Head Operations - Production(Speciality Chemicals Manufacturing)

GlobalStead Consultants

Website: globalsteadconsultants.com
Job details:

JOB DESCRIPTION

Company, a leading global R&D oriented Intermediate and manufacturer of specialty

chemicals headquartered in Gujarat, India is looking for an incredible workforce with similar industry

experience:

Job Title / Designation Head Operation - Production

Department Production (Speciality Chemicals Manufacturing)

Location GIDC Sachin, Surat

Employment Type Full Time

Salary Range No bar for the right candidate

Experience 20+

Reporting to Promoter - Technical

Level Senior Leadership

Note This position will lead the operations of 5 different production sites of Company

with a total reporting of > 600 employees.

Job Objective

To take full command of end-to-end plant operations in a high-performance specialty chemicals

environment. This role demands a technically competent, results-driven operations leader with proven

experience in batch manufacturing, solvent recovery systems, compliance-heavy processes, and multi-step

reaction management. The Head of Operations will be accountable for achieving production goals,

maximizing plant efficiency, and ensuring safety, quality, and cost objectives are consistently met.

Core Responsibilities

1. Plant Operations Management

• Lead all plant functions: Production, Utilities, Engineering, Maintenance, EHS, QC, and Warehousing.

• Oversee and optimize multi-stage batch processes, high-value product handling, and reactive material

manufacturing.

• Drive output realization, cycle time efficiency, and batch reproducibility while reducing plant idle time and

manual interventions.

• Ensure plant uptime through proactive maintenance, asset health monitoring, and spares management.

2. Technical Excellence & Process Optimization

• Lead and approve material/energy balance, utility cost mapping, and batch economics to ensure process

efficiency.

• Troubleshoot and resolve process deviations, yield drops, or reaction inconsistencies in real time.

• Drive optimization of solvent recovery units (SRUs), scrubbers, and reflux/reboiler operations to improve

recoveries and reduce losses.

3. Safety, EHS & Regulatory Governance

• Establish a zero-incident safety culture across all high-risk zones, handling flammable, toxic, corrosive,

and temperature-sensitive chemicals.

• Lead daily safety briefings, emergency drills, and ensure 100% usage of PPE, flame-proof equipment, and

static control measures.

• Ensure compliance with local and international environmental standards (CPCB, GPCB, ISO 14001,

OSHA).

4. Compliance, Documentation & Audits

• Ensure adherence to ISO 9001, GMP, REACH, Responsible Care, and custom client-specific compliance

protocols.

Confidential - internal document Date : 08.07.2025• Approve and ensure accurate documentation of all batch records, deviations, incident logs, and SOPs.

• Lead all customer, statutory, and third-party audits, ensuring full readiness and closure of NCs.

5. Pilot Plant & Scale-Up Integration

• Coordinate with R&D and Tech Transfer team to scale up pilot plant batches to commercial scale

seamlessly.

• Own plant-scale validation of new molecules, including process tuning, safety checks, and cycle time

establishment.

• Ensure alignment of reaction parameters, utilities, heat transfer coefficients, and mass balances between

lab, pilot, and commercial scale.

6. Strategic Planning & Cost Control

• Drive plant profitability through raw material yield improvement, batch standardization, and utility cost

optimization.

• Reduce reworks, off-spec production, and chemical wastage through root cause analysis and preventive

measures.

• Create and implement production KPIs, ensuring continuous performance monitoring and reporting to

management.

7. People Development & Team Management

• Lead and groom a team of production managers, shift in-charges, operators, engineers, and maintenance

staff.

• Conduct competency mapping, develop a training calendar, and drive cross-functional skill development.

• Monitor team morale, attrition, and discipline; initiate corrective or developmental action as needed in

collaboration with HR.

8. Continuous Improvement & Industry Benchmarking

• Deploy Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Kaizen, and 5S practices across production floors.

• Benchmark plant performance with industry best-in-class and drive implementation of digital tools (MES,

OEE dashboards, etc.).

• Review and implement learnings from external audits, seminars, plant visits, and technology fairs.

Qualifications & Experience

• B.E./B.Tech in Chemical Engineering (Mandatory); M.E./M.Tech or MBA (Operations/Industrial

Management) is desirable.

• Minimum 15 years of plant experience with at least 8 years in senior plant leadership role in specialty

chemicals, intermediates, or performance chemicals manufacturing.

Certifications Preferred

• Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt)

• ISO Lead Auditor (9001/14001/45001)

• Responsible Care / EHS Certifications

• SAP HANA / PP/PM/MM or MES Training

Key Competencies

• Expertise in multi-product batch manufacturing

• Strong understanding of reaction kinetics, process safety, and material compatibility

• Proficiency in SAP (Production, Quality, Maintenance, Inventory) modules

• Hands-on experience in utility systems: chillers, boilers, scrubbers, ETP, solvent recovery

• Strong leadership, analytical and decision-making abilities

• Communication skills to collaborate across departments and with external stakeholders

• High attention to process discipline, data integrity, and compliance

• Performance Metrics (KPIs)

• Batch Yield vs Standard

• On-time Batch Completion Rate

• Safety Incidents & Near Misses

• Downtime (Planned vs Unplanned)

• Customer Rejections / Returns

• Solvent Recovery Efficiency

• OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)

Confidential - internal document Date : 08.07.2025• Attrition Rate & Training Hours per Employee

• NC Closure Timeliness (Internal/External Audits)

Click on Apply to know more.