PLANT HEAD – FOOD PROCESSING & AGRO OPERATIONS Company: HRS Agro / HRS Group Location: Himachal Pradesh / Chandigarh Tricity (final plant location to be decided) Employment Type: Full-Time | On-Site Experience: 8–15+ years Industry: Food Processing / Agro Processing / FMCG / Fruit & Vegetable Processing About the Role We are looking for an experienced and entrepreneurial Plant Head – Food Processing & Agro Operations to lead the development and operations of a new food processing facility focused on converting our agricultural and orchard produce into high-quality, value-added food products. The candidate will be responsible not only for running the plant but also for building the processing operation from the ground up — including process selection, machinery planning, plant layout, vendor coordination, production systems, product/process development, quality systems, manpower, costing and commercial-scale production. Our agricultural operations include orchards in Rampur and Manali, and we aim to significantly expand our agro-processing capabilities and build a scalable, professionally managed food-processing business. Key Responsibilities 1. Plant Setup & Commissioning * Lead the complete planning and establishment of the food processing plant. * Evaluate and recommend appropriate processing technologies and machinery. * Prepare machinery specifications, capacity requirements and process-flow diagrams. * Coordinate with machinery manufacturers, consultants, contractors and technology suppliers. * Assist management in CAPEX planning, equipment selection and vendor negotiations. * Oversee installation, commissioning, trial runs and commercial production. * Develop plant layouts to optimize material flow, manpower, hygiene and production efficiency. 2. Fruit & Agricultural Produce Processing Develop commercially viable processing systems for orchard and agricultural produce, including where applicable: * Fruit pulping and puree * Juices and beverages * Fruit concentrates * Jams, preserves and spreads * Dehydrated fruits * Freeze-dried fruits * Fruit powders * Dried fruit products * Fruit-based snacks * Sauces and value-added products * Other shelf-stable and premium processed food products The candidate should have the ability to evaluate which products provide the best combination of market demand, shelf life, margins, scalability and utilization of agricultural produce. 3. Production & Operations * Plan and manage daily, weekly and seasonal production. * Establish production targets and ensure timely achievement. * Optimize utilization of raw materials, machinery, manpower and utilities. * Monitor yield, wastage, downtime, throughput and production efficiency. * Develop and implement SOPs, batch sheets and production systems. * Maintain complete batch traceability and production records. * Ensure efficient handling of seasonal fruit availability and processing peaks. 4. Raw Material & Orchard Integration * Work closely with the agricultural/orchard team to plan harvest and processing requirements.



* Develop systems for grading, sorting, washing, storage and processing of fresh produce. * Reduce post-harvest losses through appropriate processing and preservation technologies. * Establish raw-material quality specifications. * Develop systems for procurement from our own farms as well as external farmers/suppliers when required. * Build an efficient farm-to-processing-plant supply chain. 5. Product Development & Process Innovation * Work with R&D;/product-development teams to develop commercially viable products. * Conduct pilot trials and scale-up trials from laboratory/pilot scale to commercial production. * Standardize recipes and processing parameters. * Conduct shelf-life and stability trials in coordination with QA/R&D; laboratories. * Improve product quality, taste, texture, nutritional value and shelf life. * Identify innovative ways to utilize surplus, rejected-grade or seasonal agricultural produce. 6. Food Safety & Quality * Establish and maintain high standards of food safety and hygiene. * Ensure compliance with applicable FSSAI, GMP, GHP and HACCP requirements. * Develop and maintain food safety systems, SOPs and quality documentation. * Coordinate with QA/QC teams for raw-material, in-process and finished-product testing. * Establish quality specifications for raw materials, packaging and finished goods. * Lead root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions for quality issues. * Maintain audit readiness and support relevant certifications. Food-processing roles in India commonly require hands-on knowledge of HACCP, GMP, FSSAI and food-safety systems. (Indeed) 7. Costing & Commercial Efficiency * Develop product-wise manufacturing cost models. * Monitor conversion costs, wastage and yield. * Identify opportunities to reduce energy, labour, packaging and processing costs. * Calculate production economics and contribution margins. * Assist management in deciding which products/categories should be scaled commercially. * Develop annual operating budgets and CAPEX requirements. 8. Team Building * Recruit, train and manage production personnel. * Build a professional plant organization covering production, QA/QC, maintenance, stores and dispatch. * Establish shift structures and manpower requirements. * Develop a culture of safety, hygiene, accountability and operational excellence. 9. Maintenance & Plant Efficiency * Coordinate preventive and breakdown maintenance of processing and packaging equipment. * Monitor equipment efficiency and downtime. * Develop preventive-maintenance schedules. * Ensure utilities such as refrigeration, boilers, compressors,



water systems and electrical systems are appropriately planned and maintained. 10. MIS & Management Reporting Prepare regular reports covering: * Production * Yield * Wastage * Plant utilization * OEE * Downtime * Inventory * Raw-material consumption * Manufacturing cost * Quality issues * Dispatch * Manpower * CAPEX and maintenance Ideal Candidate We are looking for someone who is hands-on, commercially minded and capable of building a food-processing operation from the ground up. The ideal candidate should have: * Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Food Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Dairy/Food Processing or a related field. * 8–15+ years of relevant experience in food processing/manufacturing. * Strong experience in fruit, vegetable, beverage, dehydration, pulping, processed foods or agro-processing is highly preferred. * Experience in setting up or commissioning a food-processing plant will be a major advantage. * Strong understanding of food-processing machinery and production systems. * Knowledge of HACCP, GMP, GHP and FSSAI requirements. * Experience with product/process development and commercial scale-up. * Strong understanding of production costing, yield optimization and wastage reduction. * Excellent vendor-management and negotiation skills. * Robust leadership and team-management capabilities. * Ability to work independently and take ownership of the entire operation. Highly Preferred Experience Candidates with experience in companies involved in: Fruit Processing | Juices | Pulp & Puree | Dehydration | Freeze Drying | Jams & Preserves | Beverages | Nutraceuticals | Natural Ingredients | Food Ingredients | Premium Packaged Foods will be preferred. What We Are Looking For This is not a routine production-supervisor role. We are looking for an individual who can become the key technical and operational person behind the creation of our food-processing business — from deciding the right processing technology and machinery to establishing the plant, developing products, building the team and eventually scaling production. The candidate should have an entrepreneurial mindset, strong ownership and the ability to convert agricultural produce into commercially successful food products. Compensation Competitive compensation, commensurate with experience and capability. For an exceptional candidate with proven experience in setting up and operating food-processing plants, compensation will not be a constraint. How to Apply Please apply with: 1. Updated CV 2. Current CTC 3. Expected CTC 4. Notice period 5. Details of food-processing plants/projects previously handled 6. Details of any plant commissioning/setup experience 7. Categories/products previously handled 8. Location preference/relocation flexibility Only candidates with relevant food-processing/manufacturing experience will be considered.

Pay: From ₹25,000.00 per month

Benefits:

- Food provided
- Paid time off

Work Location: In person

📌 Food Processing Operative (Himachal Pradesh)
🏢 HRS AGRO
📍 Himachal Pradesh