Head Operation-Precision Machine Engineering, P&L, Industry 4.0, AI

Head Operations (Precision Engineering / Advanced Manufacturing)

Grade:

Role Purpose

end-to-end operational excellence

drive Factory of the Future initiatives

succession role for COO

Key Objectives

• Deliver production volumes at

  target quality, cost, and delivery (OTDIF)

• Drive

  operational profitability, cost optimization, and asset utilization

• Standardize

  manufacturing processes, systems, and governance

  across units
• Lead

  automation, digitalization, AI adoption, and smart factory initiatives

• Embed

  safety, compliance, sustainability, and continuous improvement culture

• Enable

  scalable new product introduction (NPI/NPD)

  and faster time-to-market

Strategic Responsibilities

Operations & Business Strategy

• Develop and execute

  operations and manufacturing technology strategy

  aligned with overall business goals
• Translate business strategy into

  operational roadmaps, capacity plans, and investment priorities

• Lead

  Capex planning, ROI analysis, and business case justification

  for automation, robotics, and digital initiatives
• Collaborate closely with

  CEO, CTO, Sales, NPD, PMO, and external partners

Functional Responsibilities

Manufacturing & Operations Excellence

• Cascade operational plans into

  daily / monthly / quarterly execution targets

• Monitor and improve

  lead time, FTR, OTDIF, productivity, and throughput

• Drive

  manufacturing process optimization

  (assembly lines, layout, quality gates, inventory flow)
• Ensure

  uniform quality systems, SOPs, and best practices

  across business units
• Own

  operational cost control, efficiency improvement, and margin enhancement

Factory of the Future | Industry 4.0 | AI Impact

• Lead

  automation and robotics implementation

  across manufacturing and assembly
• Enable

  AI-driven insights

  for predictive maintenance, production planning, quality analytics, and capacity optimization
• Implement

  smart factory systems

  , MES, digital dashboards, and real-time performance monitoring
• Balance

  technology adoption with workforce capability building

Safety, Compliance & Sustainability

• Own enterprise-wide

  safety performance and HSE standards

• Ensure compliance with

  global and regional regulatory standards

  (21 CFR, US FDA, ECEP, local regulations)
• Drive

  green manufacturing and sustainable practices

  without compromising growth

Continuous Improvement & Lean Transformation

• Lead large-scale

  Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 6S, 7QC, Kanban

  initiatives
• Institutionalize

  continuous improvement culture

  across all levels
• Deliver measurable gains in

  productivity, quality, cost, and delivery

New Product Development & Industrialization

• Assess feasibility and manufacturability of

  new product concepts

• Define priorities and targets for

  NPD, Application Engineering, and PMO

• Ensure

  stage-gate discipline

  , structured documentation, and design-to-manufacture alignment
• Support faster

  product launches and version upgrades

Project Management & Governance

• Oversee execution of strategic and operational projects via PMO
• Review progress, manage escalations, and provide corrective guidance
• Chair or participate in

  project steering committees and governance reviews

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Build a

  high-performance, accountability-driven leadership team

• Drive

  succession planning, leadership development, and skill upgrading

• Foster employee engagement, ownership, and continuous learning
• Support HR in

  hiring senior technical and operational leaders

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

• Plant utilization & capacity effectiveness
• Production vs plan achievement
• Operational cost control & margin improvement
• Process standardization & digital maturity
• Product quality deviations & rework reduction
• On-time delivery performance
• Safety & compliance metrics
• New product launches & time-to-market
• Continuous improvement impact

Education & Experience

Minimum:

• B.Tech / M.Tech / MS in Engineering
• 12-15 years in manufacturing / engineering operations

Preferred:

• 20+ years in

  precision engineering, pharmaceutical machinery, or complex B2B manufacturing

• Exposure to

  multi-plant operations, automation, and digital transformation

• MBA / M.Tech / MS in Industrial Engineering or Operations (Tier-1 institutions preferred)

Career Path

Head Operations Chief Operating Officer (COO)