Chief Executive Officer - Manufacturing Business

Chief Executive Officer - 40yr old org into API Manufacturing (Pharma Chemical)
The CEO will provide overall strategic, operational, and commercial leadership to the organization during a critical growth and transformation phase. The role requires a dynamic techno-commercial leader with strong manufacturing orientation, commercial acumen, project execution capability, and the ability to build credibility with plant teams, customers, promoters, and external stakeholders.
The ideal candidate should be hands-on, growth-oriented, operationally strong, and comfortable working in a mid-sized entrepreneurial environment rather than a highly structured large corporate setup.
Key Responsibilities:
- Work closely with promoters/directors on growth planning, investments, profitability, and business priorities.
- Lead business expansion initiatives including strategic customer partnerships and manufacturing scale-up.
- Drive operational efficiency, productivity improvement, capacity utilization, cost optimization, plant performance and compliance.
- Partner closely with the VP Plants and respective Plant Heads to ensure operational discipline and execution, improve systems and accountability.
- Lead and monitor ongoing expansion and project activities related to the strategic client partnership/JV.
- Ensure project timelines, budgets, regulatory requirements, and operational readiness are achieved.
- Work with the Sales Head to strengthen customer relationships and build credibility with key clients, support commercial negotiations and balance commercial commitments with plants capability.
- Work with Head, F&A to drive profitability, EBITDA improvement, working capital management, sustainable business growth and monitor business performance against budgets and KPIs.
- Help build a high-performance and execution-oriented culture.
- Provide leadership to cross-functional teams including manufacturing, projects, procurement, R&D, SCM, QA/QC, finance, and HR.
- Work with QA / Regulatory to ensure adherence to regulatory, safety, environmental, and quality standards.
- Strengthen governance, risk management, and operational controls.
Desired Candidate Profile:
- 20+ years of relevant experience in chemicals/API/pharma manufacturing.
- Prior experience as Business Head, SBU Head, COO, Plant Business Leader, or equivalent leadership role preferred with strong techno-commercial orientation.
- Exposure to expansion projects, customer partnerships/JVs, and scale-up situations preferred.
- Good understanding of manufacturing operations, projects, and business management.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
- Strong people management and stakeholder management capability.
- Comfortable working closely with plant teams and promoters.
Education:
- Engineering degree preferred.
- MBA or additional business qualification would be an advantage.