skills and experience and are ready to significantly contribute to the dynamic team, we warmly welcome your application at giang.nguyen@peoplewise.vn or  application@peoplewise.vn.

About PeopleWise Vietnam:

PeopleWise Vietnam is founded on the belief that people are at the core of organizational success. We provide comprehensive human resources consulting services to partners worldwide, including Executive Search and Talent Acquisition Solutions, Staffing Management Solutions, and People & Organizational Consulting Services.

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