Head - Supplier Development

Exide Energy Solutions Limited (EESL) is one of the fastest growing companies who has vision to solve social issues regarding energy, environment, resource, etc with producing lithium-ion battery products. Exide Energy Solutions Ltd is setting up India’s first Giga plant to manufacture Lithium Ion Cells in Bengaluru.

Job Location: Devanahalli, Bangalore

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head – Supplier Development to lead supplier development, capability building, localization, and strategic sourcing initiatives for our Giga Factory at Devanahalli, Bengaluru. The role will focus on developing a robust, cost-competitive, quality-driven, and sustainable supplier ecosystem to support lithium-ion cell manufacturing and large-scale factory operations.

The incumbent will work closely with Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, R&D, and Supply Chain teams to identify, assess, qualify, and develop suppliers in line with business requirements, new product introduction, and localization objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Supplier Development Strategy: Develop and execute the supplier development strategy aligned with business objectives, manufacturing requirements, localization targets, and long-term supply chain goals.
• Supplier Identification & Qualification: Identify, evaluate, audit, and onboard domestic and international suppliers for raw materials, battery components, equipment, fabricated assemblies, and critical manufacturing requirements.
• Supplier Capability Building: Drive supplier capability assessments, process improvement, capacity enhancement, quality improvement, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Localization & Cost Optimization: Lead indigenization initiatives, alternate supplier development, import substitution, value engineering, and total cost of ownership optimization.
• Supplier Quality & Performance: Collaborate with Supplier Quality and Engineering teams to improve supplier performance across quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and responsiveness.
• Technical Collaboration: Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, and R&D teams to support design reviews, process validation, production trials, new product introduction, and supplier industrialization.
• Strategic Supplier Partnerships: Build long-term relationships with critical suppliers, technology partners, and strategic manufacturing partners to ensure supply continuity and competitiveness.
• Risk Management: Identify supplier-related risks, capacity constraints, single-source dependencies, and supply disruptions; develop mitigation and business continuity plans.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead and mentor the supplier development team, establish performance metrics, and drive accountability through structured reviews and improvement plans.
• Governance & Reporting: Track supplier development milestones, localization progress, cost savings, supplier readiness, and risk mitigation; provide periodic updates to senior management.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Industrial Engineering, Production Engineering, or a related discipline.
• A postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business Administration (MBA), or Strategic Sourcing will be an added advantage.

Experience

• Overall experience: 15–20 years in supplier development, strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier industrialization, or supply chain management.
• Relevant experience: At least 8–10 years in supplier development, supplier capability building, localization, or strategic sourcing within automotive, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, electronics, or advanced manufacturing.
• Experience leading supplier development teams and managing strategic suppliers across complex manufacturing ecosystems is essential.
• Prior experience in a greenfield manufacturing project, giga factory, battery manufacturing facility, or large-scale industrialization program will be highly preferred.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Supplier development strategy and supplier capability assessment.
• Strategic sourcing, localization, and cost optimization.
• Supplier audits, process improvement, and quality enhancement.
• Supplier industrialization, capacity planning, and risk management.
• Strong commercial negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Cross-functional leadership and team development.
• Data-driven decision-making, project management, and executive communication.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Supplier localization and indigenization achievement.
• Cost savings and total cost of ownership improvement.
• Supplier quality, delivery, and capacity performance.
• Supplier qualification and industrialization lead time.
• Reduction in supply risks and single-source dependencies.
• Achievement of supplier development milestones for factory ramp-up.

Preferred Candidate Profile

A strategic and hands-on leader with a strong understanding of manufacturing supply chains, supplier capability development, localization, and industrialization. The ideal candidate should be capable of building a reliable supplier ecosystem from the ground up and ensuring supplier readiness to support the operational and scale-up requirements of a lithium-ion battery Giga Factory.