Plant Head

JOB DESCRIPTION PLANT HEAD

Position

Plant Head – Fabrication & Material Handling

Department

Plant Operations / Manufacturing

Location

Pune / Chakan

Reporting To

Managing Director / Director

Experience

12–18 years in manufacturing, preferably in fabrication, material handling equipment, industrial automation, or engineering products.

1. Job Purpose

To lead and manage the complete plant operations, including production, project execution, purchase, stores, quality, costing, accounts coordination, customer handling and sales support, ensuring timely delivery, cost control, profitability and smooth plant functioning.

The candidate should have strong practical knowledge of fabrication processes and material-handling equipment, along with commercial and business-management skills.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Plant & Production Management

• Overall responsibility for day-to-day plant operations.
• Plan and monitor production as per customer requirements and delivery schedules.
• Ensure optimum utilization of manpower, machines, material and infrastructure.
• Monitor fabrication, welding, machining, assembly and finishing activities.
• Implement production planning and daily/weekly/monthly targets.
• Identify bottlenecks and take corrective actions.
• Ensure proper housekeeping, 5S, safety and discipline within the plant.

B. Project / Execution Management

• Overall responsibility for execution of customer projects from PO/order receipt to final dispatch and installation.
• Prepare and monitor project execution schedules.
• Coordinate with Design, Production, Purchase, Quality and Customer teams.
• Track project progress against planned timelines and budgets.
• Ensure timely availability of drawings, BOM, bought-out items and raw materials.
• Handle customer requirements, site issues and project-related escalations.
• Ensure timely dispatch and installation/commissioning wherever applicable.

C. Purchase & Vendor Management

• Plan procurement based on production and project requirements.
• Coordinate with the Purchase team for timely procurement of raw materials, bought-out components and services.
• Develop and evaluate suppliers for fabrication materials, hardware, electrical, pneumatic and other components.
• Negotiate price, quality, delivery and payment terms with suppliers.
• Monitor supplier performance and take corrective action for delays or quality issues.
• Control inventory and avoid excess/obsolete stock.

D. Sales & Business Development

• Support management in developing new business opportunities.
• Understand customer requirements and provide technical/commercial inputs.
• Prepare or review quotations, costing and commercial offers.
• Participate in customer meetings and negotiations.
• Develop relationships with OEMs, Tier-1 companies and industrial customers.
• Identify opportunities in fabrication, material handling, automation and special-purpose equipment.
• Monitor existing customer business and identify opportunities for repeat orders.

E. Accounts & Cost Control

• Basic to strong understanding of accounting, costing, P&L and cash-flow requirements.
• Monitor project-wise and product-wise costing.
• Track material, manpower, subcontracting and overhead costs.
• Review purchase costs and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Coordinate with the Accounts/Finance team for:
  
• Receivables
• Payables
• Vendor payments
• Customer outstanding
• GST/TDS-related coordination
• Monthly expense monitoring
• Monitor plant profitability and take corrective actions where required.

F. Costing & Commercial Control

• Prepare and review BOM-based costing.
• Calculate material, fabrication, welding, machining, assembly, manpower and overhead costs.
• Review actual vs. estimated project costs.
• Identify cost overruns and implement corrective measures.
• Ensure projects are executed within approved budgets.

G. Quality Management

• Ensure adherence to customer drawings, specifications and quality standards.
• Coordinate with the Quality team for inspection and documentation.
• Monitor rejection, rework and customer complaints.
• Implement root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions.
• Ensure proper documentation and traceability of materials.

H. Team Management

• Lead and manage Production, Projects, Purchase, Stores, Quality and other plant functions.
• Set departmental targets and KPIs.
• Conduct regular review meetings.
• Develop and train team members.
• Ensure accountability and timely completion of assigned responsibilities.
• Build a performance-oriented and disciplined plant culture.

3. Technical Knowledge Required

Candidate should preferably have practical knowledge of:

• Heavy and light fabrication
• MIG/MAG/ARC welding
• CNC/laser/plasma cutting
• Bending and rolling
• Machining processes
• Jigs and fixtures
• Material handling equipment
• Trolleys, pallets and lifting equipment
• Hydraulic and pneumatic systems
• Structural fabrication
• Assembly and installation
• Industrial automation / SPM – added advantage
• Production planning and control
• BOM and drawing interpretation
• Vendor development
• Project execution

4. Commercial & Management Skills

The candidate must have working knowledge of:

• Accounting and financial basics
• Project costing and profitability
• Purchase and procurement
• Inventory management
• Sales and business development
• Customer negotiation
• Vendor negotiation
• Cash-flow and receivable monitoring
• P&L understanding
• MIS and management reporting
• Excel / ERP / production management systems

5. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• On-time delivery of customer orders
• Plant productivity
• Production efficiency
• Project execution within budget
• Material cost reduction
• Inventory control
• Purchase cost reduction
• Reduction in rejection/rework
• Customer satisfaction
• Order booking / sales growth
• Gross margin / project profitability
• Manpower productivity
• Vendor performance
• Safety and 5S compliance

6. Candidate Profile

Education

B.E./B.Tech/Diploma – Mechanical/Production/Industrial Engineering

MBA/PG qualification in Operations, Finance or Business Management will be an added advantage.

Experience

12–18 years, with minimum 5 years in a plant/operations leadership role.

Preferred Industry Background

• Fabrication
• Material Handling Equipment
• Industrial Automation
• Engineering Products
• Special Purpose Machines
• Automotive / Auto Ancillary
• Heavy Engineering
• Industrial Equipment Manufacturing

Preferred Candidate

The ideal candidate should be a hands-on Plant Head who can independently manage Plant Operations + Execution + Purchase + Commercial/Costing + Sales Support, rather than being limited only to production management.

Strong preference should be given to candidates having experience in fabrication and material-handling equipment manufacturing, and who can understand both technical and commercial aspects of the business.

7. Personal Competencies

• Strong leadership and decision-making ability
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Commercially oriented
• Problem-solving mindset
• Ability to work under pressure
• Strong customer orientation
• Analytical and result-oriented
• Good team-management skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Hands-on approach towards plant operations