General Manager Operations

Role Summary

The General Manager Operations will be responsible for leading end-to-end plant operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and profitable manufacturing. The role will drive production, quality, maintenance, production planning, supply chain coordination, on-time delivery, continuous improvement, and cost optimization while maximizing plant capacity, productivity, and customer satisfaction. The incumbent will lead cross-functional teams, implement Lean Manufacturing and operational excellence initiatives, strengthen people capability, and work closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Quality, and Leadership to achieve business growth and profitability.

Candidate Expectations

The ideal candidate should possess strong expertise in manufacturing operations, Production Planning & Control (PPC), plant machinery, quality systems, Lean Manufacturing, TPM, OEE, Kaizen, 5S, and continuous improvement. Hands-on experience with SAP/ERP, plant KPIs (OEE, PPM, Productivity, Downtime, OTIF/OTD), automation, preventive maintenance, cost optimization, and project execution is essential. The candidate should be capable of explaining the complete manufacturing process, machine knowledge, team leadership, cross-functional coordination, and 3–5 measurable achievements demonstrating improvements in productivity, quality, cost, delivery, or operational efficiency. Strong leadership, analytical thinking, decision-making, stakeholder management, and execution capabilities are critical for success in this role.

Key Responsibilities Areas
Plant Performance

• Evolve plant performance metrics to measure performance and drive improvements
• Measure capacity utilization and manpower utilization to achieve optimization
• Identify improvement opportunities including automation projects
• Drive and execute improvement projects efficiently within cost and time budgets

People Performance

• Evolve and adopt smart metrics to measure and monitor people's performance
• Drive performance culture and reinforce ownership and accountability
• Define roles accurately and drive accountability within plant operations
• Review people's performance for both efficiency and effectiveness

Quality of Products and Services

• Adopt measures and processes to achieve desired quality levels for products and services delivered to customers
• Drive delivery standards, processes and ensure adherence
• Implement quality control mechanisms and continuous improvement initiatives

Plant Machinery and Equipment

• Manage machine utilization standards and metrics
• Improve machine uptime and reduce breakdown rates
• Enhance machine productivity and people productivity
• Plan preventive maintenance schedules and ensure timely execution

On-Time Delivery (OTD)

• Manage production planning and delivery schedules
• Achieve and improve OTD targets
• Train people to achieve and improve OTD performance
• Identify gaps and implement solutions to address bottlenecks affecting OTD

Interface with Sales

• Work closely with sales teams to ensure highest capacity utilization and OTD
• Manage customer requirements, audits and customer visits to increase share from existing customers and win new customers.

Vendor Management

• Develop and maintain relationships with key vendors and suppliers
• Evaluate vendor performance on quality, delivery and cost parameters
• Negotiate contracts and ensure compliance with agreed terms
• Identify and onboard new vendors to support business growth.

Interface with Supply Chain Teams

• Coordinate with supply chain for timely availability of raw materials and components
• Align production schedules with inventory levels and procurement cycles
• Collaborate on demand forecasting and production planning
• Address supply-related bottlenecks impacting production

People Management and Employee Development

• Lead, mentor and develop the plant operations team.
• Conduct performance appraisals and provide constructive feedback. Identify training needs and facilitate skill development programs.
• Foster a positive work environment and employee engagement

Cost Control and Profitability Improvement

• Monitor and control operational costs, including materials, labor and overhead
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and implement efficiency measures
• Drive waste reduction and resource optimization initiatives
• Contribute to achieving gross profitability targets

Production Processes and Technology Upgradation

• Evaluate existing production processes and identify areas for improvement.
• Research and recommend new technologies and best practices
• Lead implementation of process improvements and technology upgrades
• Ensure smooth transition during technology adoption with minimal disruption

Skills Required:

• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and plant processes
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing and process improvement tools
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Project management and execution capability
• Cross-functional coordination and stakeholder management
• Ability to handle escalations and take quick decisions
• Strong communication and reporting skills
• High ownership and accountability mindset
• Ability to work closely with leadership and drive execution.