Head - Manufacturing Operations - Automotive/Chemicals/Heavy Engineering/Aerospace/Defence

Designation: Head - Manufacturing Operations
Location: Khordha
Reports to: CEO / MD
Summarized JD:
To lead and manage end-to-end plant operations, ensuring production efficiency, quality compliance, cost optimization, safety excellence, and high-performance teams, while aligning plant objectives with overall business strategy and strictly adhering to Defence and Aerospace standards such as AS9100, and other standards focusing on regulatory/customer compliance requirements.
1. Plant Operations & Production Management:
- Oversee end-to-end plant operations encompassing production, maintenance, quality assurance, safety, and dispatch, ensuring adherence to Defence & Aerospace standards, special process controls, and export/customer compliance requirements.
- Drive achievement of production targets across volume, quality, cost, and delivery, ensuring zero-defect orientation, configuration integrity, and timely delivery of Defence & Aerospace products meeting stringent customer and regulatory standards.
- Drive capacity utilization and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
- Implement production planning & scheduling in coordination with SCM.
2. Strategic & Business Alignment:
- Translate organizational goals into plant-level execution strategies.
- Participate in annual business planning, budgeting, and forecasting.
- Support business growth through capacity expansion and operational scalability.
- Monitor KPIs like productivity, yield, rejection rates, and downtime.
3. Quality & Compliance:
- Ensure adherence to quality standards (ISO, AS9100D, customer specifications).
- Lead internal and external audits and ensure zero non-compliance.
- Maintain statutory compliance with factory laws, pollution control, and labour regulations.

4. EHS (Environment, Health & Safety):
- Drive a zero-incident safety culture across plant operations.
- Ensure compliance with EHS norms and conduct regular safety audits.
- Implement risk assessment and preventive safety measures.
5. Maintenance & Engineering:
- Oversee preventive and predictive maintenance of plant machinery.
- Ensure minimum downtime and high equipment reliability.
- Evaluate new technologies, automation, and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
6. Cost Management & Profitability:
- Manage plant budgets including manpower, utilities, and maintenance costs.
- Identify cost-saving initiatives without impacting quality or output.
- Optimize raw material consumption and reduce wastage.
7. People Management & Leadership:
- Lead and manage a large workforce (100-500+ employees).
- Build strong second-line leadership (HODs, supervisors).
- Drive performance culture, training, and employee engagement.
- Handle IR (Industrial Relations) and union matters.
8. Continuous Improvement & Excellence:
- Implement Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, Kaizen initiatives.
- Drive digital transformation and process automation.
- Improve operational efficiency and reduce cycle times.
9. Supply Chain & Coordination:
- Collaborate with procurement, logistics, and sales teams.
- Ensure timely availability of raw materials and dispatch of finished goods.
- Maintain optimal inventory levels.
10. Stakeholder & Government Liaison:
- Manage relationships with local authorities, vendors, and regulatory bodies.
- Handle plant-level approvals, inspections, and compliance requirements.
- Represent plant in corporate and external forums.
Other Skills & Competencies:
- Production output vs plan.
- OEE / Productivity.
- Cost per unit / Budget adherence.
- Rejection / Scrap rate.
- Safety metrics (Lost Time Injury, incidents).
- Employee retention & engagement.
- Audit compliance score.
Behavioural Attributes:
- Ownership and accountability.
- Ability to operate in compliance-driven environments.
- Adaptability and problem-solving capabilities.
- High integrity and professionalism.
Education Requirements:
- B.E / B.Tech (Aerospace / Mechanical / Electrical / Chemical / Industrial Engineering).
- MBA (Operations) - preferred.
- 18-25 years of experience in manufacturing.
- Minimum 5-8 years in Plant Head / Unit Head / Operations Head role.
- Experience in industries like automotive, chemicals, heavy engineering, or process manufacturing, Aerospace / Defence is preferred.