Plant Head Manufacturing

Job Description Plant Head

Position Title: Plant Head ; Reports To: Director

Role Overview

The Plant Head will be responsible for leading and managing end-to-end plant operations, reporting directly to the Director. This is a key leadership role encompassing Production, Planning, Stores, Maintenance, Purchase, Vendor Development, New Product Development (NPD), and Quality. The role will also have dotted-line responsibility for HR and Sales, ensuring strong cross-functional alignment.

The company is undergoing a transformation phase with significant expansion in capacity, infrastructure, and product portfolio. The Plant Head will play a pivotal role in ensuring smooth day-to-day operations, driving new product and vendor development initiatives, and leading expansion projects to build a future-ready manufacturing setup.

Key Responsibilities

1. Day-to-Day Manufacturing Operations (35%)

• Ensure smooth functioning of production processes to achieve daily, weekly, and monthly targets.
• Lead Production Planning & Control (PPC) to ensure OTIF (On Time In Full) delivery commitments.
• Oversee availability of raw materials, components, and consumables through effective coordination with Purchase and Stores.
• Implement and monitor Quality Management Systems for consistent product quality.
• Drive initiatives to improve machine uptime, reduce breakdowns, and enhance efficiency across the plant.
• Ensure compliance with all statutory, safety, and environmental regulations.

2. New Product Development & Vendor Development (50%)

• Lead New Product Development (NPD) initiatives in alignment with business growth strategies for both domestic and export markets.
• Collaborate with R&D/Design teams for feasibility, prototyping, validation, and scaling up of new products.
• Build and strengthen the vendor base to support new and existing product requirements.
• Develop new vendors, ensuring cost competitiveness, quality assurance, and reliable supply chain performance.
• Establish robust APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) processes for new product launches.
• Drive cost reduction and localization initiatives through new vendor identification and development.

3. Plant Expansion, Organisation Building & Continuous Improvement (15%)

• Lead the execution of the new plant building and expansion projects within defined timelines and budgets.
• Support introduction of new manufacturing processes and advanced technologies.
• Build and mentor a strong operations team with focus on succession planning and leadership development.
• Drive Continuous Improvement (Kaizen, Lean, TPM, Six Sigma) initiatives across the organization.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and operational excellence.

Additional Responsibilities

• Collaborate with HR (dotted-line) to drive workforce engagement, training, and performance management.
• Support Sales (dotted-line) by aligning production planning and NPD priorities with customer requirements.
• Provide inputs to the Director for strategic decisions on capacity planning, capital investments, and market expansion.
• Represent the company in vendor, customer, and regulatory interactions as required.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Operations: OTIF performance, Production Efficiency, Inventory Turnover, Quality PPM levels.
• NPD & Vendor Development: Number of new products launched, Time-to-market, Vendor performance metrics, Cost competitiveness.
• Expansion & CI: Achievement of plant expansion milestones, Implementation of new processes, CI projects delivered.
• People & Culture: Employee retention, Skill development, Team engagement scores.

Reporting Structure

• Direct Reporting: Director [Company Name]
• Firm Line: Operations (Production, Stores, Planning, Maintenance, Purchase, Vendor Development, NPD, Quality)
• Dotted Line: HR & Sales

Competency-Based Evaluation Matrix Plant Head

Competency / Skill AreaImportance LevelDescriptionMeasurement Indicators / KPIsLeadership & People ManagementCriticalAbility to lead multi-functional teams, build culture, and develop future leaders.Team engagement score, Attrition rate, Training hours per employee, Succession pipeline readiness.Strategic Thinking & Business AcumenCriticalBalancing day-to-day execution with long-term growth initiatives.Achievement of NPD & plant expansion milestones, Contribution to sales growth via new products, Market competitiveness of product portfolio.Vendor Development & Supply Chain ManagementCriticalBuilding reliable, cost-effective, quality-focused supply base.Number of new vendors developed, Supplier OTIF %, Vendor quality PPM, Cost reduction achieved.New Product Development (NPD)CriticalManaging design-to-production process for new product launches.No. of products launched, Time-to-market, NPD project success rate, Sales contribution from new products.Production Planning & Control (PPC)HighEnsuring seamless daily operations with focus on OTIF delivery.OTIF %, Production schedule adherence, Inventory turnover ratio, WIP levels.Quality ManagementHighDriving improvements in product quality to meet domestic and export requirements.Customer complaints PPM, First-pass yield %, Internal rejection %, Audit scores.Plant Expansion & Project ManagementHighLeading facility expansion and introduction of new processes.% Completion vs plan (time & budget), Successful commissioning of new processes, Capex ROI.Continuous Improvement (Lean, TPM, Six Sigma)HighDriving operational efficiency and cost optimization.No. of CI projects completed, Productivity gains %, Scrap/rework reduction %, OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).Decision Making & Problem SolvingHighMaking timely, data-backed, and effective decisions.Resolution turnaround time, Impact of decisions on cost, quality, and delivery metrics.Communication & CollaborationHighWorking effectively with Director, HR, Sales, and external stakeholders.Stakeholder feedback, Cross-functional project success rate, Conflict resolution effectiveness.Financial AcumenMediumUnderstanding financial impact of operational and strategic decisions.Variance in budget vs actual, Cost per unit, EBITDA contribution from operations.Regulatory & Compliance OrientationMediumEnsuring adherence to statutory and safety norms.No. of compliance deviations, Safety incidents (LTI rate), Environmental compliance reports.