Plant Manager - Biochar Based Fertilizers

Equilibrium; Gadag; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Equilibrium in Mundargi (Gadag) seeks a hands-on Plant Manager to own our biochar‑based fertilizer manufacturing operations. You will plan production, ensure quality, control costs and drive smooth day‑to‑day plant performance as the facility scales.

The ideal candidate has 3–5 years in manufacturing or plant operations, a degree in Engineering or Agriculture, and experience managing people and equipment in a fast‑paced setting. Kannada language skills are preferred.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of manufacturing or plant operations experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Agriculture or related field.
• Experience managing people, machinery and day-to-day shop floor operations.
• Strong understanding of production planning, inventory, quality and cost control.
• Hands-on, fast-paced manufacturing environment adaptability.
• Kannada language proficiency is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage daily and monthly production to meet targets.
• Manage plant manpower, shifts, and shop-floor operations.
• Optimize use of raw materials, equipment and labour.
• Monitor costs, wastage and overall plant performance.
• Ensure product quality and output consistency.
• Coordinate procurement, inventory, maintenance and dispatch.
• Develop and improve SOPs as the plant scales.
• Maintain safety, housekeeping and regulatory compliance.
• Troubleshoot day-to-day issues to minimise disruptions.

Skills

Operations management

Production planning

Quality control

Cost control

People management

Kannada language

Education

Engineering degree

Agriculture degree

Job description

Equilibrium is a full-stack carbon removal developer building one of the largest high-integrity carbon portfolios from the Global South, with a ~20Mt CO₂ removal pipeline. We develop bankable, high-impact projects by integrating advanced climate science, an in-house digital MRV platform, and innovative blended finance.

Our portfolio spans across nature-based and engineered removal: on nature-based, we have large-scale agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, and mangrove restoration initiatives; on engineered removal, we are building India's leading biochar platform with large-scale commercial operations. Collectively, our projects span 120,000+ hectares and will support over 150,000 smallholder farmers and coastal communities.

Our work is backed by a $3M institutional seed round from Peak XV (formerly Sequoia) and Avaana Capital, and driven by a 95+ member team with deep expertise in climate science, carbon markets, and project operations.

Key Responsibilities:

We are looking for a hands‑on Plant Manager to take end‑to‑end ownership of our biochar‑based fertilizer manufacturing operations at our plant in Mundargi, Gadag.

The role will be responsible for ensuring efficient production, consistent quality, cost control and smooth day‑to‑day plant operations as the facility scales. Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plan and manage daily and monthly production to meet volume and quality targets.
• Manage plant manpower, shifts and overall shop‑floor operations.
• Ensure efficient utilisation of raw materials, equipment and labour.
• Monitor manufacturing costs, wastage, productivity and overall plant performance.
• Ensure consistent quality and output of biochar‑based fertilizer products.
• Coordinate procurement, inventory, maintenance and dispatch requirements.
• Develop, implement and improve SOPs and manufacturing processes as the plant scales.
• Ensure accurate production and inventory data capture, including adoption of dMRV/data systems.
• Maintain plant safety, housekeeping and regulatory compliance.
• Identify and implement initiatives to improve productivity, quality and cost efficiency.
• Troubleshoot day‑to‑day operational issues and ensure timely resolution to minimise production disruptions.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• 3-5 years of experience in manufacturing or plant operations.
• Degree in Engineering, Agriculture or a related field.
• Experience managing people, machinery and day‑to‑day shop‑floor operations.
• Strong understanding of production planning, inventory, quality and cost control.
• Comfortable working in a hands‑on, fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong problem‑solving and execution skills.
• Experience in fertilizer, organic manure, biochar, biomass, agri‑processing or similar manufacturing is preferred.
• Comfortable working in an evolving environment and building processes as the plant scales.
• Should be comfortable speaking in Kannada.