Chief Operating Officer (Sheet Metal)

Michael Page; India; On-site; INR 15,000,000 - 30,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Michael Page is representing a well-established Tier 1 automotive supplier in India seeking a transformational Chief Operating Officer to drive nationwide manufacturing operations.

Reporting to MD & CEO, the COO will own P&L, lead multi-plant operations, and implement Lean, Industry 4.0, and continuous improvement across facilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in engineering; MBA preferred.
• 20+ years of progressive leadership in automotive manufacturing.
• Experience leading multi-plant operations with P&L responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for manufacturing, supply chain, quality, maintenance, engineering and plant operations across locations.
• Own and deliver the overall P&L for the operations business, driving growth and profitability.
• Lead Lean, TPM, Industry 4.0, automation and continuous improvement programs.
• Establish governance, KPIs, and performance management across facilities.
• Strengthen relationships with automotive OEM customers and stakeholders.
• Ensure delivery, cost, quality and capacity targets are met.
• Foster a high-performance culture with accountability and leadership development.
• Plan capacity expansions, greenfield and brownfield projects aligned to growth.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, environmental, health and safety requirements.

Skills

P&L ownership

Multi-plant ops

Lean manufacturing

Strategy leadership

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

MBA or management qualification

Tools

ERP systems

Lean Six Sigma

Job description

• Drive growth with full P&L ownership
• Lead multi-plant operations across India

About Our Client

Our client is a well-established Tier 1 automotive supplier with a strong reputation for manufacturing high-quality sheet metal components and welded assemblies for leading automotive OEMs. With multiple manufacturing facilities across India, the organisation is known for engineering excellence, operational discipline, customer-centricity, and a commitment to continuous improvement. The company is on an ambitious growth trajectory and is looking for a transformational leader to drive the next phase of scale and performance.

Job Description

Reporting directly to the MD & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for leading and optimising the overall operations of all manufacturing facilities across India.
Key responsibilities include:

• Provide strategic leadership for manufacturing, supply chain, quality, maintenance, engineering, and plant operations across multiple locations.
• Own and deliver the overall P&L for the operations business, ensuring sustainable revenue growth and profitability.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives focused on productivity, efficiency, quality, safety, cost optimisation, and customer satisfaction.
• Lead business transformation programmes leveraging Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Industry 4.0, automation, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Establish robust operational governance, KPIs, and performance management systems across all facilities.
• Partner with key automotive OEM customers and stakeholders to strengthen relationships and support business growth.
• Ensure consistent achievement of quality, delivery, cost, and capacity objectives.
• Champion a high-performance culture focused on accountability, talent development, succession planning, and leadership effectiveness.
• Identify and execute capacity expansion, greenfield, brownfield, and operational improvement initiatives aligned with the company's growth plans.
• Drive compliance with all regulatory, statutory, environmental, health, and safety requirements.

The Successful Applicant

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering; postgraduate qualifications in Management preferred.
• 20+ years of progressive leadership experience within automotive manufacturing.
• Demonstrated success in leading multi-plant operations in Tier 1 automotive component manufacturing.
• Strong exposure to sheet metal components, welded assemblies, fabrication, stamping, and related manufacturing processes.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale operations with complete P&L responsibility.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, Operational Excellence, and advanced manufacturing practices.
• Experience managing complex customer relationships with leading automotive OEMs.
• Exceptional commercial, strategic, and financial acumen.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead large, geographically dispersed teams.
• Experience driving business growth, transformation, and operational turnaround initiatives will be highly valued.

What's on Offer

• Opportunity to join a respected market-leading Tier 1 automotive supplier.
• Direct reporting relationship with the MD & CEO and significant influence on business strategy.
• Full ownership of nationwide manufacturing operations and business performance.
• Highly visible leadership role with the opportunity to drive transformation, expansion, and long-term value creation.
• Competitive executive compensation package, including performance-linked incentives and long-term growth opportunities.