Archives February 2007

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Company introduction: Our client a US wholly owned subsidiary of one of the largest manufacturers of interconnect products in the world. The Company designs, manufactures and markets electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors, coaxial and flat-ribbon cable, and interconnect systems. As a subsidiary of this group, they are an acknowledged leader in designing and manufacturing mobile telephone antenna, hinge, and other wireless products¡¯ relevant components. Their Customers are mainly mobile phone manufacturers in China, Taiwan, Europe and North America, as well as mobile phone platform vendors. In light of their business expanding, they are now looking for Senior Mechanical Engineer to join their team.

Job Description:
Report To:R&D Manager
Location: Shanghai
The Senior ME works in Research and Innovation Team. His function is to guide the team towards the creation of innovative products,using new materials, new technologies and new manufacturing process.The candidate shall be knowledge-able enough to select proper supplier according to the Research team requirements and Roadmap. The Senior ME together with the RF team cooperate to reach rapidly cost, efficient solutions for the company MCP protfolio. The senior ME in a short term would have to manage a team of Junior ME.

Responsibilities:
1.Easy Communication with International/domestic Customers/Suppliers/Colleagues/Academic Institutions;
2.Able to use simulation tools/CAD tools for concrete and future projects;
3.Evaluate feasibility of new ideas and eliminate irrational/expensive/not produce-able solutions;
4.Eliminate manufacturing risks from the beginning of a project (FMEA) on a technology/Material/Process point of view;
5.Create periodical high quality reports and discuss specific subjects or presentation in front of an international audience;
6.Ensure that any specific customized project can be run smoothly into Mass Production;
7.Establish good relationship with suppliers (existing/news) and drive their technology towards the Research team needs;
8.Arrange/host brainstorming with the Mechanical Engineers to gather common experience for challenging Projects;
9.Internal coordination with all product related functions of SAA and external coordination with Customer/Supplier/Academic institution/International Colleagues

Requirements:
10.At least 3 years ME design experience in mass production of products related to Electronics industry;
11.At least Bachelor degree in mechanical engineering;
12.Good design and simulation skills with Pro/Engineering and Pro/Mechanical, over 3 years experience with Pro/E is preferable;
13.Fluent English (spoken, written) and other international languages is a plus;
14.Able to create 3D complex geometries and evaluate their feasibility with other team members;
15.Be able to write reports, be organized, and store information in company database;
16.Be able to work in an international context;
17.Ability to travel domestic/international is appreciated;
18.Be responsible, independent and use common sense on a daily basis;
19.Have a good understanding of the business and a network of contacts in the area of work;
20.A basic RF knowledge is also highly appreciated.
21.Common materials and their properties used in electronics industry
22.Basic knowledge of tooling and process for plastic injection, stamping, die-cast, painting, laser marking, structuring
23.Basic knowledge of welding, cutting, flexfilm technologies, PCB, ceramic substrate and ISO9000 or QS9000, APQP procedure

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_eng039sh#dacare.com’(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Recruiting can be harsh

The first letter arrived, as Mark Fisher recalls, on a Tuesday in spring 2005 when he was a rising junior.

It was from Michigan.

By the time he completed his senior season, there had been hundreds, perhaps thousands.

He never knew that so many people had so much to say to high school football player. Or so little.

Ahhh, the letters. They¡¯re the first step in an odyssey that leads to the fulfillment of a dream for a young man who aspires to play college football.

Beyond those letters, brochures, et cetera, are e-mails, text messages and, of course, telephone calls. So many, in fact, that it¡¯s impossible to keep up with who is writing, who is calling, who is texting. It is all part of football recruiting.

The payoff for colleges was Wednesday ¡ª national signing day ¡ª when high schools seniors signed letters declaring where they¡¯ll play at the next level. For recruits with enough recruiting service stars attached to their name, it is quite the process. Charlie Weis, Steve Spurrier, Phillip Fulmer, Lloyd Carr ¡ª icons of the coaching profession ¡ª practically beg them to sign with their school.

Change in plans

That wasn¡¯t exactly the way recruiting played out for Fisher. The Goodpasture senior lineman signed on Wednesday. He will be a Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider in the fall. He knows there is nothing wrong with that. He also understands that if he works hard and develops as he hopes, the road to professional football could just as easily go through Murfreesboro as Ann Arbor. And, today he understands that recruiting isn¡¯t always a storybook process.

¡°The letters are nice, and you get excited about them when you get your first one,¡¯¡¯ Fisher said. ¡°It gets your hopes up because it makes you think that someone thinks you are good enough to play at the next level. Really, until you are offered (a scholarship), the letters don¡¯t matter. And even then, you know you¡¯ve got a lot of work to do. You don¡¯t work and you know that the letters from Notre Dame and Michigan won¡¯t be coming anymore.¡±

Fisher¡¯s a 6-foot-4, 260-pound lineman with 4.8-4.9 speed in the 40-yard dash. Adequate size. Acceptable speed. Add in excellent character, and it would seem he was tailor-made for a big-time scholarship. Yet, offers seldom came.

¡°Outside of Patrick Turner ¡ª and he was rated as high as anyone in the nation ¡ª Mark was probably the most recruited football player we¡¯ve ever had here,¡± Goodpasture Coach David Martin said. ¡°It seemed like everyone wanted him at one time. Then, there seemed to be a sudden drop in interest. No one has ever explained why.¡±

As a veteran coach, Martin knows the recruiting routine by heart.

¡°The first two questions a recruiter asks are: ¡®What kind of grades does he have?¡¯ and ¡®Can you send me some tape on him?¡¯ After that, when a recruiter comes to the school, the first words you hear are, ¡®Who else has offered?¡¯¡± Martin said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like no school wants to be the first to offer unless it is absolutely sure that someone it plays against is offering, too.

¡°I am convinced that Mark would be successful in the SEC. He has the intangibles, especially character and work ethic. MTSU got a steal.¡±

Family involvement

While Golden Tate of Pope John Paul II became the darling of recruiters who canvassed Middle Tennessee this past fall, the recruitment of Fisher was more typical of what many potential college players experience. The process is akin to a carnival thrill ride for the family and the recruit with as many highs as lows.

¡°It was an emotional roller coaster for Mark, my husband Terry and me,¡± said Rosemary Fisher, Mark¡¯s mother. ¡°Sometimes a college coach is telling you just what you want to hear, especially on the phone.

¡°When they come to your house and you see them face to face, you can look in their eyes and tell that they¡¯re lying to you and making things up. As a parent, you want to protect your child.¡±

Mark Fisher said his college dream began when he was 5 or 6, playing youth football. It permeated his family.

¡°When you have a son that you watched since the day he was born, you want what your child wants,¡± Terry Fisher said. ¡°When the recruiting starts, the pressure begins to build. It gets very costly with camps and campus visits, and you get on edge. All you want is what is best for your child, and for us, a good education was the first priority.¡±

Mark¡¯s recruitment included official and unofficial visits to Michigan, UT, Louisville, Mississippi State and Mississippi, among others. Some never offered. He put others on hold, perhaps too long.

¡°So many times in recruiting, you find a player you like, but all of a sudden, you find someone you like better,¡± MTSU Coach Rick Stockstill said. ¡°That¡¯s how some guys can go from being really hot in the spring, summer or even the first of the fall.¡±

He got offers from Vandy, Mississippi State, Louisville and Ole Miss last fall.

¡°Mississippi State was the first one to offer,¡± Fisher said. ¡°I was bouncing-off-the-wall happy.¡±

Yet, he did not take any offer immediately. Trying to be judicious, he hesitated.

Those schools that offered Fisher initially could not wait. The schools had made commitments to others with what had been Fisher¡¯s scholarship.

¡°MTSU may not be where I thought I was going several months ago, but I feel very, very comfortable with the school and the coaching staff,¡± Fisher said.

¡°Some of the coaches at some of the schools ¡ª I felt like they misled me. I think I could tell when they were fibbing. I hope I may get to play in the NFL someday, but I know the most important thing is go get an education and enjoy the experience of playing college football. That¡¯s what I¡¯m looking forward to doing now.¡±

Investment options continue to expand

INSURERS are improving profitability as investment vehicles increase.

The investment returns for the country’s insurers sat at 5.8 percent last year, up 2.2 percentage points from 2005. It marked a three-year high.

Total profit for the industry topped 95.5 billion yuan (US$11.94 billion) last year, according to the China Insurance Regulatory Commission.

The top insurance regulator is considering further expansion of the investment channels insurers can utilize.

“The watchdog is researching the possibility of expanding the upper limit of insurers’ investments in the stock market,” said an official with the commission who asked not to be named.

Domestic insurers were formerly restricted to bank deposits and bonds as main choices. The low returns made it difficult to boost profit.

At present, insurers are allowed to invest up to five percent of their total assets in the stock market. However, the watchdog is also concerned that the strict limit curbs insurers’ investment returns from the stock market, especially now that has entered a period of strong gains.

China’s stock market stepped out of a five-year low last year as the Shanghai Composite Index surged 130 percent. It is expected the bull run will continue for another two years, according to analysts.

Insurers can now invest in stocks, infrastructure and overseas fixed income markets. Insurers invested US$2.46 billion overseas last year while 10 billion yuan alone was invested in the high-speed railway linking Shanghai and Beijing.

Insurers are making money from investments in the banking sector. Last year, insurers bought stakes in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Bank of China. Both banks’ shares have surged since their debut in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Authorities are considering giving insurers more options to invest abroad by allowing them to invest up to 15 percent of total assets in overseas markets including stocks, funds, fixed-return products, options, deposits, bonds, commercial bills and other products allowed by the regulator, the top regulator said.

It has been soliciting public opinion on the plan in a draft rule posted in December. More moves are also under way.

Shanghai will test using insurance capital to build apartments in Pudong New Area on a trial basis, the Shanghai Bureau of the CIRC said last week.

“I am expecting wider investment vehicles which will make my job more challenging and exciting,” said Xiao Hua, an official within the investment department of a local insurer. “And I see the trend coming quicker these days.”

Minister tells G7 China does its part

China has been contributing to improving the world economy and will continue to do so by stimulating domestic demand, Finance Minister Jin Renqing said at a meeting of the seven industrialized nations (G7).

While the nation seeks to do its part, industrialized countries should assist developing economies to build capacity, while strengthening control on international speculative funds, he said.

Key developing economies China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Russia and Mexico were also invited to the conference, held on Friday and Saturday in the Germany city of Essen.

Jin said China has been taking measures to rectify its economy’s reliance on investment and exports. The measures included reforming income distribution, improving the social safety net and accelerating development in rural areas.

Officials from the 13 countries focused on bond market development in emerging market economies during a dialogue session between developed and developing countries. They agreed that growth in the global economy and ample liquidity have created a favorable environment for bond market development.

Chinese policy makers said that the bond market should become a more important venue to raise capital to reduce Chinese enterprises “unhealthy over-dependence” on banks.

However, Jin said that the development of bond markets must undertaken gradually according to each country’s economy.

China’s central bank chief Zhou Xiaochan, who also attended the meeting, told reporters that he was satisfied with the evolution of the country’s exchange rate system.

China has been following its plan to increase the renminbi’s exchange rate flexibility, Zhou said. He added that seasonal factors may explain a recent rise in consumer prices.

Shanghai go-getters win wage rises, but trail trend in Asia

EMPLOYEES in Shanghai multinational companies won substantial pay increases last year due to a growing professional demand.

But the city still has lower labor costs than other major centers in Asia, according to a definitive report on salaries.

The report, released by Nasdaq-listed headhunter Hudson Recruitment yesterday, covered the pre-tax payroll of a total of 309 positions in nine different sectors – such as manufacturing, banking and financial services, advertising and communications and human resources – in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.

Pay increases varied widely in the different industries.

Upward trend

For instance, employees in the manufacturing and industrial sectors saw their pay rise by about 20 percent compared with that of 2005.

The increases in the advertising and communications industries reached up to 30 percent to 40 percent on average, human resources analysts said.

“Across all positions, salaries in Shanghai are presenting an upward trend, driven by the limited supply of candidates,” said Kellie Grimsley, managing consultant with Hudson’s Shanghai office.

“Companies try to offer high pay to attract and retain the talent they need.”

In the manufacturing sector, for instance, the most eye-catching positions last year went to supply-chain management professionals.

The report said that a supply-chain manager with 10 years’ experience was paid 250,000 yuan (US$31,250) to 400,000 yuan per year in the city. It is one of the best-paid mid-level positions in the sector.

Lucy Xiong, an analyst specializing in the manufacturing industry, said that the pay was bulked up as an increasing number of companies began to conduct their international procurement business in China’s mainland.

That gave rise to a large demand for local professionals with a broad international network.

For the advertising and communications sector, a senior account director in the city is paid 540,000 yuan to 660,000 yuan per year, compared with the HK$600,000 (US$76,799) to HK$900,000 for the same position in Hong Kong.

A local investment bank associate can earn 350,000 yuan per year, almost the same amount of that paid in Singapore. But it’s only half of the level in Hong Kong, according to the report.

However, salary gaps are getting narrower for senior-level positions in different regions, such as corporate finance managing director and marketing director, analysts said.

Headhunter role added to Alibaba portfolio

ALIBABA.COM Corp, China’s largest e-commerce company, has ventured into the online head-hunting sector to serve its nearly 20 million member companies trading on its business-to-business platform.

At present the service is focused on helping e-commerce professionals, especially those familiar with trading procedures on Alibaba.com, to find positions at small- and medium-sized firms, the company said yesterday.

The small- and medium-sized companies can also post their own vacancies on Alijob, a channel on Alibaba.com dedicated to the human resources service, which was launched last Friday.

“It will be free to individual job seekers, but we will charge a certain amount of money for corporate users,” said Wang Yunfeng, a spokesman for Ali College, a company division for training and certifying e-commerce professionals.

Wang said the rate hasn’t been decided yet, but it should be under 10,000 yuan (US$1,250) a year for a company to post job ads and view applicants’ resumes. There there will be a special price for companies that already pay for listing their information on Alibaba.com.

Ali College has been working with universities in China to promote Alibaba’s e-commerce standards and certificates since the beginning of 2006. More than 100 graduates who have been certified by Alibaba had started working in its member companies by the end of last year.

Alibaba.com had more than 18 million registered member firms by the end of last year, of which three million were overseas customers, the company said in Shanghai last month, when it launched a business software division, Alisoft.

China pulls the plug on Internet pirates

CHINA has closed 205 Websites in a crackdown on video, music and software piracy, authorities said yesterday.

Investigators checked out 436 reports of intellectual property theft between the end of September and January – including 130 complaints from overseas industry associations – and ordered 361 offenders to halt their activities. They also handed out fines totaling hundreds of thousands of yuan and confiscated servers and other equipment.

“Piracy of intellectual property on the Internet has seriously harmed the interests of copyright owners, leading to a large number of disputes and disrupting order on the Internet,” Yan Xiaohong, deputy director of the National Copyright Administration, told a news conference in Beijing yesterday.

Authorities imposed fines totaling 705,000 yuan (US$91,000), confiscated 71 servers and transferred six cases to prosecutors for court action, Yan said. One has already led to a conviction, he added.

The overseas complaints came from the Motion Picture Association, the International Federation of Phonographic Industry and the Business Software Alliance, Yan said.

“China treats domestic and foreign copyright holders equally, without discrimination,” Yan said. “The administration will prosecute all proven cases of intellectual property infringement.”

A Chinese regulation that bans uploading or downloading Internet material without the permission of the copyright holder went into effect last July.

Prominent cases included sites that offered downloads of software, textbooks, music and television shows.

In one case, all the Internet cafes in Changchun in northeast China’s Jilin Province were found to be linked to a database of pirated films.

One Website in southern China’s Sichuan Province was found to have provided illegal downloads of 400 movies since it was set up in 2004.

Authorities closed the site and fined its operator, Sichuan Telecom, 10,000 yuan. Sichuan Telecom is a subsidiary of the state-run China Telecom Group.

“This latest action had a limited time frame and limited results,” Yan acknowledged. “It did not solve all the problems we are facing on the Internet.”

China is home to about 843,000 Websites and 140 million Internet users, making it the world’s second-biggest Internet market.

The Internet penetration rate in China has developed at lightning speed in recent years. The country’s online population is expected to overtake the United States as the world’s largest in about two years.

About 210 million of the America’s 300 million people are online, according to the US government. China currently has 137 million people online.

Yan said there are 843,000 Chinese Websites at present.

Audit & Risk Assurance ¨C Senior Manager / Director / Partner

Company introduction:
Our client is a CPA-based multi-disciplinary consulting firm in Shanghai & Beijing with liaison offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. It is a member of JHI International CPA network with 160 members worldwide in 55 countries, one of the Top 15 largest CPA network in the world.
Its Overseas Chinese ethnic background and accumulated experience in China combined with Western-styled management offer an affordable alternative to its customors¡¯ corporate needs in China.
Our client¡¯s mission is to become a renowned, solution-oriented, most sought-after multidisciplinary consultancy firm in the major cities of Greater China & South-East Asia. They are looking for senior management people to join them.

Location:Shanghai
Responsibilities:
1.Head and expand the Audit & Risk Assurance and Accounting BPO Services Departments (currently 12 staff);
2.Develop audit / risk consulting / due diligence approach, design appropriate procedures and implementation plan / work program;
3.Devise solutions to solve client issues;
4.Execute and be responsible for the completion of work assigned;
5.Drafting and communications of findings / recommendations to clients
6.Coach and supervise junior staff in the team;
7.Assist the management team in developing new products / services;
8.Maintain existing clientele and actively seek opportunities to cross-sell other services to them

Requirements:
1.Minimum 7 years solid audit experience in CPA firm, Big Four will be given preference.
2.Understanding & working knowledge of due diligence, internal controls and best practices, IPO preparation.
3.Financial management experience & knowledge (e.g. budgetary control, costing, management,reporting, MIS, supply-chain, project management, etc)
4.Working knowledge of US GAAP & Sarbanes Oxley Act is an advantage.
5.Possess a Professional Qualification (e.g. CPA or ACCA) but part qualification will be considered for lesser roles.
6.Excellent oral & written English and ability to read Chinese is a must.
7.Willing to travel within Greater China on assignments.
8.Commercial-awareness, able to maintain existing client network and develop new business opportunities;
9.Able to undertake responsibilities and be autonomous, ready to have diversified working tasks / multi-task functions;
10.Trustworthy, loyal and with utmost integrity;
11.China-experience preferred; those without but has great passion towards working in China are encouraged to apply;
12.Minimum 2-3 years contractual commitment with a view to Partnership

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_fi128sh#dacare.com’(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Waste to Energy Project Development Manager

Company Introduction:
A leading advisory, technology transfer and investment JV firm focused on commercializing cleaner and more efficient energy technologies in China.

Location:Beijing

Job responsibilities:
1.Lead all aspects of project development. Job focus will be on project planning, coordination of all project activities, and project execution starting from initial site identification and securing to project commissioning;
2.Manage other team members participating in project development;
3.Manage relations with government officials, design institutes, local and international technology; suppliers, and other organizations as necessary for developing biogas to energy projects;
4.Communications in English and Chinese at a high technical and business level;
5.Write reports, proposals and presentations in English and Chinese;
6.Some domestic travel will be required; international travel is possible;
7.Support other technology and management consulting projects as necessary, especially CDM project identification and crediting process.

Applicant requirements:
1.Significant experience in project management, with strong technical and business management skills related to project development. Previous experience in energy utilities, or food processing preferred;
2.Ability and desire to be a project and team leader;
3.Capable of quickly learning technical and commercial concepts;
4.Putonghua is your first (native) language, and you are fluent in English;
5.Strong oral and written communication skills;
6.Excellent computer skills in Word, Excel & PowerPoint;
7.University graduate with a technical degree, and 5+ years of related work experience;
8.Personal interest and commitment to developing sustainable energy projects in China.
Education: Bachelor degree above
Salary Range:Negotiable, based on experience and capabilities.

* Please send us your complete resume (both in Chinese and in English) to:
‘topjob_mn123bj#dacare.com’(Please replace “#” with “@”)

Cisco eager to lay out India plans

Cisco, the world’s biggest computer-networking equipment maker, clocked 40% rise in profit. The company said that the profits rose as customers upgraded their communications systems for video. CEO John Chambers lists out the company’s India plans going forward. CNBC-TV18 has more.

we have always been successful in recruiting some of the best and brightest wherever we go, but it does speak about both our commitment to Asia and our admiration for what countries like China and India are doing in terms of the numbers of engineers that graduate, and the environment they are creating,?says CEO, John Chambers.

Clearly hinting towards what one can expect from Cisco here in Asia, he further says, see us expand in China, specially in Shanghai, you’ll see us expand in Bangalore in India.?/FONT>

we have moved our Chief Globalisation Officer there, which really speaks to not just supporting that region, but supports our entire global operations from that region. So there a major commitment there; I think we will recruit well there and attract the talent well,?he concludes.