Head Operations

Candor Foods; Navi Mumbai, Jaipur, Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Candor Foods in Navi Mumbai is seeking a Head of Operations to lead end-to-end plant and supply chain activities across production, quality, maintenance and logistics. You will drive productivity, implement best practices and ensure cost-effective operations aligned with business goals.

The role calls for hands-on leadership, strong focus on quality, safety and compliance, and the ability to build systems, scale operations and develop talent across cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Food Technology or a relevant discipline.
• MBA / PGDM in Operations, Supply Chain or Business Management will be an advantage.
• 2030 years of relevant experience in manufacturing/FMCG/food processing or a similar operational environment.
• Strong experience in plant operations and leading large cross-functional teams.
• Experience managing production, warehouse, quality, maintenance and operational excellence functions.
• Experience in a structured manufacturing environment with strong quality and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end plant and operational activities to achieve business objectives.
• Ensure production is delivered as per quality, quantity, cost and timelines.
• Develop and implement operational strategies aligned with business plans.
• Drive productivity, capacity utilisation and operational efficiency.
• Ensure effective utilisation of manpower, machinery, materials and resources.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement corrective actions.
• Drive effective production planning in line with sales and demand requirements.
• Ensure optimum production schedules and timely order fulfilment.
• Monitor production performance against planned targets.
• Reduce downtime, rejection, wastage and production losses.
• Establish and monitor operational KPIs for all critical processes.
• Ensure strict adherence to Food Safety, Quality and Hygiene standards.
• Drive compliance with applicable statutory, regulatory and certification requirements.
• Work closely with Quality/Food Safety teams to maintain and improve standards.
• Ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented effectively.
• Build a strong culture of quality ownership across operations.
• Ensure efficient coordination between Procurement, Production, Warehouse, Quality and Dispatch.
• Optimise inventory levels and material movement.
• Ensure proper storage, handling and traceability of raw materials and finished goods.
• Minimise inventory losses, damages, expiry and wastage.
• Improve warehouse productivity and process discipline.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction without compromising quality.
• Monitor conversion costs, wastage, manpower cost, energy consumption and operational expenses.
• Drive productivity improvement and process optimisation.
• Develop initiatives for better resource utilisation and operational savings.
• Ensure preventive and breakdown maintenance systems are effectively implemented.
• Improve machine availability and reliability.
• Reduce unplanned downtime.
• Work with Engineering/Maintenance teams on capacity enhancement and automation initiatives.
• Lead, mentor and develop operational leadership teams.
• Build a high-performance culture based on accountability, ownership and teamwork.
• Ensure manpower planning and capability development.
• Identify training and skill-development requirements.
• Build strong succession plans for critical operational positions.
• Establish a culture of Kaizen, Lean, 5S and continuous improvement.
• Review existing processes and identify opportunities for automation and simplification.
• Implement SOPs, process controls and performance dashboards.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects.
• Promote data-driven decision-making across operations.
• Ensure strict compliance with occupational health, safety and workplace requirements.
• Drive safety awareness and incident-prevention initiatives.
• Ensure safe working practices across plant and operational areas.
• Promote a disciplined, clean and hygienic workplace.
• Partner with senior management to translate business strategy into operational execution.
• Provide regular MIS and operational performance updates to management.
• Support capacity planning, expansion and new product/process initiatives.
• Participate in annual budgeting and operational planning.
• Identify operational risks and establish mitigation plans.
• Represent Operations in management reviews and strategic discussions.

Skills

Plant operations

Cross-functional leadership

Production management

Quality & compliance

Maintenance management

Operational excellence

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Food Technology or a relevant discipline

MBA / PGDM in Operations, Supply Chain or Business Management (advantage)

Job description

Role & responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end plant and operational activities to achieve business objectives.
• Ensure production is delivered as per quality, quantity, cost and timelines.
• Develop and implement operational strategies aligned with business plans.
• Drive productivity, capacity utilisation and operational efficiency.
• Ensure effective utilisation of manpower, machinery, materials and resources.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement corrective actions.

B. Production Planning & Execution

• Drive effective production planning in line with sales and demand requirements.
• Ensure optimum production schedules and timely order fulfilment.
• Monitor production performance against planned targets.
• Reduce downtime, rejection, wastage and production losses.
• Establish and monitor operational KPIs for all critical processes.

C. Quality, Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure strict adherence to Food Safety, Quality and Hygiene standards.
• Drive compliance with applicable statutory, regulatory and certification requirements.
• Work closely with Quality/Food Safety teams to maintain and improve standards.
• Ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented effectively.
• Build a strong culture of quality ownership across operations.

D. Warehouse & Supply Chain Coordination

• Ensure efficient coordination between Procurement, Production, Warehouse, Quality and Dispatch.
• Optimise inventory levels and material movement.
• Ensure proper storage, handling and traceability of raw materials and finished goods.
• Minimise inventory losses, damages, expiry and wastage.
• Improve warehouse productivity and process discipline.

E. Cost Optimisation

• Identify opportunities for cost reduction without compromising quality.
• Monitor conversion costs, wastage, manpower cost, energy consumption and operational expenses.
• Drive productivity improvement and process optimisation.
• Develop initiatives for better resource utilisation and operational savings.

F. Maintenance & Engineering

• Ensure preventive and breakdown maintenance systems are effectively implemented.
• Improve machine availability and reliability.
• Reduce unplanned downtime.
• Work with Engineering/Maintenance teams on capacity enhancement and automation initiatives.

G. People Leadership

• Lead, mentor and develop operational leadership teams.
• Build a high-performance culture based on accountability, ownership and teamwork.
• Ensure manpower planning and capability development.
• Identify training and skill-development requirements.
• Build strong succession plans for critical operational positions.

H. Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Establish a culture of Kaizen, Lean, 5S and continuous improvement.
• Review existing processes and identify opportunities for automation and simplification.
• Implement SOPs, process controls and performance dashboards.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects.
• Promote data-driven decision-making across operations.

I. Safety & Workplace Discipline

• Ensure strict compliance with occupational health, safety and workplace requirements.
• Drive safety awareness and incident-prevention initiatives.
• Ensure safe working practices across plant and operational areas.
• Promote a disciplined, clean and hygienic workplace.

J. Business & Leadership Responsibility

• Partner with senior management to translate business strategy into operational execution.
• Provide regular MIS and operational performance updates to management.
• Support capacity planning, expansion and new product/process initiatives.
• Participate in annual budgeting and operational planning.
• Identify operational risks and establish mitigation plans.
• Represent Operations in management reviews and strategic discussions.

3. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The Head of Operations will be evaluated on measurable business and operational outcomes, including:

• Production achievement vs. plan
• Capacity utilisation
• Productivity improvement
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Production downtime
• Rejection and wastage %
• Cost per unit / conversion cost
• On-time production / order fulfilment
• Inventory accuracy and control
• Quality and food safety performance
• Audit compliance
• Safety performance
• Manpower productivity
• Energy and resource efficiency
• Continuous improvement / cost-saving initiatives
• Employee retention and capability development

Preferred candidate profile

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Food Technology or a relevant discipline.
• MBA / PGDM in Operations, Supply Chain or Business Management will be an advantage.

• 2030 years of relevant experience in manufacturing/FMCG/food processing or a similar operational environment.
• Strong experience in plant operations and leading large cross-functional teams.
• Experience managing production, warehouse, quality, maintenance and operational excellence functions.
• Experience in a structured manufacturing environment with strong quality and compliance requirements.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are looking for a business-minded operations leader, not merely a plant administrator.

The successful candidate should be capable of building systems,

developing people, improving productivity and creating a culture where quality, safety, hygiene, cost, discipline and delivery are everyone's responsibility.

The candidate should have the ability to build, scale and transform operations while maintaining strong execution discipline.