Jobs in Singapore: “How I became a team leader at one of the world’s largest semiconductor equipment manufacturers”

Mohamed Nazirudeen Bin Abdul Rahman, 35, is an Operations Manager for worldwide manufacturing at Applied Materials, which has its regional headquarters in Singapore. He balanced full-time work with studies to go from a Higher Nitec at ITE to a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and now manages a team of 24 at work.
 

1. What is your role exactly and can you describe what a regular day at work is like?

Applied Materials manufactures semiconductor equipment that is used by the world’s biggest chipmakers, and my job as an Operations Manager is to oversee the manufacturing line from end to end and perform quality checks on products before they’re shipped out to customers across the world.

I manage a team of 24 technicians and material coordinators so most of my tasks revolve around people. Every morning, I will have a discussion with the team to align on what we are going to achieve for the day. This is followed by production meetings, where I coordinate with different stakeholders to ensure that our shipments to customers are on track.

My job also involves close collaboration with the quality and engineering teams, especially if any issues occur along the manufacturing line. I prefer to be more hands-on with my work so I will go down with the different teams to identify the root cause of the issue. We will then brainstorm together to find possible solutions.
 

2. How did you end up in this role at Applied Materials?

I did my Higher Nitec at ITE, got a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Singapore Polytechnic, and joined the company after completing National Service in 2015. Back then, aerospace and mechanical engineering were the talk of the town. However, I was attracted to the semiconductor sector as it was aligned with my interest in electronics.

What drew me to Applied Materials is its support for employees’ career development. I started off as a part-time technician with close to zero experience, but I was fortunate to have a strong support pillar — my peers who guided me along the way, and my manager who recognised the value of my contributions. In 2016, I was offered the opportunity to be converted to a full-time employee. With the support of the company, I was able to further my education while still keeping up with my work responsibilities. In 2022, I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from RMIT University and was promoted to the position of Operations Manager.

3. What’s most meaningful to you about your role?

Semiconductors can be found in virtually every aspect of our lives. These chips are in devices that we use on a day-to-day basis, from mobile phones to laptops. Hence, it’s heartening to see that the work we do here actually has a tangible impact on society.

The industry is also undergoing some exciting developments. Many of the manual tasks along the production line are being digitalised to enhance operations and at Applied Materials, we have started using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology to train our technicians. This allows them to familiarise themselves with the equipment quickly and identify defects more accurately, ensuring our products meet quality standards and customer requirements before delivery.
 

4. What motivates you to continue growing yourself in terms of your career?

In life, I’ve learnt it’s not about where you start. It’s about the journey to the finish line. I want to show the people around me that I can perform well at my job and fulfil my potential – maybe I will take a longer time than others, but eventually I will reach there. That’s what keeps me going. In fact, I’ve started thinking about what’s next. I’ve mostly pursued further education in the field of engineering but I’m considering doing an MBA when my child is older so that I can equip myself with skills in business management.