GENERAL MANAGER HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS

Business Unit Head | Design • Engineering • Manufacturing • P&L;

Location: Hyderabad, India
Reporting to: Managing Director
Industry: Precision Engineering / Hydraulic Systems
Business: Custom & Project-Based Hydraulic Cylinders | Select Mobile Hydraulics

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking an accomplished General Manager Hydraulic Cylinders to take complete leadership of our Hydraulic Cylinder business and manufacturing facility in Hyderabad.

This is a high-impact business leadership role for a hands-on professional who combines strong expertise in hydraulic cylinder design and manufacturing with proven commercial and operational leadership.

The successful candidate will have end-to-end accountability for the businessP&L;, engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, customer relationships, delivery, cost, productivity and profitable growth.

The role will suit a decisive and entrepreneurial leader who is comfortable operating in an SME environment, can move seamlessly between the customer, design office, management team and shop floor, and has the ability to build a high-performance organization.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. BUSINESS & P&L; LEADERSHIP

- Take complete ownership of the Hydraulic Cylinder business unit's revenue, profitability, cash flow, budgets and P&L; performance.
- Develop and execute business plans for profitable growth, improved capacity utilization and stronger market positioning.
- Drive cost competitiveness, productivity improvement and margin enhancement across the value chain.
- Establish clear business and departmental KPIs and ensure disciplined performance reviews.

2. ENGINEERING & PRODUCT LEADERSHIP

- Lead the complete design-to-manufacturing cycle for custom hydraulic cylinders across varied sizes, pressures, configurations and applications.
- Strengthen design engineering, engineering standards, design-for-manufacturing and design-to-cost practices.
- Ensure rapid and technically sound responses to customer specifications, design changes and project requirements.
- Provide technical leadership on cylinder construction, materials, tolerances, sealing systems, testing and application requirements.

3. MANUFACTURING & OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

- Head end-to-end manufacturing operations and drive OTD, productivity, quality, capacity utilization and manufacturing efficiency.
- Optimize production planning, routing, machining, fabrication, assembly, testing and inspection processes.
- Reduce cycle times, rework, bottlenecks and manufacturing costs through robust manufacturing engineering practices.
- Build a responsive production system capable of handling low-volume, high-mix and engineered-to-order requirements.
- Ensure a strong culture of safety, quality, discipline and continuous improvement.

4. SUPPLY CHAIN & VENDOR MANAGEMENT

- Build and manage a reliable, competitive vendor and subcontractor ecosystem for precision machining, fabrication, heat treatment, surface treatment and other outsourced processes.
- Drive supplier development, quality improvement, cost reduction and delivery reliability.




- Establish robust planning and procurement systems to ensure availability of critical materials and components without excessive inventory.
- Develop alternate sources and mitigate supply-chain risks.

5. COMMERCIAL & COST MANAGEMENT

- Lead product costing, estimation and quotation processes to ensure commercial accuracy and healthy margins.
- Participate personally in major customer negotiations, commercial discussions and contract reviews.
- Challenge material, machining, outsourcing and manufacturing costs and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
- Balance customer responsiveness with commercial discipline.

6. CUSTOMER & MARKET DEVELOPMENT

- Act as the senior interface for key customers, particularly in project, OEM and custom-engineered applications.
- Build long-term relationships with decision-makers across engineering, procurement, projects and management functions.
- Identify new applications, customers and market opportunities to expand the business.
- Strengthen the company's position in custom/project hydraulic cylinders while maintaining a focused presence in the mobile hydraulics segment.

7. ORGANIZATION & PEOPLE LEADERSHIP

- Build a robust, accountable and collaborative team across Design, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales/Commercial and Projects.
- Mentor and develop functional heads and create clear ownership of results.
- Establish a performance-driven culture based on accountability, speed of execution, technical excellence and customer focus.
- Bridge the traditional gaps between engineering, manufacturing and commercial functions.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a business leader first and a functional expert secondsomeone who has earned credibility through extensive hands-on experience in hydraulic cylinders and precision engineering.

Essential Experience

- 15+ years of overall experience in hydraulic cylinders, precision engineering, industrial hydraulics or closely related engineered products.
- At least 5 years in a senior leadership / Plant Head / Business Head / General Manager role with significant responsibility for hydraulic cylinder design and manufacturing.
- Strong experience in engineered-to-order / custom / project-based manufacturing.
- Demonstrated experience managing P&L;, costing, pricing, operations, supply chain and customer relationships.
- Experience working in an SME or entrepreneurial manufacturing setting will be strongly preferred.

Technical Expertise

Strong practical knowledge of:

- Hydraulic cylinder design and engineering
- Single- and double-acting cylinders and specialized/custom configurations
- Cylinder sizing, pressure requirements and application engineering
- Sealing technologies and selection
- Materials, machining, welding/fabrication and surface treatments
- Manufacturing tolerances and precision engineering
- Assembly, pressure testing and quality assurance




- Design-for-manufacturing and cost-effective engineering
- Production planning for high-mix / low-volume manufacturing

Commercial & Leadership Capability

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

- Strong commercial judgment and negotiation capability
- Proven cost reduction and productivity improvement experience
- Ability to build and manage strategic suppliers/subcontractors
- Strong customer-facing and relationship-management skills
- Data-driven approach to KPIs, productivity and profitability
- Excellent people leadership and team-building capability
- Ability to make decisions quickly and take ownership of outcomes

THE LEADERSHIP PROFILE

You are likely to be someone who:

Thinks like an entrepreneur.
You understand that engineering excellence must ultimately translate into profitable business.

Knows the shop floor.
You are comfortable discussing tolerances, machining constraints, production bottlenecks and quality issuesnot just reviewing reports.

Understands customers.
You can engage confidently with senior engineering, procurement and project stakeholders and convert technical requirements into commercially viable solutions.

Drives accountability.
You set measurable targets, review performance rigorously and develop people rather than simply managing them.

Acts with urgency.
You thrive in an environment where priorities change, customer requirements evolve and solutions need to be delivered quickly.

Builds for the future.
You can transform a capable manufacturing operation into a more scalable, process-driven and profitable business.

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE WILL BE MEASURED BY

- Profitable revenue growth and improved P&L; performance
- Improved on-time delivery and customer responsiveness
- Higher manufacturing productivity and capacity utilization
- Reduction in manufacturing, procurement and operating costs
- Improved quality, first-pass yield and reduced rework
- Stronger supplier performance and supply-chain resilience
- Growth in the custom/project hydraulic cylinder business
- Development of a high-performing leadership team
- Improved systems, processes and organizational discipline

EDUCATION

Bachelor's / Master's degree in Mechanical, Production, Manufacturing or related Engineering discipline.

An MBA / Post-Graduate qualification in Business Management will be an advantage.

WHY THIS ROLE?

This is an opportunity to lead and shape an entire hydraulic cylinder business, rather than manage a single functional department.

The successful candidate will have significant influence over business strategy, customers, technology, operations, people and profitability, working directly with the Managing Director.

If you are a proven hydraulic cylinder professional ready to take full business ownership and build a high-performing engineering and manufacturing organization, we would like to hear from you.

Location: Hyderabad, India
Position: General Manager – Hydraulic Cylinders
Reporting: Managing Director
Experience: 15+ years | 5+ years in senior leadership
Industry: Hydraulic Cylinders / Precision Engineering / Engineered Products

Confidentiality assured.

📌 General Manager _ Hydraulic Cylinders (Hyderabad)
🏢 Veljan Hydrair
📍 Hyderabad