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The Factory Manager will own the end-to-end manufacturing operations at our Sikandra facility. This is not a passive supervisory role. You will be the single point of accountability for everything that happens from the moment raw materials and components enter the factory gate to the moment a fully assembled, calibrated, inspected, and packaged gas detector leaves for the customer. You will manage production planning, inventory and stores, assembly quality, Third Party Inspection (TPI) readiness, and the factory workforce, while ensuring strict compliance with ATEX/SIL-2 manufacturing protocols and BIS standards.
Core Responsibilities
1. Production Planning & Execution
- Own the master production schedule, aligning it with the Sales and Tender teams' order pipeline to ensure on-time delivery against PSU purchase orders and project deadlines.
- Manage the complete assembly and manufacturing workflow for portable gas detectors, fixed gas detectors, flame detectors, control panels (GasGuard M16), and wireless monitoring systems.
- Coordinate daily with the Supply Chain/Procurement team (currently led by Mr. Anurag Mittal) to ensure uninterrupted availability of critical components: sensors (MPS, NDIR, Electrochemical), PCBs, enclosures, displays, connectors, and test gases.
- Track and resolve production bottlenecks in real-time, ensuring the assembly line never stalls waiting for a single component.
2. Inventory, Stores & BOM Management
- Supervise the Stores team to maintain accurate, real-time inventory records in the ERP system (ERPNext).
- Enforce strict BOM (Bill of Materials) discipline. Every unit assembled must consume exactly the components specified in the engineering BOM, with no unauthorized substitutions.
- Implement and maintain FIFO (First In, First Out) for all perishable/date-sensitive components, especially sensors, batteries, test gas cylinders, and potting compounds.
- Conduct periodic stock audits and cycle counts to minimize discrepancies between physical stock and ERP records.
3. Quality Assurance & Compliance
- Ensure every unit leaving the factory passes rigorous in-house functional testing: sensor response verification, alarm trigger checks (LED/Buzzer/Vibration), display accuracy, communication protocol validation (4-20mA, RS-485 Modbus, HART), and enclosure integrity (IP66/IP68 checks).
- Maintain strict compliance with ATEX manufacturing requirements. This includes ensuring anti-static precautions during assembly of Zone 0 (Intrinsic Safety) portable detectors and proper torque specifications on flameproof (Ex d) enclosure joints for fixed detectors.
- Ensure all calibration activities (Zero/Span) are performed per established SOPs before dispatch, with proper documentation and calibration certificates generated for every unit.
- Own the preparation and readiness for customer-mandated Third Party Inspections (TPI). Ensure all test reports, calibration certificates, material traceability records, and compliance documents are organized and inspection-ready at all times.
4. Process Improvement & SOPs
- Develop, document, and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for every stage of the manufacturing process: incoming material inspection, sub-assembly, final assembly, testing, calibration, packaging, and dispatch.
- Identify and implement lean manufacturing practices to reduce waste, improve cycle times, and lower per-unit production costs, targeting the company's aggressive BOM cost objectives.
- Drive the transition from ad-hoc, manual assembly tracking to a fully ERP-integrated production workflow with real-time status visibility.
5. Factory Administration & Workforce Management
- Manage the factory floor workforce: technicians, assembly operators, store assistants, and quality checkers. Handle shift planning, attendance, skill development, and performance reviews.
- Maintain the factory facility: housekeeping, safety compliance (fire extinguishers, first aid, electrical safety), equipment maintenance (soldering stations, test jigs, calibration rigs), and vendor coordination for facility upkeep.
- Ensure the factory is always audit-ready for ISO, BIS, customer, and regulatory inspections.
6. Coordination & Reporting
- Provide daily production status updates (units assembled, units tested, units dispatched) on a project-wise basis to the senior management team.
- Coordinate closely with the Service & Projects team for any field-return units requiring rework, warranty repair, or re-calibration.
- Work with the R&D team during New Product Introduction (NPI) phases to translate engineering prototypes into production-ready assemblies with defined work instructions and test procedures.
Required Qualifications
- Experience: 8 to 15 years in a manufacturing/production management role, preferably in the electronics, instrumentation, or industrial equipment sector.
- Education: B.Tech / B.E. in Electronics, Electrical, Instrumentation, or Mechanical Engineering.
- ERP Proficiency: Hands-on experience with ERP-based production management (ERPNext, SAP, or equivalent). Must be comfortable driving BOM management, work orders, and inventory modules.
- Quality Systems: Working knowledge of ISO 9001 quality management systems. Experience with TPI processes is highly preferred.
- Leadership: Proven ability to manage a factory floor team of 15-30 people, including technicians and semi-skilled workers.
Strongly Preferred
- Prior experience in a factory manufacturing ATEX/PESO-certified or explosion-proof electrical equipment.
- Familiarity with gas detector calibration processes (Zero/Span, bump testing).
- Experience with PCB assembly (SMT/through-hole) supervision and functional testing of electronic instruments.
- Exposure to PSU procurement and dispatch documentation requirements (packing lists, test certificates, material traceability).
Personal Attributes
- Hands-On: You are not a "cabin manager." You are comfortable walking the factory floor, picking up a multimeter, inspecting a solder joint, or jumping onto the ERP to check a stock discrepancy yourself.
- Process-Obsessed: You believe that if a process isn't documented in an SOP, it doesn't exist. You will build the manufacturing playbook from scratch if needed.
- Zero-Defect Mindset: In gas detection, a single defective unit shipped to a refinery can mean a life-or-death failure. You understand the gravity of quality in safety-critical manufacturing.
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