Head Operations

Operational Due Diligence (ODD)

eyes and ears on the ground

Role & responsibilities

1. Operational Due Diligence (ODD)

• Conduct

  comprehensive operational due diligence

  across industries: manufacturing, infra, logistics, pharma, FMCG, IT, NBFCs, textiles, energy, healthcare, real estate, etc.
• Physically verify factories, warehouses, offices, and on-ground assets before investments.
• Assess

  plant capacity, machinery condition, workforce numbers, vendor/customer contracts, and real production vs. reported figures

  .
• Check statutory records: labor compliance, environmental clearances, licenses, safety norms, and municipal approvals.

2. Risk Identification & Fraud Checks

• Detect

  red flags

  : inflated turnover, non-existent assets, ghost employees, litigation risks, encumbrances, hidden liabilities.
• Validate

  supply chain robustness, raw material sourcing, vendor credibility, and customer concentration risk

  .
• Evaluate

  management integrity and governance practices

  through discreet checks.

3. Investment Support

• Collaborate with

  finance, legal, and strategy teams

  during due diligence.
• Provide

  practical risk reports

  with clear go/no-go” recommendations to leadership.
• Suggest

  mitigation measures

  (e.g., warranties, indemnities, escrow, retention, price adjustments).
• Support in

  valuation validation

  by verifying ground realities vs. financial statements.

4. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work with external advisors (Big 4 consultants, law firms, sector specialists) on deep-dive due diligence.
• Liaise with regulators, local authorities, and industry bodies for compliance verification.
• Build

  sector-specific ODD playbooks

  for faster, standardized assessments.

5. Leadership & Reporting

• Present

  executive-level reports

  to Group Head – M&A & Investments and Chairman.
• Maintain an

  investment risk dashboard

  for ongoing monitoring.
• Mentor and build a small internal ODD team for field audits and verifications.

Preferred candidate profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Operations/Commerce/Management; MBA preferred.

• 12–20 years’ experience

  in

  operations, operations due diligence, audits, or transaction advisory

  .
• Hands-on exposure to

  at least 10 different industries

  (manufacturing, pharma, FMCG, infra, logistics, IT, NBFCs, etc.).
• Strong background in

  factory audits, operational assessments, and compliance checks

  .
• Ability to

  travel extensively across India

  for site inspections.
• Sharp investigative ability with strong business acumen.

Key Competencies

• Strong

  analytical & problem-solving

  ability.
• Eye for detail with ability to detect

  fraudulent or inflated claims

  .
• Excellent

  stakeholder management and communication skills

  .
• High integrity, independence, and confidentiality.
• Hands-on leader with ability to manage teams and external consultants.

• Must have worked in a senior role in cigarette/tobacco manufacturing