Director, Manufacturing Operations

Coca-Cola; India; On-site; INR 4,500,000 - 7,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Coca-Cola is seeking a Plant Leader to own end-to-end manufacturing performance at a new, highly automated beverage plant in India. You will oversee production, warehousing, maintenance, and planning to deliver safe, compliant, on-plan results.

You will shape standards, routines and culture as ramp-up moves toward stable, benchmark performance. The role sits on the Plant leadership team and offers the opportunity to influence site strategy and long-term vision for a phase-wise expansion with

Qualifications

• Experience in leading multi-function plant operations.
• Proven track record in FMCG or similar process environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end manufacturing performance with safe, compliant operations.
• Deliver ramp-up plans and drive OEE and quality.
• Own master production schedule and ensure OTIF.

Skills

Safety culture

OEE improvement

Ramp-up leadership

Lean operations

Education

Engineering degree (mechanical, electrical, chemical or electronics)

MBA or operations qualification

Tools

MES

SCADA

SAP

Job description

Job Description Summary:

Role purpose Own end-to-end manufacturing performance at a new, highly automated beverage plant: safe, compliant, on-plan delivery at the right quality and cost. The role leads production, warehouse operations, maintenance and production planning as one integrated system, and builds an organization where decisions sit with the people closest to the work. The plant, systems and team are new. The incumbent will take operations from ramp-up to stable, benchmark performance, and will shape the standards, routines and culture the site runs on for years. The role is part of Plant leadership team and provides an opportunity to shape the strategy and vision for the site. The context you will lead in- Highly automated plant. Liquid manufacturing, high-speed filling lines and a fully automated warehouse (ASRS, robotic palletizing, AGVs and AMRs), integrated through SAP, MES and batch control. Lean, ownership-based operating model. Area Owners operate and maintain their equipment; Technical Associates provide electrical and instrumentation depth on demand. There is no team lead layer by design. Phased ramp-up. Additional lines and manufacturing rooms come online in phases while running lines must hit committed market volumes. Excellence built in. Autonomous Maintenance, reliability-centred maintenance and structured capability building are being embedded from day one.

Key accountabilities

1. Safety and compliance Lead a safety culture where everyone stops unsafe work and owns their risk: LOTO, permit to work, pre-task risk assessment and behaviour-based safety as daily routine. Ensure operational compliance with labour, factory safety, food safety, environmental and equipment regulations, with clear owners and evidence for every obligation.
2. Production delivery and ramp-up Deliver the ramp-up plan for each line and product family, including qualification and verification of new lines. Drive OEE, right-first-time quality and conversion cost through structured loss analysis. Partner with Quality to build in-process quality ownership on the shop floor, reducing reliance on downstream inspection.
3. Production planning and customer delivery Own the master production schedule and finite schedule, balancing customer demand, changeovers, maintenance windows and material availability. Deliver OTIF and plan adherence; lead the operations input to S&OP. Manage exceptions (material shortages, demand changes, breakdowns) through defined decision rights, not escalation.
4. Warehouse operations Stabilise and optimise automated warehouse performance: availability, throughput, inventory accuracy and dispatch OTIF. Integrate warehouse, production and planning so material flow is seamless end to end. Hold automation partners to performance through clear SLAs and joint problem solving.
5. Maintenance and asset reliability Lead a maintenance strategy built on three pillars: reliability-centred maintenance, Autonomous Maintenance and capability building. Shift the maintenance mix from reactive to planned; drive MTBF, MTTR and PM compliance. Own critical spares strategy and maintenance cost.
6. People, capability and culture Build leader-leader behaviours: push decisions to where the information is, coach rather than direct. Progress every associate up a visible capability ladder; build succession for each functional lead. Establish standards, daily management routines and a no-blame, high-accountability culture.
7. Continuous improvement and digital Run structured loss elimination and continuous improvement routines across all four functions. Use MES, SCADA and warehouse system data to make decisions on the floor; drive adoption of digital tools that make execution easier. Build a pipeline of improvements that sustain gains after ramp-up.

Experience

10 to 12 years in manufacturing operations, with at least 5 years leading multi-function plant operations (production plus maintenance and/or warehouse). Track record in FMCG or similar process and packaging environment. Led a greenfield / brownfield start-up, major expansion or ramp-up through to stable performance. Demonstrated results in IWS / IL6S or equivalent operational excellence programs, demonstrating deep understanding of autonomous Maintenance, reliability engineering, capability building and structured loss elimination. Exposure to automated warehousing, MES or digitally integrated plants (strongly preferred).

Education

Engineering degree (mechanical, electrical, chemical or electronics). MBA or post-graduate qualification in industrial engineering or operations preferred.

Skills:

• Location(s): India
• City/Cities: Ahmedabad
• Travel Required: 00% - 25%
• Relocation Provided: Yes
• Job Posting End Date: November 29, 2026

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to