Company Overview
I-PEX Singapore Pte. Ltd. was incorporated in 1979 and is a subsidiary of I-PEX Co., Ltd which is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. We are specialising in the manufacturing of precision plastic parts and fine-pitch electronics connectors.
Job Summary
We are seeking a Regional Commercial Service & Trading Manager to be based in Singapore, supporting and coordinating subsidiary factories across the Southeast Asia region. This role is a regional corporate-hub position, responsible for optimizing commercial models, strategic purchasing, and cross-border shipment flows, with a strong focus on cost, tariff, risk, and margin optimization. The successful candidate will work closely with subsidiary factories, HQ functions, and regional stakeholders to build standardized, scalable commercial capabilities.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement regional commercial and trading models to optimize cost, tariff, and margin outcomes across subsidiary factories
- Support subsidiary factories by clarifying commercial terms, structuring quotations, and interpreting contracts to ensure compliance and alignment
- Act as the regional escalation point to resolve complex commercial and trading issues efficiently
- Ensure regional commercial activities comply with HQ policies and governance standards
- Develop and deploy strategic purchasing strategies for materials, components, logistics, and indirect spend to maximize aggregation and synergy benefits
- Lead or support supplier negotiations on pricing, terms, and risk mitigation to secure favorable agreements
- Establish preferred and strategic supplier frameworks in collaboration with factories and HQ procurement teams
- Analyze cost structures and conduct should-cost and value analyses to inform purchasing decisions
- Design and implement optimal shipment routes balancing tariffs, customs duties, COO and FTA eligibility, lead times, costs, and supply risks
- Evaluate and recommend shipment models such as direct shipment, hub-and-spoke, inter-factory transfers, or factory-to-customer flows to enhance efficiency
- Coordinate with logistics, customs brokers, finance, and tax teams to ensure compliant and cost-effective shipment execution
- Support total landed cost analysis and assess margin impacts to inform commercial decisions
- Identify and manage commercial risks including credit exposure, foreign exchange fluctuations, supplier risks, and contractual liabilities
- Support dispute resolution, claims management, and contract reviews to minimize commercial risks
- Establish and maintain regional commercial control points, standard operating procedures, and templates to standardize processes
- Coach and support subsidiary factory teams to build commercial, purchasing, and trade capabilities
- Drive standardization and best-practice sharing across the region to enhance operational excellence
- Support the RHQ's role as a regional corporate hub for governance and transformation initiatives
Requirements
- Experience working with manufacturing environments to understand operational and commercial challenges
- Strong understanding of international trade regulations, B2B commercial operations, tariffs, customs duties, FTAs (e.g., ASEAN, RCEP), and COO concepts
- Practical skills in total landed cost analysis and connecting cost structures to pricing and margin outcomes
- Comfortable working with numerical data, contracts, and conducting structured commercial analysis
- ERP system exposure (e.g., SAP) to support commercial and purchasing processes
- Proficiency in Japanese and/or Chinese to facilitate seamless communication with HQ and regional factories, supporting effective collaboration
