Plant Head - Distillery Plant

1. Position Summary:

The Plant Head - Unit Head is the single point of accountability for the end-to-end functioning of the ethanol plant at Gwalior. The role owns plant production and productivity, cost optimisation, manpower planning, profitability, procurement, administration, statutory compliance and stakeholder relations. The incumbent leads the unit as a profit centre and ensures safe, reliable, efficient and compliant operations in line with the Group's strategic and financial objectives, reporting directly to the Managing Director.

2. Key Responsibilities:

2.1 Plant Production & Productivity:

- Plan, direct and control daily, monthly and annual production of ethanol (and by-products such as DDGS, CO2, fusel oil, as applicable) against approved targets and OMC/blending commitments.

- Maximise plant capacity utilisation, on-stream days and yield (litres of ethanol per tonne of feedstock) through process optimisation.

- Oversee all process areas: feedstock handling and milling, liquefaction, saccharification, fermentation, distillation, dehydration (MSDH), evaporation, DDGS drying, CO2 recovery and storage.

- Monitor key process parameters (starch content, fermentation efficiency, distillation efficiency, steam and power consumption) and take corrective action on deviations.

- Drive continuous improvement initiatives: debottlenecking, process automation, Lean, Six Sigma and Kaizen.

- Ensure ethanol quality meets BIS/OMC specifications and by-product quality meets customer requirements.

- Prepare production plans aligned with feedstock availability (grain, FCI rice, maize, damaged food grain, etc.), seasonal variations and dispatch schedules.

2.2 Cost Optimisation:

- Prepare and manage the annual operating budget (OPEX and CAPEX) for the unit and ensure adherence.

- Track and reduce conversion cost, with focus on raw material, steam, power, water, chemicals and enzymes, and yeast consumption.

- Benchmark specific consumption norms (steam per litre, power per litre, water per litre) and drive reduction targets.

- Improve energy efficiency through heat integration, boiler efficiency, condensate recovery and effective utilisation of captive power.

- Control maintenance, spares and consumables costs through planned and predictive maintenance.

- Review monthly cost sheets and variance analysis and present findings and action plans to the Managing Director.

2.3 Profitability & Financial Management:

- Own the unit P&L: revenue, EBITDA, margins, working capital and cash flow.

- Optimise product mix and by-product monetisation (DDGS, CO2, fusel oil, etc.) to maximise realisation.

- Manage inventory levels of feedstock, ethanol and by-products to minimise working capital blockage and losses.

- Monitor ethanol pricing, OMC allocations, feedstock price movements and government policy changes, and recommend strategic responses.

- Ensure accurate monthly MIS, cost and budget reporting, and timely closing of accounts with the Finance team.

- Evaluate and recommend capital investments, expansion and modernisation projects with sound ROI analysis.

2.4 Procurement & Supply Chain:

- Oversee procurement of feedstock (grains, maize, rice, etc.) ensuring assured supply, quality, competitive pricing and adherence to stock-holding and FCI/government procurement norms.

- Manage procurement of fuel (coal, biomass, husk), chemicals, enzymes, yeast, spares, consumables and services through transparent vendor selection and negotiation.

- Develop and maintain a strong vendor base with rate contracts and long-term agreements for critical inputs.

- Ensure quality inspection, weighment and storage of incoming materials, and minimise shrinkage and spoilage.

- Coordinate logistics for ethanol dispatch to OMC depots and by-product movement, including tanker scheduling and compliance with transport norms.

- Implement procurement controls, approval matrices and audit trails to ensure integrity and cost effectiveness.

2.5 Manpower Planning & People Management:

- Prepare manpower plans, organisation structure and skill matrices aligned with plant operations and growth.

- Lead recruitment, deployment, training and development of managers, engineers, operators and contract workforce.

- Build a high-performance culture through KRAs/KPIs, performance appraisals, succession planning and talent retention.

- Manage contract labour, shift planning, overtime and productivity norms; control manpower cost within budget.

- Maintain cordial industrial relations and resolve grievances promptly and fairly.

- Develop second-line leadership and conduct regular technical and behavioural training.

2.6 Maintenance & Asset Management:

- Ensure reliability and availability of all plant equipment through preventive, predictive and breakdown maintenance systems.

- Plan annual shutdowns / off-season maintenance and ensure timely completion within budget.

- Maintain an optimum spares inventory and critical spares plan.

- Oversee boiler, turbine/DG, ETP/ZLD, cooling towers, DM plant and other utilities.

- Track equipment performance (OEE, MTBF, MTTR) and lead root cause analysis for repeated failures.

2.7 Quality, Safety, Health & Environment (EHS):

- Ensure zero-harm culture; implement and monitor safety systems, SOPs, PSM, HAZOP, LOTO, permit-to-work and mock drills.

- Ensure fire safety, explosion protection and statutory safety compliance for flammable and hazardous (ethanol storage) operations as per PESO, Factories Act and Explosives norms.

- Ensure compliance with environmental regulations: CPCB/MPPCB consent to operate, effluent treatment (zero liquid discharge), air emissions, solid waste and water use.

- Implement quality management systems (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and FSSC where applicable) and prepare the plant for internal and external audits.

- Promote sustainability initiatives such as water conservation, renewable energy and carbon reduction.

2.8 Statutory Compliance & Regulatory Affairs:

- Ensure compliance with all applicable laws: Factories Act, Environment Protection Act, Water/Air Acts, Explosives Act, Excise/State Distillery and Ethanol policy regulations, Labour laws, GST, Legal Metrology and others.

- Liaise with Excise, Pollution Control Board, Factory Inspectorate, Fire, Labour, Food & Civil Supplies, PESO and other government bodies.

- Maintain licences, permits, returns and renewals; ensure timely submissions and audit readiness.

- Coordinate with OMCs (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL) on supply agreements, allocation, quality and payment follow-up.

2.9 Administration & Stakeholder Management:

- Oversee overall plant administration: security, housekeeping, canteen, transport, guest house, township/colony and CSR activities.

- Ensure effective coordination across Production, Maintenance, Finance, HR, Stores, Commercial and EHS functions.

- Maintain good relations with local community, farmers, government authorities and industry associations (e.g., ISMA, AIDA, local chambers).

- Represent the unit in internal reviews, external audits, banker/financier meetings and customer interactions.

- Maintain strong MIS, documentation and ERP/SAP-based controls across the unit.

2.10 Strategic Leadership & Reporting:

- Translate Group strategy into plant-level business plans, targets and execution roadmaps.

- Submit daily, weekly and monthly performance reports to the Managing Director covering production, cost, safety, compliance and profitability.

- Lead expansion, debottlenecking, new technology adoption (e.g., 2G ethanol, CBG, bio-products) and plant modernisation projects.

- Identify risks (feedstock, regulatory, safety, financial) and prepare mitigation plans.

3. Qualifications & Experience:

Educational Qualification:

- B.E. / B.Tech in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Mechanical Engineering or Sugar/Fermentation Technology.

- M.Tech / MBA (Operations / General Management) preferred.

Experience:

- 18 to 25 years of overall experience in ethanol / distillery / sugar / grain-based processing industry, with at least 5 to 8 years in a senior plant leadership role (Plant Head / Unit Head / GM Operations).

- Proven track record of running a grain-based ethanol plant (100 KLPD or above preferred) with strong profitability, yield and safety performance.

- Hands-on exposure to commissioning, stabilisation, expansion and debottlenecking projects is an advantage.

4. Skills & Competencies:

Technical:

- Deep knowledge of grain-based ethanol process, fermentation technology, distillation and dehydration, DDGS production, boilers and utilities, ETP/ZLD.

- Strong understanding of cost accounting, plant economics, budgeting and P&L management.

- Working knowledge of ERP/SAP, SCADA/DCS automation and MIS tools.

- Sound knowledge of statutory, environmental and safety regulations applicable to distilleries and ethanol plants.

Leadership & Behavioural:

- Strong leadership, decision-making and people management skills with the ability to lead large, multi-disciplinary teams.

- Result orientation, ownership and accountability for unit performance.

- Analytical and problem-solving mindset with a data-driven approach.

- Negotiation and stakeholder management skills (vendors, OMCs, authorities, community).

- Integrity, transparency and high ethical standards.

- Excellent communication in English and Hindi.