Director Operational Excellence

Objective of the Role:

To lead and drive operations for a large manufacturing organization by applying global best practices across multi-plant and multi-business environments. The role focuses on operational excellence, post-merger integration, and enterprise transformation, leveraging Lean, TPS, and world-class production systems from Japanese, American, and European manufacturing cultures. It will advance digitalization, automation, and data-driven operations aligned with Industry 4.0, while optimizing capacity, manufacturing footprint, cost governance, and compliance to position India as a globally competitive manufacturing hub supporting global operations.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

A. Operational Excellence & IntegrationDrive a common Production System across all manufacturing plants, aligned with global standards and best practices.Lead process standardization and integration across plants following multiple integrations, ensuring consistency in execution and governance.Improve overall plant culture, discipline, accountability, and alignment with enterprise values and performance expectations.Lead enterprise-wide Lean transformation, combining Lean Manufacturing principles with TPS philosophy to improve productivity, quality, delivery, and cost.

B. Manufacturing Footprint & Capacity StrategyDevelop and own the long-term capacity and manufacturing footprint roadmap for India.Work closely with Business Unit Heads on future expansion plans, localization strategies, and demand planning.Support and enable the India growth vision of 2.5x scale by 2030, ensuring operational readiness and scalability.

C. Quality & Customer PerformanceDrive sustained reduction in customer complaints, quality issues, and escalations.Improve demand-supply synchronization across plants to enhance delivery reliability and customer satisfaction.Support plants in effectively managing volatile OEM forecasts while maintaining service levels and operational stability.

D. Digitalization & AutomationLead the organization's global push toward plant digitalization, positioning India as a benchmark region.Introduce automation, efficiency improvement initiatives, and data-driven operations across manufacturing facilities.Enable real-time performance visibility and analytics-driven decision-making.

E. ESG & SustainabilityDrive plant-level sustainability initiatives, including:Waste reduction and recycling improvementsWater neutrality and conservation programsEnvironmental and statutory complianceEmbed ESG metrics into plant performance KPIs and leadership scorecards.

F. Compliance & Labor StrategyEstablish and sustain a deep-rooted compliance culture, beyond surface-level adherence.Support enterprise labor and industrial relations strategy across all unionized plants, including:Labor law complianceWorking hours and statutory adherenceUnion environment managementAct as a strategic advisor during labour, regulatory, or compliance-sensitive situations.

Candidate Profile:

20+ years of experience in operations and manufacturing leadership roles within large multinational organizations, preferably with minimum 5000+ crore turnoverStrong exposure to global manufacturing practices (Lean, TPS, World-Class Manufacturing)Proven experience managing multiple plants and business verticals in complex manufacturing environmentsExtensive experience in enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, including post-merger integration and operating model redesignStrong track record of leading continuous improvement and productivity enhancement projects across manufacturing and supply chainHands-on experience in manufacturing digitalization, automation, and Industry 4.0 initiativesSolid understanding of capacity planning, manufacturing footprint strategy, and scalabilityStrong focus on operational excellence, quality improvement, and customer performanceExperience working in global matrix organizations with teams across Europe, the US, and other regionsSound understanding of cost governance, capital efficiency, and investment decision-makingEffective change leader with the ability to influence stakeholders and build high-performing leadership teams