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