Director - Operations

Key Responsibilities :

- Build and scale manufacturing capability and capacity for the full precision cooling portfolio: DX / chilled water precision air conditioners, in-row / in-rack units, fan wall units, air-cooled chillers, rooftop packaged units, and dry coolers.

- Industrialize energy-efficient cooling technologies (BLDC / EC inverter, dual-cooling, free-cooling architectures) from partner and in-house IP into repeatable, localized factory production.

- Establish thermal performance, stress, and reliability testing infrastructure (performance labs, test benches) to support FAT and compliance sign-offs for cooling products.

- Drive design-for-manufacturing collaboration with engineering on heat load, airflow, and cooling architectures for AI-ready, high-density racks.

- Ensure seamless factory pre-integration of cooling systems within MDCs, PTUs, and smart racks - enabling Rhine's plug-and-play, ~70% faster deployment model.

- Develop the supplier ecosystem for cooling components (compressors, coils, EC fans, controls, refrigerant circuits) with a strong localization focus.

Strategic Operations Leadership :

- Develop and execute the operational roadmap aligned with Rhine Group's growth strategy across data center.

- Lead manufacturing operations across Manesar, Rohad, and Panchkula plants, including ramp-up of the new Rohad facility and future expansion phases.

- Establish scalable manufacturing systems and long-term capacity plans to support rapid growth in modular data centre and cooling demand.

- Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, Kaizen, and Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Operational Excellence :

- Build world-class manufacturing systems with KPI-driven performance management.

- Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), productivity, and first-pass yield.

- Drive cost reduction and continuous improvement programs across manufacturing and operations.

Supply Chain & Procurement :

- Develop strategic sourcing strategies with emphasis on localization of critical cooling and electrical components.

- Strengthen vendor development and supplier quality; reduce procurement costs.

- Optimize inventory, warehousing, and logistics; ensure uninterrupted material availability for compressed factory-build timelines.

Project & Execution Excellence :

- Lead execution of modular data centre and cooling projects end-to-end: manufacturing, integration, testing, site installation, and commissioning.

- Ensure on-time delivery aligned to modular timelines (9-12 month project cycles vs. traditional 18-36 months).

- Drive Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), QAP definition, test-script execution, and quality compliance before dispatch across structural, electrical, mechanical, and fire-safety systems.

- Improve coordination across engineering, production, logistics, and site execution teams.

Quality, Safety & Compliance :

- Build a zero-defect manufacturing culture and strengthen Quality Management Systems.

- Ensure compliance with ISO, EHS, statutory, and product standards (including Tier-aligned / Uptime-certified designs and export-readiness norms such as IEC / UL / CE).

- Lead internal and customer quality audits; promote a culture of safety and operational discipline.

Financial Management :

- Own operational budgets, manufacturing costs, and plant profitability.

- Improve EBITDA through operational efficiencies; optimize working capital and inventory.

Leadership & Organization Development :

- Lead multidisciplinary teams across Manufacturing, Engineering, Projects, Supply Chain, Quality, Service, and Planning.

- Build specialized talent and leadership pipelines in precision cooling, refrigeration, and data centre technologies.

- Foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.