Factory Manager

ABOUT THE COMPANY

K P Namboodiri's Ayurvedics (KPNA) is a heritage Ayurvedic products company founded in 1925, headquartered in Thrissur, Kerala. Oral care is its core category, with skin care and hair care as growth areas. The Company is strengthening its manufacturing and functional leadership to support its next phase of growth.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Factory Manager will run KPNA's personal care manufacturing unit at Vadakkekad, Thrissur. The role is accountable for production output, quality, cost, safety and people at the unit. It reports to the DGM, Operations. This is a hands-on role, based at the plant, with close involvement in daily shopfloor work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Plant Operations

- Run the day-to-day operations of the unit, covering production, maintenance, in-process quality checks and in-plant stores.

- Meet the monthly production plan for volume, quality and cost.

- Make good use of manpower, machines and materials across shifts.

- Keep production records, batch documents and daily reports accurate and up to date.

2. Production Planning and Coordination

- Prepare weekly and daily production schedules from the plan agreed with the DGM, Operations.

- Give material requirements to Supply Chain and Purchase on time, and flag shortages early.

- Coordinate with the Central Depot on the transfer of finished goods.

3. Quality and Compliance

- Make sure every batch is produced as per approved formulas, SOPs and Good Manufacturing Practice.

- Work with Quality Control on in-process checks, rejections and customer complaints, and close the root causes.

- Keep the plant ready for statutory and licensing inspections, and maintain the records these require.

4. Maintenance and Hygiene

- Plan and carry out preventive maintenance, and keep breakdowns and downtime low.

- Maintain hygiene and housekeeping standards suited to personal care manufacturing.

5. Safety

- Own workplace safety on the factory floor. This covers safe work practices, use of protective equipment, and reporting and follow-up of incidents.

6. Cost and Improvement

- Track and reduce wastage, rework and material loss.

- Suggest and carry out practical improvements to output, yield and changeover time.

7. People

- Lead supervisors and workers across shifts. Assign work, set daily targets and review progress.

- Assess manpower needs and raise requisitions through the DGM, Operations. HR handles recruitment, statutory welfare compliance and grievances.

- Train and develop supervisors to take on more responsibility.

KEY SUCCESS METRICS

- Adherence to the production plan

- Conversion cost per unit

- Wastage, rejection and rework levels

- First Pass Yield and customer complaints traced to manufacturing

- Machine downtime

- Safety incidents, and closure of inspection and audit observations

CANDIDATE PROFILE

- Graduate in engineering, chemistry or pharmacy.

- 10 to 15 years of manufacturing experience, with recent experience leading production.

- Experience in FMCG or related industries is preferred, but is not a pre-requisite for the right candidate.

- Working knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice.

- Willing to be based in Thrissur. Knowledge of Malayalam is preferred.

CAPABILITIES

- Hands-on shopfloor leadership

- Production planning and scheduling

- Practical problem solving on quality and machine issues

- Awareness of cost and wastage

- Ability to train and manage a shopfloor team

- Clear and regular reporting

WHY THIS ROLE

The role offers full charge of an established plant making products for a brand with a century-old heritage. The Factory Manager will have a clear reporting line and defined support from Supply Chain, Quality Control and HR. There is room to grow as KPNA expands its manufacturing.