Job Summary:

The General Manager - Manufacturing will lead end-to-end manufacturing operations across multiple plants. The role will be responsible for achieving production targets while ensuring product quality, food safety, cost efficiency, productivity and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead manufacturing operations across multiple plants.

- Develop production plans aligned with demand forecasts and inventory requirements.

- Ensure achievement of production, quality, cost, yield and delivery targets.

- Improve plant capacity utilisation, labour productivity and equipment efficiency.

- Reduce wastage, rework, production losses and manufacturing costs.

- Standardise manufacturing processes and SOPs across all plants.

- Ensure compliance with FSSAI, GMP, food-safety and quality standards.

- Ensure preventive maintenance and minimise equipment breakdowns and downtime.

- Lead capacity expansion, automation and new production-line commissioning.

- Build and manage plant heads, production managers, supervisors, operators and contract workers.

- Coordinate with Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, R&D, Engineering, Finance and HR.

- Track manufacturing KPIs and present performance updates to senior management.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree in Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Engineering or a related field.

- Minimum 15 years of manufacturing experience, including at least five years in a senior leadership role.

- Strong experience in packaged food, sweets, bakery, dairy, snacks or the FMCG food industry.

- Experience managing multiple plants and large permanent and contractual workforces.

- Strong knowledge of production planning, food safety, quality systems and plant maintenance.

- Excellent leadership, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Skills:

- Experience in traditional sweets, namkeen, bakery or ethnic packaged foods.

- Exposure to new plant setup, capacity expansion and manufacturing automation.

- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, TPM and OEE.

- Familiarity with FSSAI, HACCP, ISO 22000 and GMP requirements.

Location:

- Bengaluru, with travel to manufacturing plants.

Working Days:

- Six days per week.

Reports To:

- CEO - Prateek Athwani