General Manager / Plant Head

JobItUs; India; On-site; INR 30,919,872 - 61,839,744; Full time

Job summary

Kanoo-Unimech Joint Venture LLC invites applications for General Manager / Plant Head to lead a greenfield Advanced Precision Machining & Remanufacturing Facility in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The role carries full P&L responsibility, end-to-end accountability for building, qualifying, and scaling the facility to meet API and IKTVA standards, while ensuring safety and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering; Master’s preferred.
• 18+ years in precision machining and special processes.
• 10+ years direct Oil & Gas Upstream manufacturing/remanufacturing experience.
• 7+ years senior leadership with P&L responsibility.
• Hands-on involvement in API-certified facilities.
• Greenfield plant setup or large-scale expansion experience.
• Experience in GCC upstream ecosystem preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own full P&L and deliver revenue, EBITDA, cash flow targets.
• Lead greenfield execution, commissioning, and scale-up to planned capacity.
• Establish SOPs, ERP systems, and performance dashboards.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, and operational excellence.
• Oversee high-integrity machining and remanufacturing of upstream components.
• Ensure API/Q1 and ISO certifications; compliance with EPC audits.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

P&L leadership

Oil & Gas Upstream exposure

Senior leadership with P&L

API-certified facility experience

Greenfield plant setup/scale-up

GCC upstream ecosystem experience

Job description

Job Description – General Manager / Plant Head

Advanced Precision Machining & Special Processes Facility

Location: Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Reports To: Steering Committee (JV Board Oversight)

Role Type: Full P&L Responsibility

About the Joint Venture

The Kanoo-Unimech Joint Venture LLC is a strategic partnership between Unimech Aerospace and Manufacturing Limited (India) and Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Company Limited (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The JV is being established to build a state-of-the-art Advanced Precision Machining and Remanufacturing Facility in MODON Industrial Area, Dammam, aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and IKTVA (In-Kingdom Total Value Add) mandates. The initial and primary industry focus of the JV is the Oil & Gas - Upstream segment, including drilling, wellhead, pressure control, and production equipment components. The facility is being designed to meet API-driven and upstream qualification standards required by major EPCs and energy operators in the Kingdom.

Role Overview

We are seeking a seasoned and entrepreneurial General Manager / Plant Head to lead this greenfield Advanced Precision Machining & Remanufacturing Facility. This role carries full P&L responsibility and end-to-end accountability for building, operationalizing, qualifying, and scaling the JV facility. The role requires deep familiarity with Oil & Gas upstream customer qualification cycles, API standards, and high-integrity machining and remanufacturing of critical components.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business & P&L Leadership

• Own full Profit & Loss responsibility for the JV operations.
• Deliver revenue, EBITDA, cash flow, and ROCE targets as approved by the Steering Committee.
• Build and execute annual operating plans and 3-year scale-up roadmap.
• Drive cost optimization, productivity improvements, and margin expansion.
• Manage capital deployment, capacity ramp-up, and machine utilization.

2. Greenfield Execution & Scale-Up

• Lead plant commissioning, layout finalization, equipment installation, and operational readiness.
• Oversee ramp-up from initial machine set to full planned capacity.
• Establish structured SOPs, ERP systems, and performance dashboards.
• Build scalable processes to support phased expansion into upstream remanufacturing services.

3. Operational & Technical Leadership

• Lead advanced CNC machining operations (milling, turning, grinding) for high-integrity upstream components.
• Oversee machining and remanufacturing of upstream oilfield components such as drilling tools, wellhead equipment, pressure control components, valves, and rotating/static equipment.
• Oversee qualification and validation of special processes including heat treatment, surface treatments & coatings (HVOF, laser cladding), NDT, welding, and API-compliant processes.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Ensure optimal asset utilization and high OEE.

4. Quality, Certification & Compliance

• Lead facility certification journey including API Q1, API Monograms, and ISO certifications.
• Strong working knowledge of API Q1 systems and upstream compliance frameworks is mandatory.
• Ensure compliance with EPC and upstream customer audit requirements.
• Establish zero-defect culture with strong First Pass Yield discipline.
• Ensure strict compliance with HSE and Saudi regulatory requirements.

5. Customer & Market Interface

• Act as primary operational interface for upstream customers and EPCs.
• Lead technical discussions, audits, and qualification visits.
• Build credibility within the upstream ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
• Support business development in collaboration with JV leadership.

6. Talent & Localization Leadership

• Recruit and build a high-performance leadership team.
• Develop a skilled workforce aligned with Saudi localization requirements and IKTVA mandates.
• Drive training, capability building, and succession planning.
• Create a performance-driven, accountable culture.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering (Master’s preferred).
• 18+ years of experience in precision machining and special processes.
• Mandatory: Minimum 10+ years of direct experience in Oil & Gas Upstream manufacturing or remanufacturing environments.
• Strong exposure to EPC-driven qualification cycles and upstream service companies.
• Minimum 7+ years in senior leadership role with P&L responsibility.
• Hands-on involvement in API-certified facilities is essential.
• Proven experience in greenfield plant setup or large-scale expansion.
• Experience working in GCC upstream ecosystem preferred.

Key Competencies

• Strong understanding of upstream customer qualification and audit-heavy environments.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with structured execution capability.
• Strong commercial and financial orientation.
• Deep technical credibility in high-integrity machining environments.
• Ability to build systems from scratch.
• High accountability and ownership mentality.
• Strong stakeholder management skills (Board / JV / Customers).
• Commitment to safety,