Head of Plant M-F

Safran -
Karnataka

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Job details

Permanent | Full-time

Qualifications

French
Succession planning
EHS
English
Master's degree
Bachelor's degree
Kannada
Business Administration
Manufacturing
MBA
Financial acumen
Communication skills

Full job description

Published 02.11.2026

Company : Safran Electronics & Defense Job field : Manufacture / assembly and repair Location : Karnataka , India Contract type : Permanent Contract duration : Full-time Required degree : Bachelor's Degree Required experience : More than 8 years Professional status : Professional, Engineer & Manager

Published 02.11.2026

Job Description

Key Responsibilities
Site Leadership & Strategic Management

Owns complete responsibility for the India plant; ensures attainment of annual financial, operational, and program objectives.
Ensures compliance with Indian labor laws, EHS regulations, environmental norms, and corporate HSE policies.
Deploys Group's policies, operational standards, and CSR initiatives in an Indian industrial context.
Leads planning, budgeting, and Multi-Year Plan processes, ensuring efficient execution of investment (equipment, infrastructure, automation, testing).
Chairs the plant's management committee and QRQC governance; ensures robust reporting to CEO locally and global center of excellences in France.
Establishes an efficient organizational structure built on capability development, succession planning, and cross-functional effectiveness.
Interfaces with customers, suppliers, certification bodies, local authorities (industrial, labor, environmental), and global stakeholders.

Talent Development & People Leadership

Develops strong technical and managerial competencies bridging global industrial standards with local execution.
Works closely with HR to maintain constructive employee relations, manage union/worker committees where applicable, and ensure a positive social climate.
Drives engagement, communication, and leadership development consistent with group's culture.
Ensures robust people development pathways for engineers, supervisors, and production teams to support scaling and technology transfer.

Industrialization & New Line Deployment

Leads industrialization of new electronic and mechanical production lines tied to the investment.
Ensures industrial processes defined by Industrial Engineering (France) are effectively transferred, adapted when necessary, and fully validated in India.
Drives product/process change management and ensures manufacturing capability aligns with customer and certification requirements.
Ensures smooth production ramp-up and capacity expansion for Indian and export customers.

Manufacturing Operations

Oversee day-to-day plant operations to ensure on-time delivery, high quality, and operational efficiency.
Leads execution of customer-specific industrial plans, might include demands from local clients, private aerospace OEMs, and global customers.
Removes roadblocks through structured QRQC escalation and ensures issues are resolved permanently.

Industrial Performance & Governance

Ensures load/capacity balance across electronics and mechanical units; drives resource planning, shift structures, and skill allocation.
Leads cycle-time reduction, WIP optimization, OEE improvement, and asset management initiatives.
Drives plant performance reviews, KPI dashboards, and action plans aligned with company and customer expectations.
Ensures compliance with AS9100, NADCAP (where applicable), and customer audits.

Job Requirements

Strong operational leadership in electronics, EMS, electromechanical, or mechanical production - preferably in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability industries.
Proven experience managing large teams in an Indian manufacturing environment.
Solid understanding of Indian compliance: labor law, EHS, statutory obligations, audit requirements, supplier ecosystem.
Experience managing large industrial investments, new line deployments, or technology transfers.
High resilience and problem-solving skills; ability to manage crises and resolve escalations quickly.
Strong financial acumen and ability to manage budgets, PMTs, and cost-control measures.
Excellent communication skills, able to work effectively with French/global teams and Indian stakeholders.
Results-driven, collaborative leadership style aligned with a multinational culture.
Education: Bachelors + MTech/MBA (preferred)
Languages: English, Kannada, Hindi

But what else? (advantages, specific features, etc.)

Role Overview
The Plant Director leads the full operational, financial, and strategic management of an India-based manufacturing site producing advanced electronics and mechanical assemblies for aerospace and defense OEM and MRO customers.
This role oversees a multimillion euro greenfield/brownfield industrial investment, ensuring world-class safety, quality, delivery, cost, and performance. The Plant Director adapts global organization's standards to Indian operational realities while ensuring compliance with Indian regulations, customer requirements, and group expectations.
The leader strengthens industrial capability, builds local technical expertise, and prepares the site for future growth aligned with the company's global strategy.

Continuous Improvement & Group Excellence

Leads One Safran/Lean initiatives for competitiveness, digitalization, and waste reduction.
Cultivates a culture of structured problem-solving, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.
Implements automation, Industry 4.0 practices, and advanced testing solutions aligned with global industrial strategies.

Job Description

Job Requirements

But what else? (advantages, specific features, etc.)

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