Aside from leading a team of 300 engineers and technicians in development, cost improvement, design for production line layouts, tooling, materials and support to resolve technical and quality related manufacturing problems, the incumbent is also expected to use acute analytical skills to create a road map of the whole production process.

'This person will become the brain and heart of the engineering team, so he or she must be really talented and experienced and can survive in a multinational firm. This person must be a leader,' Sophia Chan Shuk-wah, consulting manager of Drake International, said.

Ms Chan said that knowledge of injection moulding and compounding operation with modified polyphenylene oxide and polyphenylsulfone was paramount.

But qualifications aside, the person must also be culturally sensitive and able to communicate with the staff, customers and vendors.

'Because there are expats working at all levels and mainland staff as well, the person must be adaptable and able to communicate in English and Putonghua fluently.'