Operations Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Operations Manager Operations / Engineering Projects / Commercial Coordination / Business Development.

REPORTING TO : Founder & Managing Director

WORK SCHEDULE : Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Saturday: Half day (timings as advised)

DEPARTMENT : Operations, Projects & Business Development

WORK LOCATION : Initial two months: Work from home Thereafter: Company-designated office/workshop

Role objective : Ensure structured daily operations, timely commercial documentation, disciplined project follow-up, client communication and financial coordination across VM Ships’ marine, railway and industrial engineering activities. The role requires proactive ownership of tasks and timely management reporting.

01 EMAIL MANAGEMENT AND DAILY COMMUNICATIONS :

• Monitor official company emails throughout working hours and respond professionally to client enquiries and routine operations matters.
• Follow up on project updates, quotations, purchase orders, invoices, approvals and pending client correspondence.
• Prepare and send business development introductions to prospective shipping, railway and engineering clients. Maintain a daily correspondence/action tracker and promptly escalate urgent matters to the Managing Director.

02 QUOTATIONS, INVOICING AND COMMERCIAL DOCUMENTATION :

• Prepare accurate quotations, budgetary quotations, invoices and relevant supporting documents for marine and Indian Railways projects.
• Coordinate itemised cost estimates and bills of quantities (BOQs) with technical personnel and management.
• Obtain vendor and subcontractor prices, compare offers and track quotation revisions, client approvals and purchase orders.
• Ensure timely commercial submissions using approved VM Ships templates, subject to the Managing Director’s authorisation.

03 DAILY ENGINEERING PROJECT MONITORING :

• Follow up daily with project supervisors, engineers, technicians and subcontractors for progress on all active projects.
• Track manpower, material availability, schedules, outstanding work, expected completion dates and potential delays.
• Collect daily status reports, progress photographs and other completion evidence from site teams.
• Update clients when required after proper technical coordination; escalate delays, safety concerns and scope changes promptly.

04 RAILWAY WORKSHOP AND SITE VISITS :

• Visit railway workshops, locomotive sheds and other job sites when required to coordinate with officials and project personnel.
• Check progress, material requirements and pending actions; support gate passes, inspections and handover documentation.
• Submit clear site-visit notes and follow-up actions to the Managing Director.

05 ACCOUNTS, RECEIVABLES AND VENDOR PAYMENT COORDINATION :

• Maintain records of all client invoices, payment due dates, outstanding receivables, vendor bills and approved payment commitments.
• Follow up with clients to ensure invoices are acknowledged, processed and paid on time.
• Coordinate timely vendor payments after approval by the Managing Director; maintain accurate payment and reconciliation records.
• Liaise with the accountant/CA regarding invoices, GST supporting documentation, ledgers and financial reports.
• Submit weekly receivables and payables summaries, highlighting any overdue collections or urgent vendor obligations.

06 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS :

• Support business development across shipping, ship repair, Indian Railways and related engineering sectors.
• Maintain prospect databases, send introductory emails, distribute company capabilities and follow up on enquiries
• Accompany the Managing Director to shipping and railway offices, workshops and client meetings whenever required.
• Prepare meeting agendas, presentations, minutes and post-meeting follow-up trackers.

07 MANDATORY AI KNOWLEDGE AND DIGITAL PRODUCTIVITY :

• Basic practical knowledge of AI tools is mandatory; advanced AI capability will be a significant advantage.
• Apply approved AI tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to professional email drafting, reporting, research and presentations.
• Use AI to improve Excel trackers, quotation preparation, project reporting and repetitive administrative tasks.
• Verify all AI-generated technical, commercial or financial content before use; safeguard confidential client and company information.
• Continuously improve AI proficiency and propose practical digital workflow enhancements.

08 DAILY AND WEEKLY MANAGEMENT REPORTING :

• Maintain a daily operations report with active projects, priority correspondence, urgent issues and next actions.
• Update trackers for projects, enquiries, quotations, purchase orders, invoices, receivables and vendor payments.
• Provide a weekly management summary covering completed tasks, pending actions, risks and priorities.
• Attend scheduled management reviews and follow assigned actions through to completion.

09 CORE COMPETENCIES AND PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS :

• Strong written English and proficiency in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and basic AI applications.
• Commercial accuracy, timely follow-up, organised documentation and reliable multi-project coordination.
• Professional communication with shipping clients, railway officials, subcontractors, vendors and site teams.
• Willingness to attend office/workshop, project sites and client offices as required, and to support urgent matters outside normal hours when necessary.
• Background in engineering operations, marine services or railway/industrial maintenance will be an advantage.

10 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs) :

PERFORMANCE AREA EXPECTED OUTCOME

Email & communications : Tmely client responses, effective follow-ups and closure of pending correspondence.

Project coordination : Daily visibility of project progress, escalation of delays and accurate updates to clients.

Quotations & invoicing : Accurate, timely submissions with required documentation and approval.

Receivables & vendor payments : Systematic collection follow-up and timely processing of approved vendor bills.

Business development Regular outreach, maintained lead pipeline and disciplined commercial follow-up.

Reporting & AI adoption : Reliable daily/weekly reporting and verified application of AI to routine processes.

Authority and accountability. Final pricing, contractual commitments, payment authorisations and strategic decisions are subject to the Managing Director’s approval. The Operations Manager is accountable for disciplined follow-up, accurate documentation, reliable information flow and timely issue escalation.

If interested, kindly share your updated resume at mimi.dsouza@sansidsolutions.com

Thanks and regards,

Mimi Dsouza LLP

Pay: ₹800,000.00 - ₹1,200,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person