JOB PURPOSE To lead and drive Manufacturing Engineering for the India Lighting Business by enabling robust, scalable, and cost-efficient manufacturing processes, ensuring design for manufacturability, and building advanced capabilities in lean, automation, and industrial engineering while supporting high-volume new product development and ensuring optimal utilization of resources for business profitability.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABLITIES

1. Process Excellence &
- Capability Building

- Establish and drive process excellence in lighting.

- Develop process-wise excellence models and standardize them across all plants.

- Continuously track and adopt emerging manufacturing technologies.

- Build internal capability through structured training, trials, and experimentation.

1. Manufacturing Engineering Strategy

- Define and execute ME strategy aligned with India lighting business goals.

- Drive innovation in manufacturing processes to support new product launches and cost reduction.

- Lead planning, budgeting, and execution of capital investments for process improvements and new lines.

1. Capex Planning &
- Governance

- Review and approve annual CAPEX plans for all lighting plants (NPD and improvement projects).

- Study and evaluate CAPEX proposals to support business.

- Ensure optimal allocation of capital aligned with business priorities.

1. Process Development &
- Optimization

- Design and implement efficient manufacturing processes, layouts, and line balancing.

- Lead PFMEA, control plans, and process validation activities.

- Drive cycle time reduction, productivity improvement, and equipment utilization.





- Ensure manufacturability inputs are integrated into product design (DFM).

1. Capacity Planning &
- Operational Readiness

- Review and approve plant-wise capacity utilization and expansion plans.

- Align capacity with evolving business demand and sales forecasts.

- Analyze demand fluctuations and recommend solutions for capacity balancing.

1. New Product Manufacturing Readiness (NPD)

- Review and approve manufacturing readiness for all current product programs.

- Approve process design, layouts, routings, and costing.

- Participate in critical design reviews and ensure manufacturability.

- Ensure smooth transition from design to mass production.

1. Productivity, Benchmarking &
- Continuous Improvement

- Drive model line development for improved productivity, space utilization, and FTR.

- Lead benchmarking initiatives across plants and external best practices.

- Identify and implement cost-saving and efficiency improvement projects.

1. Space &
- Infrastructure Planning

- Review and approve plant layout and space utilization plans.

- Ensure optimal use of manufacturing space for current and future business needs.

1. Cross-functional Collaboration &
- Conflict Resolution

- Collaborate with R&D;, Program Management, Operations, and Quality teams.

- Resolve escalations related to process feasibility, timelines,



and manufacturing challenges.

- Support critical NPD programs and ensure timely issue resolution.

1. People Leadership &
- Capability Development

- Build and lead a strong ME and Industrial Engineering team across India lighting business.

- Drive recruitment, performance management, and capability development.

- Identify skill gaps and implement structured training programs.

- Develop leadership pipeline and succession plans within the function.

EDUCATION / QUALIFICATION

- Minimum Qualification required: BE / B.Tech

- Qualifications preferred: ME / M.Tech / MBA / PG in Operations

WORK EXPERIENCE

- 15-20 years of experience in Manufacturing / Industrial Engineering with Automotive / Auto Component Industry (Automotive Lighting / Electronics MANDATORY)

- Strong experience of Manufacturing Engineering (In other organizations where ME is a major manufacturing function/vertical)

- Experience of Automotive Lighting Components & its Manufacturing Processes

- Knowledge of the automotive industry

- Working knowledge Lean, TOC adoption in industry, Automation projects,

- Digital transformation experience will be an added advantage

- Understanding of financial management will be an added advantage

- Strong exposure to latest automotive manufacturing aspects such as IE, Industry 4.0, IOT, Smart Manufacturing, Electric Vehicle manufacturing, SMT manufacturing, TPM, Kaizen in order to improve overall operational efficiencies.

RELOCATION - Outstation Candidates will have to RE-LOCATE to PUNE and will be eligible to avail benefits under the Relocation Policy.

📌 Head Manufacturing Engineering - Lighting India Region (Pune)
🏢 Varroc
📍 Pune