AVP/ Chief Manager- R&D

Role & responsibilities

• Lead development and industrialization of new steel grades, chemistries and process routes (EAF melt practice, ladle metallurgy, secondary refining, casting parameters, rolling schedules).
• Design, plan and supervise plant trials develop test protocols, safety permits, data capture and root cause analysis.
• Optimize process parameters to improve yield, reduce slag/metal losses, reduce consumable usage and energy consumption.

• Scale lab/process innovations to commercial production; evaluate benefits (cost, quality, performance).
• Interface with customers for product development, technical clarifications and joint trials.

Quality Management

• Own plant Quality Management System (QMS): procedures, instructions, records, control plans.
• Ensure product conformity to standards and customer specifications.
• Lead incoming material controls, in-process checks and final inspection strategy.
• Manage lab operations (metallography, mechanical testing, chemical analysis), ensure instrument calibration & method validation.
• Drive Statistical Process Control (SPC), capability studies and roll-out of control charts and corrective actions.

Audits, Compliance & Certifications

• Prepare for and lead internal, supplier and external audits (ISO 9001, IATF, customer audits).
• Ensure compliance to statutory, environmental, HSE and export/import technical norms.

Leadership & Cross-functional work

• Lead a technical team (metallurgists, lab engineers, quality engineers, technicians); coach & upskill.
• Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance, Procurement, Sales

Budgeting & Reporting

• Prepare and manage R&D & Quality budget, CAPEX for lab/process Upgrades and trials.
• Report KPIs, trial outcomes, cost-savings and quality metrics to Head of R&D / Plant Head.

Preferred candidate profile

B.Tech/ M.Tech - Metallurgy ( M-Tech preferred)