Plant manager

Job Description Plant Manager – Dairy Industry Position Title: Plant Manager Industry: Dairy / Food Processing Location: Singavaram Reports To: Vice President – Operations / Head – Manufacturing Experience: 10–15 Years Qualification: B.E / B.Tech ( Food Technology/ Dairy Technology) 1. Role Purpose The Plant Manager is responsible for overall leadership, performance, and statutory compliance of the dairy manufacturing plant. The role ensures safe, efficient, cost-effective, and quality-driven operations while achieving business KPIs related to production, yield, cost, energy, safety, people development, and continuous improvement.

The Plant Manager acts as the single-point owner of plant performance and governance. 2. Key Responsibilities A. Overall Plant Operations & Governance Lead end-to-end plant operations including milk procurement interface, processing, packaging, utilities, maintenance, quality, stores, logistics, and dispatch.

Ensure uninterrupted production while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and compliance. Drive plant performance in line with annual business plans, budgets, and strategic objectives. Act as the custodian of plant discipline, culture, and operational rigor.

B. Dairy Processing & Production Excellence Oversee all dairy processing operations including: Milk Reception, Pasteurization, Homogenization, Separation Evaporators, High-Pressure Pumps, CIP Systems Packaging & Filling Lines Ensure optimal capacity utilization, yield maximization, and loss reduction. Review production planning, execution, and dispatch adherence on a daily basis.

Lead root cause analysis for deviations in output, quality, or efficiencies. C. Utilities, Engineering & Asset Management Take full ownership of utilities including: Boilers & Steam Systems Refrigeration (Ammonia & Freon) DG Sets, Electrical Systems, VAM Compressed Air, RO/UF, ETP/STP & water management Ensure high equipment availability through robust preventive, predictive, and reliability maintenance systems.

Approve maintenance strategies, spares planning, shutdown management, and asset life-cycle optimization. D. Quality, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance Ensure 100% compliance with: FSSAI, HACCP, GMP, ISO, FSSC 22000 Factory Act, Boiler Act, Electrical Safety norms Pollution Control Board and environmental regulations Promote a strong food safety culture across the plant.

Drive reduction of customer complaints and ensure product consistency and traceability. E. Operational Excellence & KPI Ownership Own and review plant KPIs including: OEE, Line Efficiency, Yield, Wastage Energy & Water Consumption Plant Downtime, Safety Metrics, Customer Complaints Implement Lean Manufacturing, TPM, WCM, and Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Sponsor automation, digitization, and Industry 4.0 initiatives. Use data-driven decision-making to improve plant performance. F.

Budgeting, Cost Control & Energy Management Prepare and manage annual plant budgets and forecasts. Control operating costs related to utilities, manpower, spares, packaging, and consumables. Drive energy-saving and sustainability initiatives to meet corporate benchmarks.

Improve profitability through productivity and efficiency improvement projects. G. People Leadership & Organizational Development Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team of 100–300 employees.

Build strong succession planning for critical plant roles. Conduct performance reviews, capability development, and leadership coaching. Promote a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Ensure harmonious industrial relations and disciplined workforce behavior. H. Government Liaison & Statutory Interface Serve as the primary point of contact with: Factory Inspectorate Boiler Directorate Electrical Inspector Pollution Control Board Local authorities and auditors Ensure timely renewals, audits, inspections, and statutory reporting.

Zero tolerance for legal or safety non-compliance. I. Projects, CapEx & Expansion Lead CapEx planning and execution for: New processing or packaging lines Capacity expansion and layout optimization Automation and digital transformation projects Oversee equipment selection, installation, commissioning, and stabilization.

Evaluate new technologies including AI/ML for predictive maintenance and energy optimization. 3. Mandatory Skills End-to-End Dairy Plant Management Dairy Processing & Utilities Expertise Strong Knowledge of Food Safety & Compliance Budgeting, Cost & Energy Management KPI Ownership & Lean / TPM Implementation Government Liaison & Statutory Compliance Strong People Leadership & IR Management 4. Preferred Certifications TPM / WCM Expert Six Sigma (Green / Black Belt) Certified Energy Manager / Energy Auditor HACCP / FSSC 22000 Lead Auditor RCA / Predictive Maintenance Tools 5.

Competencies Required Strategic & Systems Thinking Strong Leadership & Decision-Making High Ownership & Accountability Analytical & Problem-Solving Ability Excellent Communication & Stakeholder Management Change Management & Execution Excellence