Job Description - General Manager Operations (Cosmetics & Personal Care Manufacturing)

Position: General Manager - Operations

Location: Kolkata, West Bengal

Reporting To: Director - Manufacturing

Department: Manufacturing & Operations

Education

- B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical, Chemical, Production Engineering, or related discipline.
- MBA/PGDM preferred.

Experience

- 20+ years of experience in FMCG, Cosmetics, or Personal Care manufacturing.
- Minimum 10 years in senior manufacturing/plant leadership roles.
- Must have hands-on experience managing operations for cosmetics and personal care products such as creams, lotions, body washes, shampoos, face washes, gels, and other formulation-based products.

Role Summary

The General Manager - Operations will be responsible for driving end-to-end manufacturing excellence across the company's cosmetics and personal care manufacturing facility in Kolkata. The role will oversee Production, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain Coordination, EHS, Regulatory Compliance, and People Management while ensuring operational efficiency, profitability, product quality, and adherence to regulatory and GMP standards.

The incumbent will play a critical leadership role in scaling operations, improving productivity, optimizing costs, and supporting business growth through world-class manufacturing practices.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Operations & Operational Excellence

- Lead overall plant operations to achieve production, quality, service, and cost objectives.
- Ensure manufacturing plans are executed efficiently to meet customer demand and business targets.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives through Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and 5S methodologies.
- Improve plant productivity, capacity utilization, line efficiencies, and throughput.
- Monitor and improve key operational metrics including OEE, Yield, Productivity, Downtime, and OTIF.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

- Ensure compliance with Cosmetic GMP, ISO 22716, Quality Management Systems, and applicable Indian regulatory requirements.




- Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to maintain product quality, certifications, and audit readiness.
- Lead customer audits, third-party audits, and statutory inspections.
- Drive a culture of quality excellence, hygiene compliance, and continuous quality improvement.

Engineering & Maintenance

- Oversee preventive, predictive, and reliability maintenance programs across manufacturing and packaging operations.
- Ensure maximum equipment uptime and operational reliability.
- Lead automation, digitization, process optimization, and capacity enhancement initiatives.
- Manage plant utilities, infrastructure, HVAC systems, compressed air, water systems, and other critical facilities.

Supply Chain & Inventory Management

- Collaborate closely with Procurement, Planning, Warehousing, and Logistics functions to ensure uninterrupted operations.
- Ensure timely availability of raw materials and packaging materials.
- Drive inventory control, warehouse efficiency, and adherence to FIFO/FEFO practices.
- Support domestic distribution and export operations through effective operational planning.

Environment, Health & Safety (EHS)

- Ensure compliance with all statutory, environmental, health, and safety regulations.
- Champion a strong safety culture aimed at achieving zero lost-time incidents.
- Conduct safety reviews, risk assessments, employee training programs, and emergency preparedness drills.
- Lead sustainability and waste reduction initiatives across the facility.

Financial & Cost Management

- Own the plant P&L; and manufacturing cost structure.
- Drive cost optimization initiatives across manpower, utilities, material consumption, maintenance, and wastage reduction.




- Improve overall manufacturing profitability while maintaining quality and service standards.
- Track budgets and deliver sustainable cost-saving projects.

Leadership & People Development

- Lead large cross-functional teams across Production, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Support Functions.
- Develop a high-performance culture focused on accountability, execution excellence, and employee engagement.
- Drive talent development, succession planning, workforce capability building, and leadership development initiatives.
- Maintain positive employee and industrial relations.

Strategic Projects & Business Growth

- Lead current product introduction (NPI), technology upgrades, and plant expansion projects.
- Support capacity expansion and operational transformation initiatives aligned with business growth plans.
- Ensure timely execution of projects within approved budgets and timelines.
- Partner with senior leadership on long-term manufacturing strategy and operational roadmap.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Production Achievement vs Plan
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
- Capacity Utilization
- Yield Improvement
- Manufacturing Cost Reduction
- Plant P&L; Performance
- OTIF (On-Time In-Full Delivery)
- Quality Complaints & Customer Returns
- Audit Compliance Scores
- Safety Performance Metrics
- Employee Productivity & Retention

Desired Candidate Profile

- Proven leadership experience in Cosmetics, Personal Care, FMCG, Beauty Care, or Formulation Manufacturing industries.
- Strong understanding of GMP, ISO standards, manufacturing excellence, and regulatory compliance.
- Demonstrated success in managing large manufacturing operations and multi-functional teams.
- Strong business acumen with experience in P&L; management and cost optimization.
- Exposure to automation, digital transformation, and operational excellence initiatives.
- Excellent stakeholder management, leadership, communication, and strategic thinking capabilities.

Preferred Industries: Cosmetics, Personal Care, Beauty & Hygiene Products, FMCG, Consumer Healthcare, Formulation Manufacturing.

📌 General Manager Operations (Cosmetics & Personal Care Manufacturing) (Kolkata)
🏢 Menschen Consulting
📍 Kolkata