Head - Operations

Dept./Function/Location: Operations, Kolkata

Reporting Manager: CEO

Reviewing Manager: Head - BD

Direct Reports Positions: Manager Supply Chain, Factory Manager & Purchase Manager

Role Objectives:

The role holder is responsible for leading the end-to-end Operations function, including manufacturing, third-party production, strategic procurement, supply chain planning, warehousing, logistics, and customer fulfillment. The primary objective is to deliver superior service levels, optimal cost structures, high product quality, and strict regulatory compliance while driving operational excellence to support business growth across General Trade (GT), Modern Trade (MT), E-commerce, and Export channels.

Role Responsibilities:

- Strategy & Business Alignment: Develop and execute the overall operational strategy and production plan aligned with Annual Business Plans (ABP) across all channels (GT, MT, E-commerce, Export).

- Manufacturing Excellence & Productivity: Lead plant operations to meet production targets, improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), drive TQM/TPM, reduce conversion costs, and minimize downtime, rejection, and wastage.

- Third-Party Manufacturing (TPU): Identify, qualify, audit, and manage TPU partners based on CBA and business strategy; oversee contract manufacturing to ensure OTIF deliveries, cost optimization, and adherence to quality standards.

- Strategic Procurement & Material Management: Drive cost-effective and timely procurement of raw and packaging materials, strategic sourcing, vendor development, and inventory optimization to support production forecasts.

- Warehouse & Logistics Management: Formulate and execute effective distribution, transportation, and freight optimization plans across CNF/warehouses nationwide, defining standard SLAs for seamless secondary distribution.

- Customer Service & Fill Rate: Ensure high service levels by driving superior fill rates, OTIF (On-Time, In-Full) metrics, and delivery adherence across all sales channels.

- Inventory & Working Capital Optimization: Manage safety stock levels and inventory turnover across Raw Materials (RM), Packaging Materials (PM), and Finished Goods (FG) while actively reducing slow-moving and obsolete inventory.

- Demand & Supply Chain Planning: Oversee Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), demand/supply balancing, material requirement planning (MRP), inventory management and capacity planning across all plants to support continuous growth.

- Quality, EHS & Statutory Compliance: Maintain 100% adherence to regulatory requirements, GMP, ISO standards, safety guidelines, and regular audits; execute CAPA to minimize customer complaints.

- Cost Management & Optimization: Drive systematic reduction across manufacturing costs, logistics costs, procurement costs, inventory carrying costs, warehousing costs, and working capital through strategic sourcing, operational efficiencies, and process improvements.

- NPL & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with R&D, Marketing, and Commercial teams to drive New Product Launches (NPL), prototype development, and smooth execution of packaging and trial plans.

- Team Leadership & Capability Building: Build and lead a high-performance operations team through continuous capability development, cross-functional collaboration, succession planning, and robust performance management.