National Expansion Lead - Franchisee & Co-Packing - Packaged Drinking Water

Description:

Position - National Expansion Lead Franchisee & Co-Packing Experience Required Minimum 15 years

Qualification MBA / PGDM preferred Or Engineering / Operations / Supply Chain background will be an advantage

CTC Upto 40 LPA (Open for the right candidate) Reporting To - Promoters / Leadership Team Location - Pune (Travel Required)

Industry Preference - Packaged Drinking Water

Prior experience in:

- Franchise bottling network expansion

- Multi-location manufacturing operations

- Co-packer management

- Supply chain expansion projects

Skills & Competencies

- Strong commercial negotiation and deal-structuring skills

- Deep understanding of manufacturing operations and quality systems

- Ability to evaluate plant capability and operational efficiency

- Strategic planning and execution mindset

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

- Excellent stakeholder management and leadership capability

- Comfortable working in ambiguous and fast-scaling environments

- Entrepreneurial mindset with high ownership orientation

About the Role

The Client is looking for a highly driven and entrepreneurial professional to lead its national manufacturing and supply network expansion across India.

This role will be responsible for identifying, onboarding, and scaling franchise bottling partners and third-party co-packing units to build a strong pan-India operational footprint. The position requires a blend of strategic thinking, commercial acumen, operational execution, and strong relationship management skills.

This is a high-impact leadership role with direct visibility to promoters and senior leadership, where the selected candidate will play a critical role in transforming the brand into a national player.

Key Responsibilities

Franchisee & Co-Packer Expansion

- Identify, evaluate, negotiate, and onboard franchise bottlers and third-party co-packing partners across India

- Develop a market-wise expansion roadmap aligned with business growth priorities

- Build and maintain a robust pipeline of potential manufacturing partners

- Conduct feasibility studies for new territories based on demand, logistics, and profitability

Plant Evaluation & Operational Assessment

- Assess manufacturing facilities for:

- Production capacity

- Machinery and infrastructure

- Quality systems and certifications

- GMP and hygiene standards

- Regulatory and statutory compliance

- Manpower capability

- Ensure all partner plants meet company quality and operational benchmarks before onboarding

Commercial & Contract Management

- Structure commercially viable franchise/co-packing agreements

- Negotiate pricing, margins, investment requirements, and operational terms

- Ensure sustainable unit economics for both the company and partners

- Coordinate with legal and finance teams for agreement execution

Standardization & Quality Control

- Develop and implement standardized operating procedures across all partner plants

- Ensure consistency in:

- Product quality

- Packaging standards

- Production processes

- Dispatch and inventory controls

- Coordinate with QA/QC teams for regular audits and compliance reviews

Strategic Expansion Planning

- Work closely with leadership to determine:

- Market entry priorities

- Manufacturing location strategy

- Speed of expansion

- Capacity planning

- Drive expansion initiatives with a strong focus on profitability and scalability

Stakeholder Management

- Build strong relationships with franchisees, co-packers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders

- Act as the central point of coordination between operations, sales, supply chain, and leadership teams

Key Deliverables

- Expansion of franchise/co-packing network across strategic markets

- Faster market penetration with optimized supply chain costs

- Consistent product quality across all manufacturing locations

- Improved manufacturing efficiency and profitability

- Development of scalable operational systems for long-term growth