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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.