About company :

Our client is a 30-year-old medium-sized German company, producing technical adhesive tapes, with a rich heritage going back 100 years as part of a tape-production pioneering company. Our client is now successfully positioned in the automobile, electrical, and insulation engineering industry sectors. The company provides global support to its multinational customers, operating three business locations on three continents allowing it to offer its customers local support, short lead times, and the greatest possible flexibility.

Job description :

- As Plant Head, you will be initially responsible for setting up plant operations from scratch. The planned operation is the manufacturing of adhesive tapes.

- You will then be responsible for overseeing the entire operational aspects of the plant, ensuring quality, timely and cost-effective production and delivery. Your primary objective will be to optimize productivity, establish and maintain quality standards, and drive continuous improvement initiatives within the production department. You will oversee production, quality management and assurance, maintenance, plant logistics and Material Resource Planning (MRP). You will build and lead your teams and specialists, providing guidance, training, and support to ensure smooth operations.

- The Plant Head will initially report directly to the German HQ, once the Indian organization is fully established, he will report to the Indian country head.

Responsibilities :

- Supervise the production, quality management and assurance, maintenance, plant logistics and the MRP teams.

- Formulate and execute production plans, schedules and budgets aligned with the organization's objectives and customer demands.

- Supervise and oversee all production activities, ensuring strict adherence to established timelines, quality benchmarks and cost objectives.

- Ensure operational effectiveness of the production equipment, establish and follow maintenance schedules, supervise (un-)scheduled repairs, solve unscheduled break-downs of equipment.

- Manage the procurement and allocation of essential resources, including raw materials, equipment and manpower, to meet production/delivery requirements.

- Actively participate in the start up of Indian manufacturing operations, including assisting with hiring plant employees and functional heads

- Provide leadership and mentorship to a team of production supervisors and operators, offering guidance, training and conducting performance evaluations.

- Implement and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) to optimize production efficiency and uphold consistent quality.

- Establish a quality management system according to IATF 16949, ensure compliance and achieve and maintain certification.

- Identify process bottlenecks and areas with potential for improvement, devising strategies to boost productivity and minimize waste. Ensure continuous improvement of the operation.

- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams at HQ to set, control and update goals and standards for the local teams under your supervision.

- Ensure strict compliance with health, safety and environmental regulations in the production area.

- Monitor operational metrics (production, maintenance, quality and EHS) and prepare regular reports on key performance indicators (KPIs) for management assessment.

- Remain up-to-date with industry trends and best practices, proactively suggest technological advancements or process enhancements to enhance production operations.

- Vendor development for auxiliary, non-core materials (eg packaging etc)

- Supporting the German HQ in vendor development of core materials

Qualifications :

- Successfully completed degree in mechanical engineering, production engineering or similar

- Prior experience in a similar role as plant head

- Experience of having set up manufacturing operations from scratch is preferred.

- Minimum total experience of 10-20 years, 5-10 years of which should be in a similar role within the automotive supply industry preferably in the Pune - Amaravathi region.

- Thorough expertise in production processes, lean manufacturing principles, procurement, supplier development and quality management systems.

- Proven leadership capabilities, with a track record of effectively managing and nurturing a team.

- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving aptitude, enabling the identification of process inefficiencies and successful implementation of solutions.

- Comprehensive knowledge of health, safety and environmental regulations pertaining to production operations.

- Proficiency in utilizing production planning and control software, along with MS Office applications.

- Effective communication and interpersonal abilities, fostering successful collaboration with cross-functional teams and clear conveyance of intricate ideas to stakeholders.

- Mandatory fluency in English, Hindi, and Marathi. A working knowledge of German would be advantageous for the role but is not required.

Key Skills : Plant Operations, Production, operations, logistic, supply chain, vendor development, maintenance, quality