Business Head - Defence/Aerospace

Job Description:

We are seeking a dynamic and commercially driven Business Head to lead the overall business operations of our Defence & Aerospace division. The role carries complete responsibility for business growth, profitability, manufacturing excellence, and customer satisfaction. The incumbent will own the Profit & Loss (P&L) for the business unit while driving operational efficiency across Production, Quality, Engineering, Purchase, Stores, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Business Development.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in defence, aerospace, or precision manufacturing, with strong expertise in business development, strategic planning, operational leadership, and compliance with AS9100 and IATF 16949 quality standards.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Business Leadership:

- Lead the overall business strategy and operational performance of the Defence & Aerospace business unit.

- Own complete Profit & Loss (P&L) responsibility, driving revenue growth, profitability, EBITDA improvement, and sustainable business expansion.

- Develop and execute strategic plans aligned with organizational objectives and market opportunities.

- Identify new business opportunities and expand relationships with defence, aerospace, and strategic industrial customers.

- Drive order acquisition, customer retention, and long-term business partnerships.

2. Operations Management:

- Provide overall leadership for Production, Engineering, Quality, Purchase, Stores, Maintenance, Planning, and Supply Chain functions.

- Ensure timely execution of customer orders while meeting quality, delivery, and cost objectives.

- Drive manufacturing excellence through Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, Kaizen, and continuous improvement initiatives.

- Optimize production capacity, asset utilization, and operational efficiency.

- Lead cross-functional teams to achieve business and operational KPIs.

3. Financial Management:

- Own and manage the business unit's P&L.

- Drive margin improvement through productivity enhancement, waste reduction, value engineering, and cost optimization initiatives.

- Monitor budgets, forecasts, capital expenditure, and working capital.

- Balance inventory levels against strict delivery schedules to optimize cash flow and inventory turns.

- Improve operational profitability through efficient resource utilization and supply chain optimization.

4. Customer & Business Development:

- Build and strengthen relationships with key customers, defence organizations, aerospace OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and government agencies.

- Lead commercial negotiations, contract execution, pricing strategies, and customer engagement.

- Ensure high customer satisfaction through consistent delivery, quality, and responsiveness.

5. Quality, Compliance & Governance:

- Ensure full compliance with AS9100 (Aerospace), IATF 16949 (Automotive), and other applicable industry standards and regulatory requirements.

- Drive a culture of quality, safety, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.

- Lead internal and external audits while maintaining all statutory and customer-specific certifications.

- Ensure adherence to Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) regulations and corporate governance policies.

6. People Leadership:

- Build, mentor, and develop high-performing leadership teams.

- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence.

- Drive talent development, succession planning, and employee engagement initiatives.

Required Skills & Competencies:

- Strong business acumen with end-to-end P&L management experience.

- Proven expertise in business development within Defence, Aerospace, or Precision Engineering sectors.

- Comprehensive understanding of manufacturing operations including Production, Engineering, Quality, Purchase, Stores, Maintenance, and Supply Chain.

- Strong knowledge of AS9100, IATF 16949, and quality management systems.

- Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, Kaizen, and Operational Excellence programs.

- Excellent financial planning, budgeting, cost control, and margin improvement capabilities.

- Strong commercial negotiation and customer relationship management skills.

- Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, analytical, and decision-making abilities.

- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Production, Industrial, or Aerospace Engineering.

- MBA (Operations, Finance, Marketing, or General Management) preferred.

- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt/Black Belt certification is an added advantage.

Preferred Experience:

- 15-20 years of experience in Defence, Aerospace, Automotive, or Precision Engineering manufacturing.

- Minimum 5-8 years in a senior leadership role with complete business or plant management responsibility.

- Demonstrated success in managing large manufacturing operations with full P&L ownership.

- Strong experience working with aerospace and automotive quality systems, customer audits, and regulatory compliance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

- Revenue growth and order book expansion

- EBITDA and operating margin improvement

- P&L performance

- On-time delivery (OTD)

- Inventory turns and working capital optimization

- Cost reduction and productivity improvement

- Customer satisfaction and retention

- New business acquisition

- Quality performance (PPM, First Pass Yield, Customer Complaints)

- Compliance with AS9100, IATF 16949, and statutory requirements

- Safety performance and operational excellence metrics