Soles Head Job Purpose: Responsible to drive the sales & production/ manufacturing process to execute the commercialization to meet design vision, merchant requirements and organizations financial goals for the unit. Department: Footwear Business Level: L1 Key Responsibilities: Provide overall direction to the manufacturing operations for production. Adheres to strategic direction in cost management, goal setting, employee relations, customer satisfaction and quality systems deployment. Coordinate plant support (Production, Planning, Engineering, and Quality Assurance) with appropriate management. Hands-on supervision and training to production/manufacturing employees on methodology, processes, quality standards, safety, material control processes etc. Achieve production targets within defined Quality and Cost parameters Prepare annual financial budget, evaluate periodic labour and expense statements and implement cost control activities, would also be responsible for the P&L of the Unit Ensure effective production planning for achieving product demands in different varieties efficiently. Achieving and improving yield maximization and efficiencies. Product size development and brand extensions Lead communication and teambased activities such as plant-wide meetings, implementation of progressive policies and programs Responsible for managing the Production team in achieving quality standards at par with the overall global norms Handle production, development and technical teams to ensure product specification sheets and samples conform and meet quality standards and technical design requirements Support the product development and design teams and oversee product development based upon desired aesthetic, performance, comfort and fit. Monitor pricing, quality and delivery of products to ensure that these criteria are up to the standard requirement Partner with cross-functional teams: Design, Merchandising & Technical Design to cost engineer the product Communicate activities and results on a regular basis to the management Develop and implement plans to improve customer satisfaction through quality, costs and timeliness Desired Profile: Key competencies would include high strategic focus and sharp business acumen coupled with hands on business leadership style Possess strong knowledge of technical aspects of footwear manufacturing. Distribution/Operations driven experience in Footwear / Garments industry with demonstrated exposure to / experience of introducing innovative practices in supply chain management Should have skills in specific account strategies, aimed at generating new and repeat business Would need to be aggressive in leading, directing and executing distribution activities in ones team. Should have a flair for analyzing the marketability and viability of diverse brands, ability to segment markets, in-depth exposure to pricing, positioning, and packaging and communication strategies would be key. Project management skills to manage multiple projects at different stages of development Exposure / understanding of the footwear business would be preferred Should be able to lead a team and possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills Must have the ability to take on wider and higher responsibilities Educational Qualifications: High quality academic background Graduate into Footwear / Fashion Technology; Post Graduate Degree/ Diploma in Marketing or Foreign Trade will be preferred Relevant years of Experience: 15 - 18 years of experience, preferably in product development with Sole manufacturing / Leather / Garments Companies of reasonable scale and complexity/diversity. Competencies: Strong leadership and people management skills Balanced combination of strategic and operations focus Commitment to result orientation and target deliverables Problem solving skills Analytical ability for decision support (understanding and resolving problems, data collation and analysis) High business acumen and strong sense of commercials and market trend. At ease with IT tools Exposure to International Marketing and business development / production/ export preferred. Man- Management skills Reports To: Business Head Reportees: 6-7 Direct Reportees Industry Preference: Sole manufacturing Location: Ranipet
