Head of Manufacturing

Head of Manufacturing
- Rigid Plastics

Our client, a leading rigid plastic packaging manufacturer serving major FMCG clients, is looking to appoint a Head of Manufacturing based in the UAE. The incumbent will lead multi-site manufacturing operations across Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality and Safety, driving operational excellence, productivity, profitability, and continuous improvement across the GCC region.

The Head of Manufacturing will oversee manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, and shop‑floor operations across multiple production sites.

This is a high-accountability, execution-focused leadership role requiring someone who:

• Comes from a rigid plastic packaging manufacturing background
• Is deeply grounded in Lean, OEE improvement, Kaizen, and process discipline
• Has strong experience managing multi‑site manufacturing operations
• Has structured KPI‑driven management experience
• Has SAP manufacturing digitization exposure, ideally having implemented or driven full adoption at shop‑floor level
• Has progressed through hands‑on shopfloor and manufacturing roles

• Take full accountability for manufacturing and operational performance across all UAE production sites
• Drive production, engineering, and maintenance efficiency across the manufacturing footprint
• Lead Lean transformation, OEE improvement, waste reduction, downtime reduction, and process standardization
• Strengthen compliance with FSSC, ISO, HSE, safety, quality, and customer standards
• Lead SAP integration and real‑time digital manufacturing adoption at shop‑floor level
• Establish and drive structured manufacturing KPIs and performance management systems
• Build strong second‑line leadership and develop a culture of discipline, ownership, accountability, and customer‑centricity
• Lead CAPEX projects, plant layout changes, automation initiatives, and capacity expansion
• Drive manufacturing cost optimization and productivity improvement
• Establish robust preventive and predictive maintenance practices
• Ensure effective root‑cause analysis and permanent corrective actions

• 18–25 years of manufacturing experience, with at least 10 years in senior manufacturing leadership
• Strong background in rigid plastic packaging manufacturing
• Proven multi‑site manufacturing leadership experience
• Strong Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma / Kaizen background;
  Black Belt preferred
• Demonstrated experience in SAP manufacturing digitization, with hands‑on implementation or adoption experience preferred
• Strong shop‑floor manufacturing background with a track record of progressing through operational roles
• Experience managing Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Safety functions
• Strong exposure to manufacturing KPIs, OEE, productivity, quality, downtime, waste, and cost optimization

The successful candidate must have a proven track record of delivering measurable improvements in:

• OEE
• Machine efficiency
• Production productivity
• Rejection and defect reduction
• Downtime reduction
• Manufacturing cost optimization
• Waste reduction
• Preventive & predictive maintenance
• Process standardization
• Lean manufacturing
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
• Continuous Improvement / Kaizen li>

The organization currently operates with the following technologies:

• PET Injection Stretch Blow Molding (ISBM)
• PET 2-Stage / Stretch Blow Molding
• Injection Molding – PP, HDPE & PET
• Extrusion Blow Molding – HDPE & PP
• Injection Blow Molding – HDPE

• Structured and process-driven thinker
• Strong people leader who coaches and develops teams
• Calm, mature, and decisive under pressure li>
• Customer-first mindset with strong alignment to quality and safety
• High-energy and execution-focused
• Resilient and comfortable operating in a high‑accountability environment
• Shop‑floor oriented and technically hands‑on
• Strong problem‑solving and root‑cause‑analysis mindset