Head Engineering and Maintenance

Job Title: Head Engineering & Maintenance

Location:

Number of positions

Purpose of the Role

strategic engineering initiatives

Accountability Tracks

1. Strategic Engineering

• Develop and execute engineering strategies aligned with the organization’s business growth, expansion, and regulatory goals.
• Plan and implement capital investment projects (equipment upgrades, new facility setups, energy-saving initiatives).
• Ensure engineering systems and utilities comply with USFDA, EMA, and other global cGMP standards.
• Act as a subject matter expert during regulatory audits, inspections, and customer visits on engineering-related areas.
• Implement sustainability initiatives (energy efficiency, water management, effluent handling) to optimize costs and environmental impact.
• Drive innovation in engineering practices (automation, digital monitoring, advanced CMMS).

2. Maintenance Operations

• Ensure continuous availability and reliability of all plant equipment, utilities, and infrastructure.
• Lead preventive, predictive, and breakdown maintenance across production equipment, utilities (boilers, chillers, compressors, HVAC, WFI, RO/DM systems), and effluent treatment plants.
• Monitor and improve KPIs for equipment uptime, MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), and MTTR (Mean Time to Repair).
• Ensure timely equipment calibration, qualification, and documentation in line with GMP.
• Drive quick and effective troubleshooting of equipment failures, minimizing impact on production schedules.
• Maintain engineering documentation (logbooks, SOPs, maintenance records) to ensure audit readiness.
• Enforce EHS compliance and promote safe practices across all engineering activities.
• Train, mentor, and develop engineering and maintenance teams to build strong technical capability.

Key Technical Competencies

• Strong knowledge of API/Pharma plant utilities and equipment.
• Expertise in preventive & predictive maintenance systems, preferably through CMMS.
• Familiarity with equipment qualification, calibration, and validation.
• Deep understanding of cGMP requirements and regulatory audit expectations.
• Knowledge of automation, instrumentation, and energy management practices.

Key Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic Thinking:

  Ability to align engineering roadmap with business and regulatory priorities.

• Problem-Solving:

  Structured approach to root cause analysis and technical troubleshooting.

• Collaboration:

  Strong cross-functional coordination with QA, Production, RA, and EHS.

• Leadership:

  Ability to inspire, coach, and retain a high-performing engineering team.

• Accountability:

  Ownership for plant reliability, compliance, and cost optimization.

• Agility:

  Ability to respond rapidly to equipment issues or audit demands.

Educational Qualification & Experience

• Education:

  B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical / Electrical / Instrumentation / Chemical Engineering.

• Experience:

  12–18 years in Engineering & Maintenance in a mid-sized API/Pharma plant, with minimum 5 years in a senior managerial role.

Internal Stakeholders

• Production & Manufacturing
• Quality Assurance & Quality Control
• Regulatory Affairs
• EHS
• Supply Chain & Procurement

External Stakeholders

• Equipment & Utility Vendors
• Calibration & Service Providers
• Contractors & Consultants
• Statutory Authorities (Pollution Control Board, Boiler Inspectorate, etc.)
• Regulatory Agencies (during inspections)

Core Performance Dimensions

Dimension

Success Indicators

Strategic Engineering

Timely execution of capital projects; compliance of facilities/utilities with global GMP

Equipment Uptime

Reduction in downtime, improved MTBF, adherence to maintenance KPIs

Preventive Maintenance

95% adherence to preventive/predictive maintenance schedule

Regulatory Compliance

Zero major/critical audit observations in engineering & maintenance areas

Energy & Cost Optimization

% savings in energy, water, and utility costs annually

EHS & Safety

Zero safety incidents/accidents in engineering domain

Team Capability

Skill development, retention, and performance of engineering team