Head - Supplier Development

Exide Energy Solutions Ltd; Devanahalli; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Exide Energy Solutions Limited (EESL) seeks an experienced Head – Supplier Development for its Giga Factory in Bengaluru, Devanahalli. Lead supplier development, localization, and strategic sourcing to build a cost-competitive, quality-driven supplier ecosystem supporting lithium-ion cell manufacturing and large-scale operations.

The role partners with Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, R&D, and Supply Chain to qualify and develop suppliers in line with NPI and localization goals,

Qualifications

• 15–20 years in supplier development, strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier industrialization, or supply chain management.
• 8–10 years in supplier development, capability building, localization, or strategic sourcing in automotive, EVs, Li-ion batteries, electronics, or advanced manufacturing.
• Experience leading supplier development teams and managing strategic suppliers across complex manufacturing ecosystems is essential.
• Prior experience in greenfield manufacturing projects, giga factories, or large-scale industrialization programs is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute supplier development strategy aligned with manufacturing requirements and localization targets.
• Identify, audit, and onboard domestic and international suppliers for raw materials, components, equipment, and assemblies.
• Drive supplier capability assessments, process improvements, and capacity enhancement.
• Lead indigenization initiatives, alternate supplier development, import substitution, value engineering, and total cost of ownership optimization.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, and R&D to support design reviews, trials, and supplier industrialization.
• Build long-term supplier partnerships to ensure supply continuity and competitiveness.
• Identify supplier risks and develop mitigation and business continuity plans.
• Lead and mentor the supplier development team and drive accountability with structured reviews.
• Track milestones, localization progress, cost savings, and risk mitigation for senior management.

Job description

Exide Energy Solutions Limited (EESL) is one of the fastest growing companies who has vision to solve social issues regarding energy, environment, resource, etc with producing lithium-ion battery products. Exide Energy Solutions Ltd is setting up India’s first Giga plant to manufacture Lithium Ion Cells in Bengaluru.

Role Overview:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head – Supplier Development to lead supplier development, capability building, localization, and strategic sourcing initiatives for our Giga Factory at Devanahalli, Bengaluru. The role will focus on developing a robust, cost-competitive, quality-driven, and sustainable supplier ecosystem to support lithium-ion cell manufacturing and large-scale factory operations.

The incumbent will work closely with Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, R&D, and Supply Chain teams to identify, assess, qualify, and develop suppliers in line with business requirements, new product introduction, and localization objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Supplier Development Strategy: Develop and execute the supplier development strategy aligned with business objectives, manufacturing requirements, localization targets, and long-term supply chain goals.
• Supplier Identification & Qualification: Identify, evaluate, audit, and onboard domestic and international suppliers for raw materials, battery components, equipment, fabricated assemblies, and critical manufacturing requirements.
• Supplier Capability Building: Drive supplier capability assessments, process improvement, capacity enhancement, quality improvement, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Localization & Cost Optimization: Lead indigenization initiatives, alternate supplier development, import substitution, value engineering, and total cost of ownership optimization.
• Supplier Quality & Performance: Collaborate with Supplier Quality and Engineering teams to improve supplier performance across quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and responsiveness.
• Technical Collaboration: Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, and R&D teams to support design reviews, process validation, production trials, new product introduction, and supplier industrialization.
• Strategic Supplier Partnerships: Build long-term relationships with critical suppliers, technology partners, and strategic manufacturing partners to ensure supply continuity and competitiveness.
• Risk Management: Identify supplier-related risks, capacity constraints, single-source dependencies, and supply disruptions; develop mitigation and business continuity plans.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead and mentor the supplier development team, establish performance metrics, and drive accountability through structured reviews and improvement plans.
• Governance & Reporting: Track supplier development milestones, localization progress, cost savings, supplier readiness, and risk mitigation; provide periodic updates to senior management.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Industrial Engineering, Production Engineering, or a related discipline.
• A postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business Administration (MBA), or Strategic Sourcing will be an added advantage.

Experience:

• Overall experience: 15–20 years in supplier development, strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier industrialization, or supply chain management.
• Relevant experience: At least 8–10 years in supplier development, supplier capability building, localization, or strategic sourcing within automotive, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, electronics, or advanced manufacturing.
• Experience leading supplier development teams and managing strategic suppliers across complex manufacturing ecosystems is essential.
• Prior experience in a greenfield manufacturing project, giga factory, battery manufacturing facility, or large-scale industrialization program will be highly preferred.
• Supplier development strategy and supplier capability assessment.
• Strategic sourcing, localization, and cost optimization.
• Supplier audits, process improvement, and quality enhancement.
• Supplier industrialization, capacity planning, and risk management.
• Strong commercial negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Cross-functional leadership and team development.
• Data-driven decision-making, project management, and executive communication.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Supplier localization and indigenization achievement.
• Cost savings and total cost of ownership improvement.
• Supplier quality, delivery, and capacity performance.
• Supplier qualification and industrialization lead time.
• Reduction in supply risks and single-source dependencies.
• Achievement of supplier development milestones for factory ramp-up.

Preferred Candidate Profile:

A strategic and hands-on leader with a strong understanding of manufacturing supply chains, supplier capability development, localization, and industrialization. The ideal candidate should be capable of building a reliable supplier ecosystem from the ground up and ensuring supplier readiness to support the operational and scale-up requirements of a lithium-ion battery Giga Factory.