Plant Head

Objective of the Role - Plant Director – P&L | ₹2,000+ Cr | Manufacturing Business

Lead the end-to-end operations and P&L of a  ₹2,000+ crore manufacturing business , ensuring world-class manufacturing excellence across forging, precision machining, heat treatment, grinding, super-finishing, and assembly operations.  The role is responsible for driving profitable growth, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and building a high-performance manufacturing organization.

Key Responsibilities:

P&L Ownership:
Own the complete Profit & Loss for the business/plant.
Deliver revenue, EBITDA, cash flow, and ROCE targets.
Drive productivity improvements and sustainable cost optimization.
Prepare annual operating plans, budgets, and capital expenditure plans.

Manufacturing Operations:
Lead end-to-end manufacturing across:
Forging
Precision Machining
Heat Treatment
Grinding
Super-finishing
Automated Assembly
Ensure world-class Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Productivity (SQCDP).
Optimize plant capacity and asset utilization.

Operational Excellence:
Drive Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
Improve OEE, cycle time, throughput, and yield.
Eliminate waste through continuous improvement.
Implement digital manufacturing dashboards and predictive analytics.

Quality & Customer Excellence:
Ensure zero-defect manufacturing and customer satisfaction.
Drive APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, MSA, and Control Plans.
Achieve best-in-class PPM, warranty performance, and on-time delivery.
Lead customer audits and regulatory compliance.

Supply Chain & Planning
Collaborate with procurement and supply chain to ensure uninterrupted material availability.
Optimize inventory and working capital.
Strengthen supplier quality and delivery performance.

Capacity Expansion & Cap Ex
Lead brownfield/greenfield expansion projects.
Drive automation, modernization, and process optimization.
Execute capital projects within budget and timelines.

New Product & Program Management
Support new product industrialization and smooth production ramp-up.
Ensure manufacturing readiness for new customer programs.
Collaborate with Engineering and R&D for manufacturability improvements.

People Leadership
Lead a large cross-functional workforce across manufacturing, quality, maintenance, engineering, supply chain, and EHS.
Develop succession plans and leadership capability.
Build a high-performance, accountable culture.

Safety, EHS & Compliance
Drive a zero-harm safety culture.
Ensure compliance with statutory, environmental, and customer requirements.
Lead sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives.

Business Transformation
Benchmark against global manufacturing best practices.
Lead digital transformation and smart factory initiatives.
Improve competitiveness through automation and operational excellence.

Candidate Criteria:

Engineering Graduate  (Mechanical / Production / Industrial Engineering); MBA is preferred.
20+ years  of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, with a minimum of  4–5 years of proven P&L ownership  for a large plant, business unit, or profit centre.
Strong background in  multinational (MNC) manufacturing organizations , with exposure to global manufacturing systems, operational excellence practices, and world-class quality standards.
Experience in one or more of the following industries:  Automotive Components, Power Transmission, Precision Engineering, Heavy Engineering, Railway, Industrial Machinery, Driveline, or Off-Highway Equipment .
Hands-on expertise in  forging, precision machining, heat treatment, grinding, super-finishing, and automated assembly , with a strong understanding of high-volume, precision manufacturing.
Proven track record of driving  P&L performance, EBITDA improvement, cost optimization, productivity enhancement, operational excellence, capacity expansion, and manufacturing transformation .
Strong exposure to  Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, Industry 4.0, automation, and continuous improvement  initiatives.
Demonstrated success in leading  large cross-functional teams and multi-plant operations , fostering a culture of accountability, safety, quality, and high performance.
Experience working with  global OEMs, Tier-1 customers, and senior leadership teams , with strong strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and change leadership capabilities.
Exposure to  unionized manufacturing environments  and proven experience in maintaining harmonious industrial relations, driving employee engagement, and managing workforce productivity will be a  distinct advantage .