Plant Head – Spices, Herbs & Botanical Ingredients Manufacturing Full Time

Role Summary

The Plant Head will be responsible for the overall management and performance of the manufacturing facility, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant production of spices, herbs, botanical powders, nutraceutical ingredients, and value-added agricultural products. The role involves leading production, quality, supply chain, maintenance, engineering, EHS, and regulatory compliance functions to achieve operational excellence, customer satisfaction, profitability, and sustainable growth.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

1. Plant Operations Management

• Lead end-to-end manufacturing operations and plant performance.
• Develop and execute annual production and operational plans aligned with business objectives.
• Ensure achievement of production targets, quality standards, and customer delivery commitments.
• Drive operational excellence through productivity improvement and cost optimization.
• Monitor plant KPIs and implement corrective actions where required.

2. Production & Capacity Management

• Oversee production planning and execution across all manufacturing processes.
• Ensure optimum utilization of manpower, machinery, utilities, and raw materials.
• Improve plant efficiency, throughput, yield, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Lead capacity expansion, debottlenecking, and process improvement initiatives.
• Minimize downtime, wastage, and production losses.

3. Quality, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with:
• FSSC 22000
• BRCGS
• HACCP
• GMP
• ISO 22000
• Organic Standards (NOP, NPOP, EU Organic)
• Kosher & Halal
• FSSAI
• Spice Board Regulations
• Export Customer Requirements
• Ensure successful completion of customer, regulatory, and certification audits.
• Drive a culture of food safety, quality excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Review CAPA implementation and customer complaint resolutions.

4. Botanical & Spice Manufacturing Excellence

• Manage operations involving:
• Cleaning & Sorting
• Grinding & Pulverizing
• Blending & Formulation
• Steam Sterilization
• Sieving & Classification
• Packaging & Dispatch
• Ensure consistency in product quality and compliance with customer specifications.
• Maintain traceability and batch integrity throughout the manufacturing process.

5. Supply Chain & Inventory Management

• Coordinate with procurement, planning, warehouse, and logistics teams.
• Ensure uninterrupted availability of raw materials and packaging materials.
• Optimize inventory levels and working capital.
• Monitor material consumption, yield, and stock reconciliation.
• Improve supply chain efficiency and reduce operational costs.

6. Engineering & Maintenance

• Oversee preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
• Ensure reliability and availability of production equipment and utilities.
• Lead installation, commissioning, and validation of new machinery.
• Drive energy conservation and utility optimization initiatives.
• Manage engineering projects, automation, and plant modernization programs.

7. Financial & Cost Management

• Prepare and manage plant budgets and operational expenses.
• Monitor manufacturing costs and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Improve productivity and profitability through process optimization.
• Control wastage, rejections, and resource utilization.
• Support annual business planning and capital expenditure projects.

8. Leadership & Team Development

• Lead cross-functional teams including:
• Production
• Quality Assurance & Quality Control
• Maintenance & Engineering
• Stores & Warehouse
• EHS
• Planning & Logistics
• Develop leadership capabilities within the plant team.
• Conduct performance reviews and succession planning.
• Foster a high-performance, accountability-driven culture.

9. EHS (Environment, Health & Safety)

• Ensure compliance with all safety and environmental regulations.
• Drive a zero-accident culture within the plant.
• Implement safety training, risk assessments, and preventive measures.
• Ensure proper waste management and sustainability initiatives.

10. Continuous Improvement & Strategic Initiatives

• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Operational Excellence initiatives.
• Drive digitalization and ERP-based manufacturing controls.
• Benchmark plant performance against industry best practices.
• Support business growth through process innovation and new product commercialization.

Desired Candidate Profile

Education

• B.Tech/B.E. in Food Technology, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Agriculture, or related disciplines.
• MBA Operations or equivalent qualification preferred.

Experience

• 15–25 years of manufacturing experience.
• Minimum 5–8 years as Plant Head / Operations Head in:
• Spices
• Botanical Ingredients
• Food Ingredients
• Nutraceutical Ingredients
• Agro Processing
• Herbal Extracts

Technical Expertise

• Spice & Botanical Processing
• Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance
• Plant Operations Management
• Supply Chain & Inventory Control
• Engineering & Utilities
• Lean Manufacturing
• ERP Systems (SAP/Oracle/MS Dynamics)
• Operational Excellence

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Operations

• Production Target Achievement (%)
• Plant Capacity Utilization (%)
• OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
• Yield Improvement (%)

Quality

• Customer Complaints
• Audit Compliance Score
• First Pass Quality Rate

Financial

• Manufacturing Cost per Kg
• Budget Adherence
• Cost Savings Achieved

Supply Chain

• On-Time Dispatch (%)
• Inventory Turnover
• Raw Material Loss Reduction

Safety

• Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR)
• Near Miss Closure Rate
• Safety Audit Compliance

Key Skills

Plant Operations | Spice Manufacturing | Botanical Ingredients | Nutraceutical Ingredients | Food Processing | Production Management | FSSC 22000 | BRCGS | HACCP | GMP | Lean Manufacturing | Supply Chain | Engineering & Maintenance | EHS | Operational Excellence | Team Leadership | Budgeting | Export-Oriented Manufacturing

Experience: 15–25 Years

Designation: Plant Head / General Manager – Operations / Manufacturing Head

• Industry: Spices, Herbs, Botanical Ingredients, Nutraceuticals, Food Ingredients, Agro Processing, Organic Products.
• Telugu Speaking Mandiatory