Head - Engineering, Plant Maintenance & Projects

Jobitus; Nadiad; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobitus in India is seeking a Head - Engineering, Plant Maintenance & Projects to lead the complete engineering, utilities, maintenance and project functions for a modern, highly automated food manufacturing plant. The role requires a hands-on technical leader with strong exposure to Namkeen, snacks, food manufacturing or FMCG plant operations, including automation lines.

The candidate will work directly with Directors/Promoters, translate business needs into reliable engineering systems and

Qualifications

• Experience: 15+ years in engineering, plant maintenance, utilities and project management in Namkeen, snacks, food manufacturing or FMCG environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the complete engineering, plant maintenance, utility and technical services function for the manufacturing unit.
• Ensure high machine uptime through preventive, predictive and breakdown maintenance systems.
• Plan and monitor maintenance schedules for processing lines, frying, seasoning, conveying, packaging and support equipment.
• Drive root-cause analysis for major breakdowns and recurring technical problems.
• Manage automation improvements, line balancing and efficiency initiatives.
• Lead plant engineering projects from installation to handover, with scope, cost, timelines and vendor coordination.
• Oversee plant utilities (electrical, boilers, DG sets, HVAC, water systems, fire systems) and ensure energy and cost optimization.

Job description

Hiring for a Head - Engineering, Plant Maintenance & Projects to lead the complete engineering, utilities, maintenance and project function for a modern, highly automated food manufacturing plant. The role requires a hands-on technical leader with strong exposure to Namkeen, snacks, food manufacturing or FMCG plant operations, including automatic processing and packaging lines, utilities, engineering cost control, OEM/vendor coordination and plant expansion projects.

The candidate should be capable of working directly with Directors / Promoters, understanding plant-level engineering needs across mechanical, electrical, utilities, automation, safety and infrastructure areas, and converting business requirements into reliable engineering systems and timely project execution.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering & Plant Maintenance

• Lead the complete engineering, plant maintenance, utility and technical services function for the manufacturing unit.
• Ensure high machine uptime through robust preventive, predictive and breakdown maintenance systems.
• Plan and monitor maintenance schedules for processing lines, frying systems, seasoning systems, conveying, cooling, packaging, material handling and support equipment.
• Maintain machine history records, breakdown analysis, spare parts planning, maintenance checklists and engineering documentation.
• Improve plant productivity by reducing recurring breakdowns, downtime, wastage, rework and equipment-related losses.
• Drive structured root-cause analysis for major breakdowns and recurring technical problems.

Machinery & Automation Exposure

• Manage fully automatic and semi-automatic food manufacturing machinery used in Namkeen, snacks or FMCG operations.
• Work with processing and packaging equipment from reputed OEMs such as Heat and Control, Favorite or similar machinery manufacturers.
• Support automation improvements, equipment modification, line balancing and efficiency enhancement initiatives.
• Ensure all machinery is maintained as per OEM recommendations, food safety requirements and plant operating standards.

Project Management

• Lead plant engineering projects including new machinery installation, capacity expansion, automation, line modification, utilities improvement and infrastructure development.
• Prepare project scope, technical specifications, cost estimates, business justification, implementation plan, manpower needs and execution timelines.
• Track project progress against milestones, cost, quality, safety and commissioning requirements.
• Coordinate with Directors / Promoters, Production, Quality, Purchase, Finance, OEMs, contractors, consultants and vendors for timely execution.
• Manage machinery installation, testing, commissioning, trials, stabilization and final handover to operations.
• Identify project risks, cost variations, technical gaps and execution delays, and ensure timely escalation and corrective action.

Utilities, Infrastructure & Compliance

• Oversee plant utilities including electrical systems, compressors, boilers, DG sets, HVAC, water systems, air handling, fire systems, refrigeration and other support systems.
• Ensure reliable and cost-effective utility operations with focus on energy saving, water saving, compressed air efficiency and operating cost control.
• Maintain plant infrastructure, civil works, fabrication requirements, safety systems and engineering support areas.
• Ensure engineering activities comply with food safety, hygiene, EHS, statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Support audits, inspections and certifications by maintaining engineering records, safety compliance and plant maintenance documentation.
• Build contractor safety discipline and ensure safe work practices during maintenance shutdowns, installations and project activities.

Vendor, OEM & Cost Management

• Develop and manage reliable vendor networks for spare parts, service, automation, fabrication, utilities, AMC, plant projects and technical support.
• Negotiate with OEMs, contractors and suppliers for cost-effective service contracts, spare parts, project execution and maintenance support.
• Plan critical spares, reduce dependency-related downtime and control inventory without affecting plant reliability.
• Prepare and monitor engineering, maintenance, utilities and project budgets.
• Track maintenance cost, repair cost, spare consumption, utility cost, AMC cost, contractor cost and downtime losses.
• Drive cost reduction through preventive maintenance, vendor development, energy optimization and process improvement.

Required Experience & Technical Knowledge

Experience Requirements

15+ years in engineering, plant maintenance, utilities and project management; must have worked in Namkeen, snacks, food manufacturing or FMCG plant environment; experience in automatic/semi-automatic food processing and packaging machinery; prior leadership of maintenance teams, vendors, contractors and plant projects is required.

Technical Knowledge

Food processing and packaging machinery; preventive and predictive maintenance; breakdown analysis; mechanical, electrical, automation and utility systems; installation and commissioning; energy management; spare planning; project cost and timeline control; safety, hygiene and statutory compliance.

Key Competencies

Technical Leadership

Strong practical command over mechanical, electrical, automation, utilities and plant engineering. Able to diagnose technical failures, guide teams and take sound decisions under production pressure.

Maintenance Excellence

Builds preventive maintenance discipline, improves uptime, reduces breakdown frequency and creates systems for machine reliability, documentation and recurring issue elimination.

Project Execution

Plans and executes projects from concept to commissioning with control over scope, budgets, timelines, vendors, trials and handover to operations.

Cost & Resource Management

Controls maintenance and utility cost through planning, negotiation, spare optimization, energy initiatives and effective use of manpower and contractors.

Vendor & OEM Management

Works effectively with machinery OEMs, service providers, contractors and spare suppliers to secure timely, technically correct and cost-effective support.

Business Orientation

Connects engineering decisions with production targets, food safety, quality, cost, capacity expansion and long-term business requirements.

People Leadership

Leads engineering, maintenance, utility and project teams with accountability, discipline, safety focus and continuous capability development.

Problem Solving

Uses root-cause analysis and data-backed thinking to resolve breakdowns, utility problems, project delays and plant bottlenecks.

Key Performance Indicators

• Machine uptime and equipment reliability
• Reduction in breakdowns and production downtime
• Preventive maintenance adherence
• Maintenance and repair cost control
• Utility and energy cost optimization
• Timely project completion
• Project budget and cost control
• Critical spare availability
• Vendor performance and service quality
• Plant safety and compliance performance
• Successful installation and commissioning
• Engineering team productivity and discipline

Preferred Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should be a mature, hands-on, plant-focused engineering leader with strong exposure to Namkeen, snacks, food manufacturing or FMCG operations. The person should be comfortable managing both day-to-day plant maintenance and long-term engineering projects, while working directly with Directors / Promoters. The candidate must bring technical depth, cost consciousness, vendor control, team leadership and the ability to support future automation, capacity expansion and plant reliability initiatives.

For further details please call Megha on 9377677857 or you can share your updated candidature on [e-mail]