Production Manager

Job Summary

The Plant Manager will lead all operational aspects of a natural product extraction and food processing facility. This includes overseeing production, quality control, maintenance, and distribution to ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. The role is central to achieving productivity, cost-effectiveness, and continuous improvement in plant operations while upholding the highest standards of food safety and product quality.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Operations Management

- Oversee daily operations to ensure smooth, efficient, and cost-effective production in line with business goals.

- Plan, monitor, and optimize production schedules, resource allocation, and material flow.

- Drive improvements in plant efficiency, yield, waste reduction, and operating costs.

- Ensure adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across all departments.

Quality & Food Safety

- Lead the implementation of food safety systems (cGMP, HACCP, FDA, FSSAI, HALAL, KOSHER regulations, certification and standards) across the facility.

- Ensure all finished products meet internal quality benchmarks and customer specifications.

- Establish robust quality control systems and conduct root cause analysis to resolve deviations.

- Personally intervene and lead corrective action in case of critical non-conformities.

- Regulatory and customer audits, and documentation for the same

Budgeting & Cost Control

- Collaborate with the finance team to develop annual operating budgets.

- Monitor and control costs across production, labor, maintenance, and utilities to meet budgetary targets.

- Identify opportunities for cost savings through process optimization and waste minimization.

New Product & Process Development

- Support the scaling up of new products from R&D and Sales, ensuring commercial viability.

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to trial and implement innovative extraction and processing technologies.

Candidate Profile

- Master’s or Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemical Technology, Food Technology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, or related disciplines.

- Minimum 12 years of industry experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role in food processing, food ingredient manufacturing, Nutraceuticals, or natural product extraction.

- Demonstrated experience managing plant operations, production teams, and quality systems.

- Sound knowledge of cGMP, HACCP, FDA, FSSAI, HALAL, KOSHER guidelines, and regulatory frameworks.

Preferred Experience

Prior experience in fruits, vegetables, herbs, extraction and purification or plant-based ingredient processing.

Exposure to solvent extraction, spray drying, concentration, milling, conveying, blending and packaging technologies.