Operations & Strategy - Director, Manufacturing Operations

Director - Operations Milacron India ROLE SNAPSHOT Function Operations - Manufacturing, Quality, Industrial Engineering, Master Scheduling, EHS Reports To Managing Director - India Direct Reports Manufacturing / Assembly │ Quality │ Master Scheduling │ Industrial Engineering │ EHS Location Ahmedabad Role Type Full-time, Senior Leadership ROLE PURPOSE The Director - Operations is the strategic custodian of Milacron India's manufacturing and operational excellence. This role drives end-to-end Operations, Quality, Master Scheduling and Continuous improvement, ensuring alignment with the company's growth plan, revenue targets, and EBIDTA objectives. The position champions world-class manufacturing strategies, ERP/MRP discipline, lean practices, and quality governance, while fostering collaboration across Sales, Engineering, Finance, and global supply chain partners. As a senior leader, the Director builds organizational resilience, scalability, and a culture of continuous improvement, directly influencing customer satisfaction and shareholder value. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Leadership and Policy Define and execute long- term operational strategies aligned with business growth and profitability. Present operational improvement ideas, revenue/cash flow strategies, and investment proposals to the MD and Board. Establish governance frameworks, SOPs, and compliance structures across manufacturing and supply chain. Drive excellence in Make-to-Order / High-Mix / Engineered-to-Order manufacturing environments involving significant customer-specific requirements and product customization. Manufacturing Process Excellence Develop and implement manufacturing plans based on market demand and business forecasts. Drive throughput improvement, cost optimization, and asset utilization across plants. Institutionalize lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and automation initiatives. Build a strong culture of safety, quality, operational discipline and continuous improvement. Supply Chain & Logistics Oversee inbound and outbound logistics, import/export compliance, and vendor partnerships. Build resilient supply chains with VMI, JIT, Kanban, and digital visibility tools. Quality & Compliance Champion world-class quality standards across all manufacturing units. Act as liaison with vendors/customers to ensure compliance with ISO, EHS, and statutory requirements. Drive zero-defect culture and customer satisfaction metrics. IT & Digital Transformation Lead the digitization and Industry 4.0 agenda, including automation, shop-floor analytics and data driven manufacturing. Lead ERP/MRP system development and integration for operational efficiency. Implement digital dashboards, analytics, and automation tools for decision-making. Build IT-enabled processes to strengthen organizational agility. Master Scheduling & SIOP Oversee demand-supply balancing, capacity planning, and inventory governance. Ensure synchronization between Sales, Manufacturing, and Finance through monthly SIOP reviews. Provide executive dashboards and scenario planning to MD and leadership team. Team Leadership & Capability Building Lead and inspire teams across multiple functions and departments. Build leadership pipelines through mentoring, training, and succession planning. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. PROPOSED TEAM STRUCTURE The Director - Operations oversees the following direct reports and supporting desks: Direct Report Key Focus Team Under Operations / Manufacturing Plant operations, Assembly, on-time delivery Plant Heads, Production Managers Quality World-class quality standards, compliance, audits QA/QC Managers, Testing team Industrial Engineering / Lean Management Ergonomic, efficient, scalable design solutions, process optimization & digitalization, Lean deployment Manufacturing Engineers & Lean Specialists Master Scheduling Demand-supply balancing, ERP/MRP discipline PPC Engineers, Schedulers Store / Logistics Inbound/outbound logistics, vendor management, Store operations Store team / logistics team EHS Environment, Health & Safety governance; ISO 14001 & 45001 compliance; sustainability roadmap; risk management EHS team SUCCESS METRICS / KPIs Manufacturing & Operations Supply Chain & Quality IT & Governance Throughput improvement (%) EBITDA Growth Asset utilization OTD (On-Time Delivery) Lean/Six Sigma project closure Logistics cost optimization Inventory accuracy (>95%) Import/export compliance Customer satisfaction index Safety & compliance metrics ERP/MRP adherence Digital dashboard timeliness Automation ROI Data-driven decision-making IT-enabled efficiency gains KEY SKILL REQUIREMENTS Skill Dimension What We Are Looking For Technical & Operational Manufacturing strategy │ ERP/MRP systems │ Supply chain resilience │ Quality governance │ Lean/Six Sigma │ Automation Analytics & Planning Demand-supply balancing │ Capacity planning │ KPI dashboards │ Financial acumen │ Advanced Excel / Power BI proficiency Interpersonal & Leadership Executive leadership │ Stakeholder management │ Global vendor partnerships │ Team development │ Cross-functional collaboration Behavioural Strategic thinker │ Execution-focused │ Strong ownership mindset │ Decisive │ Continuous improvement orientation EXPERIENCE PROFILE 25+ years leadership in manufacturing operations, with deep expertise in capital equipment and machine industries. Operations excellence track record -- leading large teams, driving transformation, digitization, and automation. High-mix/ Engineer-to- Order (ETO) expertise -- proven success in Make-to-Order and Engineered-to- Order environments. Capacity scaling -- established new facilities, managed large capex programs, and expanded manufacturing footprint. Commercial & P&L acumen -- strong grasp of manufacturing economics, productivity, cost, quality, and delivery, with the ability to drive profitability, optimize cash flow, and align operational decisions with financial outcomes. Strategic leadership -- hands-on, transformational leader influencing Board/MD decisions and building world-class organizations. EDUCATION Graduate/Postgraduate in Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical preferred) with a mandatory Master's in Business Administration (MBA). Additional certifications in Supply Chain, Lean/Six Sigma, or EHS will be an advantage. #LI-SK1