Vice President - Manufacturing Operations - Food Manufacturing Business

About the Role

- We are looking for a seasoned manufacturing leader to head large-scale, multi-site food processing operations. This is a high-impact role requiring a blend of plant leadership and corporate exposure, with responsibility across owned manufacturing units and contract manufacturing ecosystems.

- The role will play a critical part in scaling the organization's processed foods and health & wellness portfolio, while driving operational excellence, CapEx programs, and new product commercialization.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Manufacturing Leadership :

- Lead end-to-end manufacturing operations across multiple plants and third-party sites

- Drive efficiency, productivity, and cost optimization across the network

- Ensure adherence to quality, safety, and regulatory standards

2. CapEx & Expansion :

- Lead and manage large-scale CapEx programs.

- Oversee plant expansions, new facility setups, and technology upgrades

- Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and aligned to business goals

3. Multi-Category Food Processing :

- Oversee manufacturing across diverse food categories.

- Bring in best practices across different processing technologies

4. Contract Manufacturing Management :

- Manage and scale third-party manufacturing partnerships

- Drive governance frameworks to ensure quality, consistency, and cost efficiency

5. New Product Development (NPD) :

- Partner with R&D and business teams to industrialize new products

- Ensure seamless transition from innovation to commercial-scale production

- Enable agility in manufacturing to support evolving product portfolios

6. Leadership & Organization Building :

- Lead and develop a large team of plant heads, operations leaders, and cross-functional teams

- Strengthen organizational capability and leadership bench strength

- Drive a culture of performance, accountability, and continuous improvement

7. Industrial Relations & Compliance :

- Manage industrial relations (IR) and employee relations (ER) across plants

- Ensure a stable and productive workforce environment

- Maintain compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements

Candidate Profile :

- 20-25 years of experience in manufacturing

- Proven experience in processed food manufacturing

- Exposure to multiple food processing categories (not limited to a single product line)

- Strong exposure to contract manufacturing ecosystems

- Six Sigma/Lean Manufacturing certifications

Leadership Expectations :

- Strategic thinker with strong execution capability

- Ability to operate at both shopfloor and boardroom levels

- Proven track record of leading large, diverse teams