Pilot Line Head

VSL PowerHive; Chennai District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

VSL PowerHive seeks a Head of Pilot Line Operations to lead end-to-end pilot manufacturing, driving scale-up from development to stable production. You will own the pilot plant's CapEx and OpEx and be accountable for throughput, yield, and safety, while coordinating across process engineering, equipment, quality, and production teams.

The role requires strong process/ manufacturing engineering background and proven general-management ownership of a production facility, with a track record in

Qualifications

• Experience scaling up cell assembly or similar manufacturing processes from pilot to production scale.
• Proven track record managing pilot plant or manufacturing facility CapEx/OpEx budgets and overall operational P&L.
• Strong knowledge of throughput optimization, yield improvement, and process capability.
• Solid grounding in industrial safety standards, EHS compliance, and plant operating protocols.
• General-management experience overseeing multidisciplinary operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead scale-up of cell assembly processes from pilot to production scale.
• Own and manage pilot line CapEx and OpEx budgets.
• Set and drive throughput and yield targets; eliminate bottlenecks and improve process capability.
• Establish and enforce plant safety standards and compliance.
• Coordinate process engineering, equipment/maintenance, quality and production teams.
• Drive root-cause analysis and continuous improvement for scale-up.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop pilot line team.

Skills

Process scale-up

CapEx/OpEx budgeting

P&L ownership

Throughput optimization

Yield improvement

Process capability analysis

Industrial safety & EHS

Multi-disciplinary leadership

Education

PhD/ MSc/ Bachelors in chemical engineering

Job description

The Head of Pilot Line Operations will lead end-to-end operations of the pilot manufacturing line, driving the scale-up of cell assembly processes from development to reliable, repeatable production. This role owns the pilot plant's overall CapEx and OpEx, and is directly accountable for manufacturing throughput, yield performance, and plant safety. The ideal candidate brings strong technical grounding in process and manufacturing engineering combined with proven general-management ownership of a production facility.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Process Scale-Up: Lead the scale-up of cell assembly processes from pilot to production-representative scale, translating R&D/process development outcomes into stable, manufactural operations.
• Pilot Plant P&L Ownership: Own and manage the pilot line's overall CapEx and OpEx budgets, ensuring capital deployment and operating spend align with production targets and business priorities.
• Throughput & Yield Management: Set and drive manufacturing throughput and yield targets across the line; identify and eliminate bottlenecks, and continuously improve process capability and equipment utilization.
• Safety & Compliance: Establish and enforce plant safety standards and operating protocols; ensure the pilot line meets all EHS, regulatory, and quality requirements.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Act as the general manager of the pilot line, coordinating process engineering, equipment/maintenance, quality, and production teams toward shared operational goals.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive root-cause analysis and structured problem solving for process deviations; institutionalize best practices for future scale-up to full production volumes.
• Team Building & Development: Recruit, mentor, and develop the pilot line team, building organizational capability to support the transition from pilot to full-scale manufacturing.

ESSENTIAL CORE QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD, Master's, or bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience scaling up cell assembly or comparable manufacturing processes from pilot to production scale.
• Proven track record managing pilot plant or manufacturing facility CapEx/OpEx budgets and overall operational P&L.
• Strong working knowledge of manufacturing throughput optimization, yield improvement methods, and process capability analysis.
• Solid grounding in industrial safety standards, EHS compliance, and plant operating protocols.
• General-management experience overseeing multi-disciplinary operations teams within a manufacturing or pilot-scale environment.