Plant Head - Specialty Chemicals

Location: Jalgaon, Maharashtra (Candidates must be willing to relocate permanently).

Experience: 18 - 25 Years

About the Organisation:

Our client is an established, multi-product specialty chemicals manufacturing organisation with around five decades of industry presence. The manufacturing facility caters to pharmaceutical, home and personal care, and flavour & fragrance industries.

The plant manufactures products including salicylic acid, methyl salicylate, aspirin (API), water-soluble polymers and coagulants, serving domestic and international markets.

The facility operates under stringent quality and regulatory standards, including FDA/GMP requirements, and has a strong focus on manufacturing excellence, process safety and operational efficiency.

Role Overview:

We are looking for an experienced Plant Head to lead the overall manufacturing operations of a multi-product batch chemical manufacturing facility.

The incumbent will be responsible for end-to-end plant performance, driving production efficiency, improving yields, reducing conversion costs, strengthening operational systems and ensuring compliance with quality, safety and statutory requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Plant Operations & Manufacturing Excellence:

- Lead end-to-end plant operations, ensuring production targets, quality standards and delivery commitments.

- Drive improvements in production output, yield, productivity and capacity utilisation.

- Provide hands-on technical guidance across batch chemical manufacturing processes.

- Identify process bottlenecks and implement corrective measures to improve operational efficiency.

2. Cost Optimisation & Productivity:

- Drive reduction in manufacturing and conversion costs.

- Improve raw material utilisation, process yields and solvent recovery.

- Identify cost-saving opportunities and deliver measurable financial benefits.

- Own plant budgets and drive accountability for operational KPIs.

3. Process & Technical Expertise:

- Ensure effective execution of chemical processes involving reactions, distillation, crystallisation, drying and solvent recovery.

- Drive process optimisation and troubleshooting.

- Strengthen process controls, manufacturing discipline and operational systems.

- Lead the adoption and implementation of ARECHS practices.

4. Quality, Safety & Compliance:

- Ensure adherence to USFDA, WHO-GMP and customer quality requirements.

- Lead internal, external and customer audits.

- Ensure process safety, EHS standards and statutory compliance.

- Strengthen SOP adherence, documentation and audit readiness.

5. Leadership & Stakeholder Management:

- Lead and mentor plant leadership teams, departmental heads and workforce.

- Build a performance-driven culture with clear accountability and ownership.

- Coordinate with senior management on plant performance, operational challenges and improvement initiatives.

- Drive continuous improvement across manufacturing operations.

Candidate Profile:

- 18 - 25 years of experience in chemical, specialty chemicals, API or related batch manufacturing industries.

- Minimum 5 years of experience as Plant Head, Works Manager or Factory Manager with complete ownership of a manufacturing site.

- Strong exposure to multi-product batch chemical manufacturing.

- Hands-on knowledge of reactions, distillation, crystallisation, drying and solvent recovery.

- Proven track record of improving production output, yields and reducing conversion costs.

- Experience in USFDA, WHO-GMP and customer audits.

- Strong understanding of process safety, EHS and statutory compliance.

- Demonstrated experience in plant budget ownership and delivering measurable cost savings.

- Strong leadership, problem-solving and stakeholder management skills.

Important: Candidates who have managed only a production block, department or section without complete plant ownership will not be considered.