Context
We are looking for a People Manager / Supervisor to lead a customer support team responsible for DUV systems in Kumamoto, Japan.
This role combines people leadership, operational management, and customer-facing responsibilities. The successful candidate will lead a team of 10 or more engineers and will be responsible for building a strong, collaborative, and sustainable team capable of delivering high-quality customer support in a dynamic environment.
As a People Manager, you will coach and develop team members, manage workload and resource allocation, monitor employee well-being, and create an environment where team members can perform at their best.
At the same time, you will act as one of the key interfaces with the customer. This includes maintaining daily communication, providing clear updates on system status and operational priorities, managing customer expectations, and ensuring appropriate escalation and help requests when additional support is required.
As this is a relatively new customer and operation, the role requires someone who is comfortable working in an evolving environment, establishing effective ways of working, and building trusted relationships with both the customer and internal stakeholders.
Requirements
- Language: Communication skills in English and Mandarin are required.
- Substantial experience in field operations, customer support, service operations, or people management, preferably in a technical environment.
- Demonstrated experience in leading, coaching, or influencing teams in a complex and customer-facing environment.
- People leadership skills, with the ability to coach individuals, develop capabilities, manage workload, and support employee well-being.
- Interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively across different organizational levels and cultures.
- Ability to operate effectively in a multicultural environment and adapt to differences in culture, communication styles, and customer expectations.
- Ability to remain calm, structured, and solution-oriented when dealing with operational challenges, changing priorities, or customer escalations.
- Strong sense of ownership and the ability to balance customer priorities, operational needs, and team sustainability.
- Experience in the semiconductor equipment or high-tech service industry is preferred.
- Experience working with international teams and multiple stakeholders is preferred.
Responsibilities
People Leadership & Team Development
- Lead and manage a team of 10 or more engineers, creating an environment in which people can collaborate effectively and perform at their best.
- Coach and develop team members through regular feedback, guidance, and development discussions.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships and mutual trust among team members.
- Manage workload and resource allocation to ensure sustainable team performance.
- Monitor team well-being and proactively address workload, motivation, or organizational concerns.
- Encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team.
- Support the development of both individual capabilities and overall team maturity.
Customer & Stakeholder Management
- Act as a key interface between the customer and internal support organization.
- Establish and maintain trusted relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
- Maintain close day-to-day communication with the customer regarding system status, operational priorities, risks, and recovery activities.
- Clearly communicate technical and operational situations in a way that supports customer understanding and decision-making.
- Manage customer expectations while maintaining a strong commitment to customer satisfaction and service quality.
- Understand customer priorities and translate them into clear actions and priorities for the support organization.
- Handle difficult or sensitive customer situations professionally and constructively.
Operational Management & Escalation
- Oversee day-to-day support operations and ensure appropriate prioritization of team activities.
- Coordinate resources and support activities based on system conditions and customer priorities.
- Identify operational risks and issues early and ensure appropriate mitigation or escalation.
- Initiate and coordinate higher-level escalations and help requests when additional technical, operational, or organizational support is required.
- Work closely with local and global support organizations to drive effective problem resolution.
- Balance short-term system recovery requirements with long-term team capability and operational stability.
- Drive continuous improvement in team processes, communication, and ways of working.
Leadership Expectations
The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate:
- People-first leadership while maintaining strong accountability for operational results.
- A strong customer focus and commitment to customer satisfaction.
- The ability to build trust across cultural and organizational boundaries.
- Courage to escalate, challenge, and seek support when necessary.
- The ability to make clear decisions and set priorities in a fast-changing environment.
- A collaborative mindset and willingness to work across local and global organizations.
- A continuous-improvement mindset, particularly important when establishing a new team and supporting a new customer.
This position requires access to controlled technology, as defined in the United States Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. § 730, et seq.). Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to access such controlled technology prior to beginning work. Business demands may require ASML to proceed with candidates who are immediately eligible to access controlled technology.
Inclusion and diversity
ASML is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that inclusion and diversity is a driving force in the success of our company.
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