Head - Product & Operations

Head - Product & Operations

The incumbent will oversee the entire product development lifecycle, including Ideation, conceptualization, design, development, testing, and launch of innovative products. The role requires engineering expertise, commercial skills and leadership Qualities to drive cross-functional teams and deliver high-quality products to optimize Time-to-Market and Costs.

Roles:

- Lead and manage the end-to-end product life cycle from ideation, conceptualization, designing, engineering, validation and launching of new products.

- Undertake product development initiatives to increase product capacities and achieve product-market fit.

- Cost optimization to meet target cost objectives.

- Improve product throughput and efficiency.

- Work in collaboration with the sales team to drive changes in product features based on feedback from the market and customers.

- Technology team to optimize the technology.

- Pursue long-term plans for developing continuous processing equipment.

- Build, direct and supervise a design & engineering team with domain expertise in the areas of blending (reactor technology), material movement, fabrication, drying, cooling, Internet of Things etc.

- Develop a quality policy and establish quality standards, including getting appropriate quality certifications from external/regulatory bodies.

Vendor Development:

- Identify & develop fabrication vendors, based on identified parameters and quality benchmarks, for equipment manufacturing.

Work in close collaboration with vendors to :

- Achieve manufacturing and delivery lead times and reduce Time-to-Market.

- Optimize design and cost, including cost of outsourced components , Improve product quality and efficiency.

- Manage vendors' relationships to evolve them as long-term strategic partners.

Installation & Commissioning:

- Build, direct and supervise a team of installation and commissioning professionals.

- Develop appropriate SOPs to ensure quality & efficiency in the installation & commissioning of equipment.

Operation & Maintenance:

- Design a maintenance schedule for the equipment during the warranty and out-of-warranty periods.

- Build, direct and supervise a team for the operation and maintenance of equipment

- Building and implementing adequate training modules to impart training on the equipment to the internal team as well as to the customers

- Design & develop 'Product manuals and SOPs', for use by customers.

- Collaborate with Sales team to develop revenue stream of Annual Maintenance.

- Set up a customer service department to receive and address customers' complaints, and collaborate with external vendors and component suppliers to provide seamless and prompt customer service.

Leadership & Commercial role:

- Keep a tab on market and competitive trends and customer needs, and plug these inputs into the product roadmap.

- Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary team of product managers, engineers, designers, and other professionals.

- Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment to drive creativity and efficiency.

- Manage budgeting and resource allocation for product development projects.

- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including marketing, sales, and customer support, to gather insights and ensure a seamless product launch.

Qualification:

- Mechanical Engineering (B. Tech/M. Tech) from Tier I/II Institute.

- An MBA in product development would be an added qualification.

Experience:

- 10-12 years of strong experience in Product Development.

- Proven experience of having led Product Life Cycles from ideation to launch. [Added advantage if the candidate can exhibit the application of design thinking and first principle thinking].

Requirements:

Skills:

- Technical skills: Domain expertise or experience in all or most of the following areas:

- Process technologies [batch & continuous processing], material movement, blending, drying, cooling, and digital technologies.

- Leadership skills: Ability to work in a cross-functional environment and lead a team of engineers, designers, installation managers and operators

- Commercial skills: Ability to negotiate and optimize cost with vendors

- Behavioral skills: Agility, Make-it-Happen approach, Project Management.

Company Profile:

Our purpose: USA Conglomerate and India's R&D Private Ltd have collaborated to enhance food sustainability by developing technologies that treat hazardous pathogens in the food value chain. We're tackling pressing issues in the food industry while prioritizing food safety, health, and climate change.

About the joint venture partners:

- Company [Boston, USA] is a conglomerate touching lives across 40+ countries with over 22,000 employees. Recognized by Fortune magazine and Forbes, and is a community of innovators dedicated to building a sustainable future through cutting-edge technology and a human-centered approach to progress.

- Indian R&D company, is dedicated to developing innovative technologies & solutions related to food products & processes.

Why join us: If you're purpose-driven with an ownership mindset, seeking to make a difference in the world and ready to stretch your potential, we have the right growth opportunity for you. Step into the heart of innovation with our forward-thinking organization, where work is fun and where you fuel your entrepreneurship aspirations to make a global impact. Welcome to the team!