The posting
WE ARE HIRING: Factory Manager
Location: Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India Employment Type: Full time Work Mode: On-site Industry: Consultancy
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Factory Manager to lead end-to-end plant operations, production management, quality compliance, cost control, maintenance coordination, and workforce leadership within a dairy, UHT, or aseptic manufacturing environment.
The selected candidate will be responsible for ensuring efficient production, smooth factory operations, food safety compliance, cost optimization, equipment reliability, team performance, and successful ramp-up of a new bulk aseptic processing line.
Key Responsibilities
Production and Operations Management
- Plan, schedule, and oversee daily production activities to meet output targets and delivery timelines.
- Manage end-to-end factory operations, including raw material intake, processing, packaging, and dispatch.
- Ensure smooth coordination between production, quality, maintenance, supply chain, procurement, and warehouse teams.
- Drive continuous improvement in overall equipment effectiveness, production yield, throughput, and operational efficiency.
- Lead the implementation, commissioning, and ramp-up of the bulk aseptic processing line.
- Monitor production performance and take corrective action to address delays, downtime, quality issues, or efficiency gaps.
- Ensure production activities are carried out safely, efficiently, and in line with approved operating procedures.
- Support capacity planning, production scheduling, and resource allocation to meet business requirements.
Cost and Budget Management
- Develop and manage the factory's annual operating budget, including CAPEX and OPEX.
- Monitor and control production costs, including raw materials, utilities, labour, wastage, and maintenance-related expenses.
- Identify and implement cost-reduction initiatives without compromising quality, safety, or compliance.
- Prepare MIS reports covering key financial, production, and operational metrics for senior management review.
- Work with procurement teams to optimize sourcing, inventory levels, and material costs.
- Support productivity improvement initiatives through effective cost analysis and performance monitoring.
- Ensure factory resources are used efficiently to support profitability and operational sustainability.
Quality, Compliance and Food Safety
- Ensure compliance with FSSAI, HACCP, GMP, GHP, ISO 22000, and FSSC 22000 standards.
- Drive a zero-defect manufacturing and food-safety culture across all plant functions.
- Ensure product quality standards are maintained across raw material intake, processing, packaging, storage, and dispatch.
- Oversee internal audits, customer audits, regulatory audits, and third-party audits.
- Ensure timely closure of audit non-conformances and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
- Maintain proper documentation for regulatory, customer, quality, and food safety requirements.
- Coordinate with quality assurance teams to resolve quality issues and strengthen compliance processes.
- Ensure all factory operations are carried out in line with approved food safety and hygiene practices.
Team and Workforce Management
- Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-functional plant team, including department heads and shop-floor employees.
- Set KRAs and KPIs for direct reports and conduct periodic performance reviews.
- Build a high-performance plant culture focused on accountability, discipline, productivity, safety, and continuous improvement.
- Manage contract labour and third-party service providers effectively.
- Ensure workforce planning, shift allocation, attendance, discipline, and productivity are managed properly.
- Promote teamwork and coordination across production, quality, engineering, maintenance, supply chain, and support teams.
- Support training, capability development, and safety awareness across the factory workforce.
Maintenance and Engineering Oversight
- Ensure planned preventive maintenance is completed on schedule for all plant machinery and utilities.
- Minimize unplanned downtime through effective maintenance planning and predictive maintenance practices.
- Oversee UHT processing systems, aseptic filling lines, utility infrastructure, and related production equipment.
- Coordinate with maintenance and engineering teams to ensure plant reliability and equipment availability.
- Monitor breakdowns, recurring issues, spare-parts requirements, and maintenance performance.
- Support engineering improvements, equipment upgrades, and process optimization initiatives.
- Ensure all machinery and infrastructure are operated safely and maintained to required standards.
Candidate Profile
- B.Tech / B.E. in Food Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Dairy Technology.
- M.Tech / M.Sc in Food Science or Dairy Technology will be preferred but is not mandatory.
- Diploma holders with 12+ years of strong relevant operational experience may also be considered.
- Minimum 8 years of experience in plant operations, factory management, or manufacturing leadership.
- Hands-on experience in Dairy Plant Operations and UHT Processing is mandatory.
- Experience in Aseptic Manufacturing or Aseptic Filling Lines will be highly desirable.
- Prior exposure to coconut processing, coconut milk, or agro-based manufacturing will be a strong advantage.
- Experience managing a greenfield project, expansion project, new production line, or commissioning activity will be an advantage.
- Strong technical knowledge of UHT processing, pasteurisation, and aseptic systems.
- Good understanding of production planning, factory scheduling, capacity utilization, and operational efficiency.
- Sound knowledge of food safety standards, including FSSAI, HACCP, ISO 22000, and FSSC 22000.
- Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting, cost control, MIS reporting, CAPEX, and OPEX management.
- Strong leadership, team-building, and cross-functional coordination skills.
- Excellent problem-solving, decision-making, and crisis-management abilities.
- Familiarity with ERP systems for production and inventory management.
- Good communication skills in English.
- Knowledge of Tamil or Hindi will be an advantage.
- Hands-on, accountable, detail-oriented, and capable of leading operations in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
What the Role Offers
- Strategic leadership role with direct access to senior management.
- Opportunity to lead a new bulk aseptic processing line from commissioning to full-scale production.
- Competitive compensation based on experience and capability.
- Long-term career growth within a rapidly expanding food manufacturing environment.
Ready to take your career to new heights?
We're InTalent Asia, your go-to recruitment partner, and we've got an exciting opportunity for you! Our client is looking for a dynamic individual to fill the role of Factory Manager.
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