Plant Head - HVAC Manufacturing (Greenfield Project)

Location : Pune, India

Client : Market Leader in Energy-Efficient Indoor Air Comfort & Critical Air Solutions

About the Company:

- Our client is a global market leader in energy-efficient indoor air comfort and critical air solutions, serving customers across international markets. As part of its strategic expansion in India, the organization is establishing a state-of-the-art greenfield manufacturing facility in Pune, designed to serve both domestic and global demand.

- This upcoming plant will be a critical node in the company's global manufacturing footprint, delivering cutting-edge HVAC products aligned with world-class quality, safety, and sustainability standards.

Role Overview:

- We are seeking an accomplished Plant Head to lead the setup, commissioning, and full-scale operations of this new manufacturing facility. This is a senior leadership role responsible for end-to-end plant operations, operational excellence, financial performance, and people leadership.

- The Plant Head will play a pivotal role in driving manufacturing excellence, continuous improvement, capital deployment, and compliance, while building a strong leadership team and embedding a high-performance culture.

Key Responsibilities:

Plant Leadership & Operations:

- Lead and oversee end-to-end plant operations, ensuring achievement of safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity targets.

- Establish robust manufacturing processes aligned with global HVAC standards and certifications.

- Drive operational readiness, commissioning, and stabilization of the greenfield facility.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement:

- Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement initiatives across functions.

- Implement best-in-class manufacturing systems to improve efficiency, yield, and reliability.

- Collaborate with global operations leadership to drive harmonization and adoption of best practices across sites.

Financial & Strategic Ownership:

- Own Plant P&L, budgeting, cost control, and capital investment decisions.

- Ensure strong financial performance through productivity improvement, waste reduction, and cost optimization.

- Support long-term capacity planning and strategic expansion initiatives.

Quality, Safety & Compliance:

- Oversee Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Product Reliability, ensuring adherence to global quality standards.

- Ensure full statutory compliance related to factory setup, safety approvals, environmental clearances, and regulatory requirements.

- Embed a strong EHS culture across the plant.

People & Culture Leadership:

- Lead recruitment and development of the core plant leadership and operational teams in partnership with HR.

- Build and mentor a high-performing leadership pipeline and shop-floor workforce.

- Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous learning.

Desired Incumbent Profile:

Education:

- Engineering Graduate

- MBA / PGDM in Operations, General Management, or equivalent

Experience:

- 18+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations

- Prior experience as Plant Head / Factory Head / Operations Head preferred

- Strong exposure to Greenfield and/or Brownfield plant establishment

Industry background preferred in:

- HVAC Manufacturing

- Heavy Engineering

- Capital Equipment

- Electro-Mechanical Manufacturing

Core Competencies:

- Strategic plant leadership and execution excellence

- Strong P&L and financial acumen

- Deep understanding of manufacturing systems, quality, and compliance

- Proven people leadership and change management capability

- Ability to work effectively with global stakeholders