Chief Operating Officer

Objective of the Role: COO (Operations Strategy)

To lead and drive operations for a large multinational manufacturing organization by applying global best practices across multi-plant and multi-business environments. The role focuses on operational excellence, post-merger integration, and enterprise transformation, leveraging Lean, TPS, and world-class production systems from Japanese, American, and European manufacturing cultures. It will advance digitalization, automation, and data-driven operations aligned with Industry 4.0, while optimizing capacity, manufacturing footprint, cost governance, and compliance to position India as a globally competitive manufacturing hub supporting global operations.

Key

Roles & Responsibilities :

A. Operational Excellence & Integration
Drive a common  Production System  across all manufacturing plants, aligned with global standards and best practices.
Lead  process standardization and integration  across plants following multiple integrations, ensuring consistency in execution and governance.
Improve overall  plant culture, discipline, accountability, and alignment  with enterprise values and performance expectations.
Lead enterprise-wide  Lean transformation , combining Lean Manufacturing principles with  TPS philosophy  to improve productivity, quality, delivery, and cost.

B. Manufacturing Footprint & Capacity Strategy
Develop and own the  long-term capacity and manufacturing footprint roadmap  for India.
Work closely with  Business Unit Heads  on future expansion plans, localization strategies, and demand planning.
Support and enable the  India growth vision of 2.5x scale by 2030 , ensuring operational readiness and scalability.

C. Quality & Customer Performance
Drive sustained reduction in  customer complaints, quality issues, and escalations .
Improve  demand–supply synchronization  across plants to enhance delivery reliability and customer satisfaction.
Support plants in effectively managing  volatile OEM forecasts  while maintaining service levels and operational stability.

D. Digitalization & Automation
Lead the organization’s  global push toward plant digitalization , positioning India as a benchmark region.
Introduce  automation, efficiency improvement initiatives, and data-driven operations  across manufacturing facilities.
Enable real-time performance visibility and analytics-driven decision-making.

E. ESG & Sustainability
Drive  plant-level sustainability initiatives , including:
Waste reduction and recycling improvements
Water neutrality and conservation programs
Environmental and statutory compliance
Embed  ESG metrics into plant performance KPIs  and leadership scorecards.

F. Compliance & Labor Strategy
Establish and sustain a  deep-rooted compliance culture , beyond surface-level adherence.
Support enterprise labor and industrial relations strategy across all unionized plants, including:
Labor law compliance
Working hours and statutory adherence
Union environment management
Act as a strategic advisor during labour, regulatory, or compliance-sensitive situations.

Candidate Profile:

20+ years of experience in operations and manufacturing leadership roles within large  multinational organizations , preferably with minimum  ₹5000+ crore turnover
Strong exposure to  global manufacturing practices  (Lean, TPS, World-Class Manufacturing)
Proven experience managing  multiple plants and business verticals  in complex manufacturing environments
Extensive experience in  enterprise-wide transformation initiatives , including post-merger integration and operating model redesign
Strong track record of leading  continuous improvement and productivity enhancement projects  across manufacturing and supply chain
Hands-on experience in  manufacturing digitalization, automation, and Industry 4.0 initiatives
Solid understanding of  capacity planning, manufacturing footprint strategy, and scalability
Strong focus on  operational excellence, quality improvement, and customer performance
Experience working in  global matrix organizations  with teams across Europe, the US, and other regions
Sound understanding of  cost governance, capital efficiency, and investment decision-making
Effective change leader with the ability to influence stakeholders and build high-performing leadership teams