Head of Manufacturing

Objective of the Role: Head - Manufacturing Engineering / Industrial Engineering

To lead the Manufacturing Engineering and Industrialisation function with end-to-end ownership of process development, line design, NPI, equipment selection, automation, commissioning, process validation and SOP, ensuring the organisation develops robust, scalable, cost-effective and future-ready manufacturing capabilities.

The role will drive the transformation of product design into a manufacturable process, improve productivity and quality, optimise manufacturing costs, and establish advanced manufacturing technologies aligned with the company's growth and global standards.

Roles & Responsibilities

1.Manufacturing Engineering Strategy

• Develop and implement the Manufacturing Engineering strategy aligned with business, product and global manufacturing objectives.
• Establish manufacturing engineering standards, processes and best practices across the organisation.
• Develop a 3–5 year manufacturing technology roadmap aligned with business growth.
• Drive advanced manufacturing, automation, digitalisation and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
• End-to-End Industrialisation / Concept-to-SOP:
• Own the complete Concept → Process Design → Prototype → Pilot → Validation → SOP → Mass Production cycle.
• Ensure product manufacturability through DFM/DFA reviews and early identification of manufacturing risks.
• Lead industrialisation of new products, technologies and manufacturing processes.
• Ensure smooth transition from product engineering to stable mass production.
• Process & Line Design
• Develop manufacturing process flows and detailed process concepts.
• Design production lines based on capacity, takt time, cycle time, line balancing, manpower, quality and material flow.
• Define automation levels, process sequence, quality gates and inspection points.
• Drive process optimisation to achieve robust, scalable and cost-effective manufacturing.
• Equipment, Automation & Technology
• Define technical specifications for machines, equipment, tooling and automation.
• Lead technical evaluation and selection of machine and equipment suppliers.
• Evaluate equipment for capacity, cycle time, reliability, capability, maintainability, safety and cost.
• Lead FAT, SAT, installation, commissioning and process validation.
• Drive implementation of robotics, automation, vision systems, traceability and smart manufacturing.
• Global Transformation & Technology Transfer
• Lead and implement global manufacturing transformation projects initiated by the corporate/global engineering organisation.
• Act as the key interface between global engineering teams and India manufacturing operations.
• Drive transfer of global technologies, processes, systems and best practices to India.
• Ensure successful implementation of global standards while adapting them to local manufacturing requirements.
• Establish governance for tracking global transformation projects, milestones, risks and business benefits.
• Localisation Strategy
• Develop and execute localisation strategies for products, processes, equipment, tooling, technology and suppliers.
• Evaluate global technologies for local feasibility, cost competitiveness, scalability and manufacturability.
• Identify opportunities to localise imported equipment, components, tooling and manufacturing technologies.
• Develop local suppliers and technology partners without compromising global quality and engineering standards.
• Drive localisation to improve cost competitiveness, lead time and supply-chain resilience.
• Process Validation & Quality
• Lead PFMEA, Process Flow, Control Plan and process validation activities.
• Ensure machine and process capability before SOP.
• Establish appropriate measurement systems, inspection methods and quality controls.
• Drive structured problem-solving using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, DOE and other appropriate methodologies.
• Ensure lessons learned are incorporated into future product and process development.
• Line Commissioning & Ramp-up
• Lead installation, commissioning and validation of new manufacturing lines.
• Resolve technical, quality, capacity and equipment issues during commissioning.
• Conduct run-at-rate and capacity validation.
• Ensure successful SOP and production ramp-up.
• Stabilise processes during the initial production phase and achieve targeted productivity.
• Supplier & Technology Partner Management
• Identify, evaluate and develop machine, automation, tooling and technology suppliers.
• Lead technical evaluation, supplier selection and development.
• Manage supplier performance against technical, quality, cost and delivery requirements.
• Develop strategic partnerships with key technology and equipment suppliers.
• Manufacturing Excellence & Productivity
• Drive improvements in OEE, cycle time, throughput, yield, manpower productivity and manufacturing cost.
• Identify and eliminate process bottlenecks.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Poka-yoke and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Benchmark global manufacturing practices and implement relevant best practices locally.
• Capex & Engineering Project Management
• Develop and manage the Manufacturing Engineering Capex plan and budget.
• Evaluate business cases and ROI for new equipment, automation and technology.
• Lead complex engineering projects within agreed cost, quality and timeline.
• Establish project governance, milestones, risk management and escalation mechanisms.
• Team Leadership & Capability Building
• Lead and develop the Manufacturing Engineering and Industrialisation team.
• Build capabilities in process engineering, automation, industrialisation, project management and advanced manufacturing.
• Define KPIs, performance objectives and development plans.
• Build succession and develop future engineering leaders.
• Create a culture of technical ownership, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration
• Work closely with R&D, Product Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Finance and Business teams.
• Collaborate with global engineering and manufacturing teams on technology transfer and transformation projects.
• Resolve product-versus-process challenges and ensure manufacturability.
• Represent India Manufacturing Engineering in relevant global engineering forums.
• Future Manufacturing Technology
• Identify emerging technologies relevant to e-Mobility, automotive and advanced manufacturing.
• Develop and execute the manufacturing technology roadmap.
• Evaluate advanced automation, robotics, digital manufacturing, AI-enabled process monitoring and traceability.
• Build future-ready manufacturing capabilities aligned with the company's long-term growth plans.

Candidate Requirement

• 15–20 years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering / Industrialisation / NPI.
• Engineering degree in Mechanical / Production / Industrial / Mechatronics.
• Preferred experience in Automotive, Auto Components, e-Mobility, Electric Motors or Heavy Engineering.
• Strong experience in Concept-to-SOP, NPI, process design and new line development.
• Hands-on exposure to equipment selection, automation, line commissioning and machine supplier management.
• Experience in global technology transfer, transformation projects and localisation in an MNC environment.
• Strong knowledge of PFMEA, Control Plan, process validation, OEE, Lean and continuous improvement.
• Experience managing Capex, projects and cross-functional/global teams.
• Proven ability to lead and develop Manufacturing Engineering teams.
• Strategic mindset with strong focus on cost, quality, productivity, technology and future manufacturing capabilities.