Director/Head - India Operations

Director - India Operations (Head of India) for European Engineering Group

European industrial group in the hydraulics & precision equipment sector, based in Bangalore or Chennai. Leadership role where the individual will head the India setup - establishing the subsidiary operations, qualifying suppliers, setting up a quality lab, and building assembly and manufacturing operations, while also supporting commercial and business development initiatives. Candidates should have an industrial/engineering background with proven GM or Operations leadership experience in a manufacturing environment and 12-20 years of relevant experience.

Setup & Commercial Development

- Establish and structure the subsidiary (organization, premises, procedures, reporting);

- Build a strong local network among Industrial partners, Strategic suppliers, Local institutions,

- Manage supplier sourcing; Identification, audit, and qualification of Indian suppliers; Negotiation of commercial terms; Securing quality, cost, and delivery performance;

- Recruit and structure the local team (sales, purchasing, quality, support).

- Establish a local quality laboratory (Definition of inspection and testing capabilities, with support from the parent company, Implementation of Group quality procedures, with support from the parent company, Team training, with support from the parent company)

- Structure the local supply chain;

- Launch an assembly line: (Industrial organization; Logistics flows; Cost, quality, and delivery management; Ensure compliance with Quality requirements, Safety standards, Internal and customer standards)

- Recruit and implement teams associated with this phase.

- Deploy the commercial strategy on the Indian market; Identification of target segments (industry, mobile hydraulics, defense, etc.); Prospecting OEM customers, integrators, and distributors; Management of existing customers in the region; Negotiation and follow-up of initial contracts;

Industrialization & Production with support from the Parent Company

- Manage installation of initial production machines;

- Implement local manufacturing processes;

- Ensure industrial ramp-up;

- Develop local competencies (production, quality, maintenance);

- Optimize industrial performance (QCD: Quality - Cost - Delivery);

- Recruit and implement teams associated with this phase.

Cross Functional Responsibilities

- Financial management of the subsidiary: Budget, P&L, investments (CAPEX); Regular reporting to the Group;

- Management of local teams: Recruitment; Training; Talent development;

- Permanent interface with headquarters (Technical, commercial, and industrial coordination; Application of Group standards)

- Regulatory, social, and cultural monitoring;

- Upholding and representing Group's image, ethics, and values in India.