Job Description:

We are looking for an experienced Head of Operations to lead end-to-end manufacturing operations for automotive components and assemblies supplied to HMSI. The role requires strong expertise in production planning and execution, manufacturing excellence, quality management, cost optimisation, customer coordination, and team leadership. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring production targets, maintaining delivery commitments, improving operational efficiency, and driving continuous improvement across manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities:

- Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations across sheet metal stamping, press shop, bending, welding, and assembly processes, as applicable to the plant.

- Ensure achievement of production targets in line with HMSI's daily requirements, production schedules, and delivery commitments.

- Monitor production performance, manpower deployment, machine utilisation, capacity, and output against planned targets.

- Oversee new product launches, capacity ramp-up, and production stabilisation to ensure smooth execution and timely delivery.

- Coordinate with PPC, Quality, Purchase, Stores, Maintenance, and Logistics teams to ensure material availability, uninterrupted production, and timely dispatches.

- Ensure adherence to HMSI's customer-specific requirements and maintain readiness for customer visits, process reviews, audits, and operational assessments.

- Work closely with customer-facing teams to resolve production-related concerns and drive corrective actions for delivery delays, production deviations, and recurring operational issues.

- Drive improvements in cycle time, line efficiency, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), manpower productivity, and capacity utilisation.

- Implement Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and waste-reduction initiatives to improve productivity and manufacturing efficiency.

- Identify production bottlenecks and eliminate losses arising from machine downtime, changeovers, material shortages, and process inefficiencies.

- Establish and review production monitoring systems and operational KPIs to track performance against defined targets.

- Collaborate with the Plant Quality team to ensure consistent product quality and adherence to approved process parameters, control plans, work instructions, and customer-specific requirements.

- Reduce rejection, rework, scrap, and process variation through structured root cause analysis and effective corrective and preventive actions.

- Ensure timely resolution of customer complaints and internal quality issues while promoting a zero-defect mindset across manufacturing operations.

- Control manufacturing and conversion costs through productivity improvements, resource optimisation, and reduction of material wastage, scrap, rework, overtime, and avoidable operating expenses.

- Prepare and monitor operational budgets, productivity targets, and cost-improvement plans to improve manufacturing performance.

- Coordinate with Maintenance teams to strengthen preventive maintenance, improve equipment reliability, minimise unplanned breakdowns, and reduce production losses.

- Ensure the availability and reliability of critical production equipment, tools, fixtures, and manufacturing resources.

- Support capacity enhancement, process improvement, and automation initiatives to improve productivity and operational efficiency.

- Ensure compliance with applicable statutory, environmental, and safety requirements, standard operating procedures, and quality management systems.

- Drive workplace organisation, 5S practices, safe working procedures, and a strong safety culture across manufacturing areas.

- Support customer and system audits, ensuring operational readiness and timely closure of audit observations.

- Lead production managers, engineers, supervisors, and shop-floor teams to achieve production, quality, delivery, cost, and safety objectives.

- Define departmental objectives, review performance through structured KPI assessments, and develop team capabilities through training, coaching, and performance management.

- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement across the plant.

Requirements:

- 15 - 18 years of relevant experience in manufacturing operations, preferably in the automotive components or automotive assemblies industry.

- Strong hands-on experience managing manufacturing processes such as sheet metal stamping, press shop, bending, welding, and assembly, as relevant to the plant.

- Proven experience in managing production targets, delivery schedules, manpower deployment, machine utilisation, and capacity planning.

- Experience working with HMSI or other established automotive OEMs and managing customer-specific production and delivery requirements would be an advantage.

- Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, TPM, OEE, and continuous improvement methodologies.

- Experience in manufacturing quality management, process control, root cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action implementation.

- Demonstrated ability to optimise manufacturing costs, improve productivity, reduce waste, and utilise resources efficiently.

- Understanding of preventive maintenance, equipment reliability, manufacturing safety, and applicable quality and compliance systems.

- Proven leadership experience in managing cross-functional manufacturing teams and driving operational performance.

- Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, stakeholder management, and decision-making skills.