Welspun Group - Head - R&D Processing

Own the Textile Chemistry - Processing capability for WLL's R&D function - process innovation, chemical formulations, finishes, and sustainability-linked processing improvements across Textile, Flooring, and Advanced Textiles (AT).

Lead the Formulations and Textile Chemistry - Executive charter areas, converting process and chemistry research into scalable, compliant, and cost-effective manufacturing processes.

Operate as a second-line leader to the R&D Head - Head - Innovation, with an explicit development mandate to build the breadth (materials, innovation governance, portfolio-level thinking) required to step up into the Head - Innovation role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Process Innovation & Chemistry Roadmap:

- Own the R&D processing roadmap covering textile chemistry, wet processing, and chemical formulations across all three categories.

- Set the process-innovation agenda in line with the overall R&D strategy and Product Development pipeline needs.

Formulations & Finishes Development:

- Lead the Formulations Expert charter to develop new chemical formulations and finishes with demonstrable performance improvement.

- Drive innovation in finishes across WLL, ensuring formulations are validated for manufacturability and cost before scale-up.

Sustainability-Linked Process Innovation:

- Own reduction-in-CO2-footprint initiatives and water-energy projects as core deliverables of the processing capability.

- Embed sustainability criteria (water, chemical, and energy footprint) into every process-innovation evaluation, aligned to Welspun's sustainability commitments.

Lab-to-Plant Scale-Up:

- Oversee scale-up of new processes and chemistry from lab trials to plant-level implementation, partnering with plant technical teams at Anjar and Vapi and hyderabad.

- Validate manufacturability, cost, and quality of new processes at scale before handover to manufacturing.

Team Leadership & Capability Building:

- Lead and develop the Formulations and Textile Chemistry - Executive team; build technical depth and a succession bench within the processing capability.

- Mentor executives on formulation science, process validation, and finishing technology.

Governance & Reporting:

- Maintain the processing/chemistry project tracker and report process-innovation status, sustainability metrics, and finishes pipeline to the R&D Head - Head - Innovation.

- Ensure stage-gate discipline and data-backed go/no-go decisions for all processing projects.

Succession & Step-Up Readiness:

- Actively build exposure to adjacent R&D capabilities (material science, IP & patents, consumer research, innovation governance) to prepare for the Head - Innovation role.

- Deputize for the R&D Head - Head - Innovation in processing-related forums, and progressively take on broader innovation-portfolio reviews as readiness is demonstrated.

KEY RESULT AREAS (KRAs) / KPIs:

- Process innovation - number of new/improved processes implemented across WLL - Cadence: Monthly.

- Reduction in CO2 footprint - measured against baseline per approved sustainability targets - Cadence: Monthly.

- Water & energy projects - number completed / savings achieved - Cadence: Monthly.

- Innovation in finishes - new finishes developed and adopted across WLL categories - Cadence: Monthly.

- Lab-to-scale conversion - % of processing/formulation projects successfully scaled to plant - Cadence: Quarterly.

- Succession readiness - progress against the Head - Innovation success-profile development plan - Cadence: Quarterly (with R&D Head / HCGA review).

QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE:

- PhD - Textile Chemistry with 10 - 12 years of experience; B.Tech / M.Tech - Textile Chemistry also considered (per approved R&D capability specification).

- Demonstrated experience leading formulation development and/or textile chemistry / processing workstreams.

- Prior track record of scaling new processes or chemical formulations from lab to plant in a manufacturing environment, with sustainability outcomes.

SUCCESS PROFILE / CORE COMPETENCIES:

- Deep technical grounding in textile chemistry, formulations, and finishing technology, with credibility to guide and challenge technical teams.

- Sustainability orientation - evaluates process choices through cost, compliance, and environmental impact.

- Execution discipline - runs a stage-gated processing pipeline with data-backed decisions.

- People leadership - builds and develops a technical bench in processing / chemistry.

- Readiness to operate outside core specialization as part of the step-up development path to Head - Innovation.