Head of Manufacturing - Battery Energy Storage Systems

Larsen & Toubro Ltd; Navavoor; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Job summary

Larsen & Toubro Ltd in Tamil Nadu seeks a seasoned Manufacturing Engineering Lead to head end-to-end operations for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) catering to C&I and utility-scale projects. You will drive manufacturing excellence across modules, packs, racks, BMS, and integration, scaling to gigawatt-hour production.

The role demands leadership in Lean, Six Sigma, Industry 4.0, and cross-functional collaboration with engineering, supply chain, and project teams to ensure safety, quality

Qualifications

• B.E./B.Tech in Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering or related discipline.
• Master’s degree in engineering or Operations Management preferred.
• MBA preferred.
• 20+ years of manufacturing experience.
• Minimum 5 years in leadership roles managing large manufacturing operations.
• Proven experience in one or more of: BESS manufacturing, Battery manufacturing, Power electronics manufacturing, Inverter manufacturing, EV battery pack manufacturing, Renewable energy equipment manufacturing.
• Experience in utility-scale energy storage projects.
• Experience in containerised BESS manufacturing.
• Exposure to gigafactory or large-scale battery manufacturing environments.
• Experience setting up new manufacturing plants or production lines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute manufacturing strategy aligned with business growth objectives.
• Lead manufacturing operations for: Battery modules, Battery packs, Battery racks, Containerised BESS systems, Integrated PCS and energy management systems.
• Establish scalable manufacturing processes for C&I and utility-scale projects.
• Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
• Build a high-performance manufacturing organisation and leadership pipeline.
• Ensure achievement of production targets related to Capacity, Cost, Quality, Delivery, Productivity.
• Optimize manufacturing throughput and capacity utilisation.
• Develop annual manufacturing plans and expansion roadmaps.
• Lead commissioning and ramp-up of new manufacturing lines and facilities.
• Oversee manufacturing of Battery enclosures, Battery racks, DC systems, PCS integration, EMS/SCADA integration, Containerised BESS solutions.
• Ensure compliance with IEC, UL, NFPA, Grid-code and customer specifications.
• Collaborate with engineering teams for DFM and DFA.
• Develop robust quality management systems.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards.
• Drive First-pass yield improvement, Defect reduction, Warranty reduction, Reliability enhancement.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action programmes.
• Establish a safety-first manufacturing culture.
• Ensure compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Implement battery handling and energy storage safety protocols.
• Lead emergency preparedness and fire safety initiatives for lithium-ion and advanced battery technologies.
• Work closely with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure uninterrupted material availability.
• Develop strategic partnerships with suppliers for Cells, PCS, BMS, Thermal management systems, Power electronics, Structural components.
• Establish supplier quality management programmes.
• Drive manufacturing cost reduction initiatives.
• Improve Labour productivity, Material utilisation, OEE, Inventory turns.
• Identify localisation opportunities for critical subsystems and components.
• Lead greenfield and brownfield expansion projects.
• Support introduction of emerging battery technologies including LFP, LMFP, Sodium-Ion, Future chemistries.
• Develop manufacturing readiness plans for new products.
• Work closely with Engineering, R&D, Product Management, Quality, Supply Chain, Projects, Service to ensure seamless execution of customer projects.
• Manufacturing capacity utilisation, Production output (MWh/GWh), OEE, On-time delivery, Manufacturing cost per kWh, First-pass yield, Scrap and rework reduction, Warranty cost reduction, Safety performance (LTIFR), Inventory turns, EBITDA contribution from operations.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Execution excellence

Team building

Change management

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Problem-solving

Customer orientation

Continuous improvement mindset

Education

B.E./B.Tech in Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering or related discipline

Master’s degree in engineering or Operations Management preferred

MBA preferred

Tools

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

TPM

Kaizen

APQP

PFMEA

SPC

MES systems

ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics)

Job description

Manufacturing Engineering Lead - BESS Head - Manufacturing (BESS: C&I & Utility Scale) Position Summary The Head of Manufacturing will lead end-to-end manufacturing operations for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) catering to Commercial & Industrial (C&I) and Utility-scale energy storage applications. The role will be responsible for driving manufacturing excellence across battery module assembly, battery packs, racks,BMS, containerised BESS integration, power conversion system (PCS) integration, testing, quality, supply chain coordination, and project delivery readiness. The incumbent will be instrumental in scaling operations from current manufacturing levels to gigawatt-hour-scale production while ensuring world-class quality, safety, productivity, and cost competitiveness.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Leadership

• Develop and execute manufacturing strategy aligned with business growth objectives.
• Lead manufacturing operations for: o Battery modules o Battery packs o Battery racks o Containerised BESS systems o Integrated PCS and energy management systems
• Establish scalable manufacturing processes for C&I and utility-scale projects.
• Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and Industry 4.0 initiatives.
• Build a high-performance manufacturing organisation and leadership pipeline.

Production Planning & Execution

• Ensure achievement of production targets related to: o Capacity o Cost o Quality o Delivery o Productivity
• Optimise manufacturing throughput and capacity utilisation.
• Develop annual manufacturing plans and expansion roadmaps.
• Lead commissioning and ramp-up of new manufacturing lines and facilities.

BESS System Integration

• Oversee manufacturing of: o Battery enclosures o Battery racks o DC systems o PCS integration o EMS/SCADA integration o Containerised BESS solutions
• Ensure compliance with: o IEC standards o UL standards o NFPA requirements o Grid-code requirements o Customer specifications
• Collaborate with engineering teams for design-for-manufacturing (DFM) and design-for-assembly (DFA).

Quality & Reliability

• Develop robust quality management systems.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards.
• Drive: o First-pass yield improvement o Defect reduction o Warranty reduction o Reliability enhancement
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action programmes.

EHS Leadership

• Establish a safety-first manufacturing culture.
• Ensure compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Implement battery handling and energy storage safety protocols.
• Lead emergency preparedness and fire safety initiatives for lithium-ion and advanced battery technologies.

Supply Chain & Vendor Development

• Work closely with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure uninterrupted material availability.
• Develop strategic partnerships with suppliers for: o Cells o PCS o Battery Management Systems o Thermal management systems o Power electronics o Structural components
• Establish supplier quality management programmes.

Cost Optimisation

• Drive manufacturing cost reduction initiatives.
• Improve: o Labour productivity o Material utilisation o Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) o Inventory turns
• Identify localisation opportunities for critical subsystems and components.

Capacity Expansion & New Programmes

• Lead greenfield and brownfield expansion projects.
• Support introduction of emerging battery technologies including: o LFP o LMFP o Sodium-Ion o Future battery chemistries
• Develop manufacturing readiness plans for new products.

Cross Functional Leadership

• Work closely with: o Engineering o R&D o Product Management o Quality o Supply Chain o Projects o Service to ensure seamless execution of customer projects.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Manufacturing capacity utilisation
• Production output (MWh/GWh)
• OEE
• On-time delivery
• Manufacturing cost per kWh
• First-pass yield
• Scrap and rework reduction
• Warranty cost reduction
• Safety performance (LTIFR)
• Inventory turns
• EBITDA contribution from operations

Qualifications Education

• B.E./B.Tech in Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering or related discipline.
• Master’s degree in engineering or Operations Management preferred.
• MBA preferred.

Experience Essential

• 20+ years of manufacturing experience.
• Minimum 5 years in leadership roles managing large manufacturing operations.
• Proven experience in one or more of: o BESS manufacturing o Battery manufacturing o Power electronics manufacturing o Inverter manufacturing o EV battery pack manufacturing o Renewable energy equipment manufacturing

Preferred

• Experience in utility-scale energy storage projects.
• Experience in containerised BESS manufacturing.
• Exposure to gigafactory or large-scale battery manufacturing environments.
• Experience setting up new manufacturing plants or production lines.

Technical Competencies Strong Understanding Of

• Battery technologies: o LFP o LMFP o NMC o Sodium-Ion
• Battery Management Systems (BMS)
• Power Conversion Systems (PCS)
• Energy Management Systems (EMS)
• SCADA integration
• Thermal management systems
• HV & LV electrical systems
• Grid-connected energy storage systems

Manufacturing Tools

• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• TPM
• Kaizen
• APQP
• PFMEA
• SPC
• MES systems
• ERP platforms (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics)

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Execution excellence
• Team building
• Change management
• Stakeholder management
• Commercial acumen
• Problem-solving capability
• Customer orientation
• Continuous improvement mindset

A seasoned manufacturing leader with a strong background in battery energy storage systems, power electronics, or advanced energy technologies, capable of building a world-class manufacturing organisation that delivers safe, reliable, and cost-competitive BESS solutions for C&I and utility-scale markets.

Target Industries

• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
• Battery Cell Manufacturing
• EV Battery Manufacturing
• Solar Inverter Manufacturing
• UPS Manufacturing
• Renewable Energy Equipment
• Grid Infrastructure Equipment