Plant Head / Manufacturing Head, Heavy Engineering

Confidential client: a heavy engineering and capital equipment manufacturer.

Position snapshot

• Title: Manufacturing Head / Plant Head
• Level: Senior leadership, head of plant with full P&L responsibility
• Location: Factory at Palwal, Haryana
• Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
• Direct reports: Production Shop Managers, Production Planning and Control, Maintenance Head, Factory HR and Admin Head, and Plant Finance Controller (as applicable)

The role

The senior-most executive of the factory, with overall strategic, operational and financial accountability for manufacturing, spanning procurement, production planning, execution, dispatch and customer satisfaction. You drive operational excellence, safety, statutory compliance, Lean, TPM, Six Sigma, IMS adherence, resource optimization, quality, on-time delivery and continuous improvement in line with company objectives.

Key responsibilities

A. Strategic leadership and plant governance

• Overall plant accountability: end-to-end leadership for production, quality, maintenance, supply chain, safety, HR and administration.
• P&L management: own budgets, cost controls, capital expenditure planning and the financial performance of the plant.
• Vision and policy deployment: translate company goals and IMS policy into clear manufacturing priorities, plans and measurable outcomes.
• Strategic planning: lead annual budgeting, capacity planning, technology upgrades, business continuity planning and long-term capability building.
• Reporting: present plant performance, improvement initiatives, operational risks and mitigation plans to management and stakeholders.

B. Operational excellence in heavy engineering

• End-to-end production: oversee operations from material receipt through fabrication, machining, assembly, testing, final inspection and dispatch.
• Heavy engineering expertise: apply deep knowledge of heavy engineering processes, equipment and constraints to lift throughput, quality and reliability.
• Quality assurance: strengthen quality systems for ISO and customer standards while cutting rework, rejection and non-conformance costs.
• On-time delivery: meet commitments through robust planning, schedule governance, cross-functional coordination and proactive risk management.
• Cost optimization: strategic sourcing, waste elimination, productivity, energy efficiency and disciplined inventory control.
• Asset and maintenance management: preventive and predictive maintenance to minimize downtime and improve OEE and asset reliability.

C. Safety, compliance and ESG

• Safety stewardship: build and sustain a zero-accident culture through safety governance, risk assessment, training and safe operating practice.
• Statutory compliance: full compliance with factory, labour, environmental, fire, electrical, structural, boiler, explosives and other regulations.
• ESG and sustainability: lead energy conservation, waste reduction, responsible resource use and community initiatives.

D. Supply chain and vendor management

• Vendor development: a capable vendor base for materials, consumables and subcontracted operations, focused on quality, cost, delivery and long-term reliability.
• Subcontracting: ensure outsourced operations meet quality, timeline, cost and contractual requirements.
• Inventory: optimize raw material, WIP and finished goods to balance working capital with production continuity.

E. People, culture and organization development

• Talent development: capability building, mentoring, succession planning and leadership development.
• Performance management: review KRAs, monitor outcomes, reinforce accountability and recognize high-impact work.
• Continuous improvement: institutionalize Lean, TPM, Six Sigma, Kaizen, quality circles and employee-led improvement.
• Engagement and industrial relations: a positive workplace, strong retention and constructive IR.
• Workforce planning: the right capacity, skills and leadership pipeline for current and future needs.

F. Customer and brand stewardship

• Customer engagement: engage key customers, support audits, resolve quality and delivery concerns and act on feedback.
• Brand stewardship: build reputation through consistent quality, dependable delivery and responsive service.

Key result areas

1. Factory safety: zero lost time accidents, 100% compliance on safety audits, fewer near-misses and unsafe conditions.
2. Quality: lower customer complaints (PPM), higher first pass yield, lower internal rejection and scrap cost, successful quality audits.
3. On-time delivery: consistently meet or exceed the OTD target (for example above 98%) on all customer orders.
4. P&L and cost: improve cost per unit turnover, reduce manufacturing overheads, direct material and energy costs, meet or beat EBITDA targets.
5. Productivity: year-on-year gains in output per man-hour and machine-hour, and a clear improvement in OEE.
6. Engagement and retention: better employee satisfaction, lower attrition of key talent, delivery of training and skill programs.
7. Inventory turnover: hit target turns and reduce WIP and finished goods holding days.

What you bring

Education

• Essential: B.E. / B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from a recognized institution.
• Desirable: MBA in Operations, Supply Chain or General Management from a premier institute (IIT, NIT, IIM or equivalent).

Experience

• 22+ years in manufacturing, including 12 to 15 years in senior leadership in heavy engineering, capital goods or process equipment.
• Proven leadership of a large heavy engineering factory with full P&L across fabrication, machining, assembly, testing and dispatch.
• Scale: 500+ employees and annual production turnover above INR 200 crore or equivalent.
• Desirable: greenfield, brownfield, plant expansion or major technology upgrade experience.

Leadership attributes

• Resilience and composure under operational pressure
• High standards of integrity, governance, safety and compliance
• Customer centricity and a strong results orientation
• A practical innovation mindset and timely, well-informed decisions
• Collaboration across functions and collective ownership of outcomes

All applications are handled in confidence by a Dedicated HR Services partner. The client is named to shortlisted candidates only.