Role Purpose
The Operation Head is the central operational leader of WTT International, responsible for end-to-end project ownership from pre-sales through O&M handover. The role ensures on-time, on-budget, safe, and quality delivery of all water and wastewater treatment projects, while embedding Kaizen and continuous improvement as a core operating discipline across all departments.
Key Responsibilities
1. End-to-End Project Ownership & Operational Leadership
- Oversee complete project ownership from Pre-Sales support to project completion, handover, and O&M coordination.
- Ensure alignment between all departments for smooth execution and delivery.
- Drive execution strategies and operational performance across all projects.
- Act as the central operational leader ensuring continuity and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.
- Coordinate operations across Dubai, Delhi, and India offices, and across project sites.
2. Pre-Sales & Techno-Commercial Support
- Provide technical and operational inputs during proposal development and customer pitches.
- Review and validate BOQ, costing assumptions, scope of work, and execution feasibility before proposal submission.
- Approve techno-commercial proposals within delegated authority limits.
- Support Sales and BD teams during customer meetings, site visits, and contract negotiations.
3. Escalation Management & Decision Enablement
- Act as the final escalation point for all operational and technical issues.
- Enable teams to take correct and timely decisions during critical situations.
- Provide immediate and practical guidance to avoid delays and operational disruptions.
- Support departments in resolving challenges efficiently while maintaining project continuity.
4. Timeline & Delivery Management
- Ensure strict adherence to project schedules, milestones, and delivery commitments.
- Monitor project progress proactively and implement corrective actions wherever required.
- Drive a result-oriented operational culture focused on timely execution and project completion.
- Coordinate with teams to identify potential delays and mitigate risks in advance.
5. Budget, Cost Optimization & Cash Flow
- Monitor project budgets and operational costs to ensure financial discipline.
- Enable efficient resource planning and utilization across departments.
- Identify opportunities for cost optimization without compromising quality and performance.
- Track milestone-linked billing and coordinate with Finance for receivables and project cash flow health.
- Support profitability improvement through operational efficiency.
6. Risk Management
- Maintain a project-level risk register identifying technical, commercial, schedule, and site risks.
- Develop mitigation plans and contingency reserves for high-impact risks.
- Conduct periodic risk reviews with department heads and update mitigation actions.
- Manage crisis situations including plant breakdowns, client escalations, and emergency interventions at site.
7. Quality Management (QA/QC)
- Define and enforce quality standards across design, procurement, fabrication, and site execution.
- Govern FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) and SAT (Site Acceptance Test) protocols.
- Drive reduction of NCRs (Non-Conformance Reports), rework, and warranty claims.
- Ensure compliance with technical specifications and industry standards for ETP, STP, RO, UF, MBR, and related systems.
8. Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
- Establish and enforce HSE policies and safe working practices at all project sites and facilities.
- Ensure compliance with statutory requirements (PCB, Factories Act, labour laws, environmental clearances).
- Drive zero-incident culture with regular safety audits, toolbox talks, and incident reporting.
- Oversee statutory approvals and liaisoning including CTE/CTO and client statutory documentation.
9. Cross-Functional Leadership
- Lead and coordinate all operational departments including Design, Projects, Procurement, Production, Execution, O&M, QA/QC, and HSE.
- Ensure seamless communication, collaboration, and accountability across departments.
- Guide department heads to achieve organizational and project objectives.
- Function as the operational leader across all departments.
10. Vendor, Subcontractor & Supply Chain Management
- Oversee selection, evaluation, and performance management of vendors and subcontractors (civil, electrical, mechanical, specialized).
- Govern logistics, stores, and material management including inventory control, dispatch coordination, and site reconciliation.
- Ensure on-time material availability at sites to prevent execution delays.
- Drive vendor rationalization and partnership development for strategic suppliers.
11. O&M, AMC & After-Sales Service
- Oversee O&M operations at client sites including manpower deployment, consumables, and performance reporting.
- Drive AMC renewals, spare parts supply, and service revenue growth.
- Ensure plant uptime and process performance meet contractual guarantees.
- Capture O&M learnings and feed them back into design and execution for future projects.
12. Technical Leadership & Operational Support
- Provide technical guidance and operational support to teams whenever required.
- Review engineering plans, execution strategies, and project approaches.
- Ensure systems and projects comply with technical specifications and industry standards (ETP, STP, RO, UF, MBR, ZLD, etc.).
- Enable teams with practical technical solutions to improve execution efficiency.
- Evaluate and pilot new technologies relevant to WTT's product and service portfolio.
13. Review, Monitoring, Performance Tracking & MIS
- Conduct regular review meetings with all departments to monitor operational performance.
- Track project progress, bottlenecks, risks, and performance indicators.
- Publish monthly operational dashboards and MIS reports to the CMD and management.
- Ensure transparency, timely reporting, and effective communication across teams.
- Drive corrective and preventive actions for operational improvement.
14. Client Coordination & Relationship Management
- Coordinate with clients for project reviews, updates, and issue resolution.
- Ensure client expectations are met regarding quality, timelines, and communication.
- Handle escalations professionally and maintain strong long-term client relationships.
- Support teams in delivering a positive customer experience throughout the project lifecycle.
15. Process Improvement, Kaizen & Operational Excellence
- Establish, improve, and monitor SOPs for smooth operational activities.
- Embed Kaizen as a daily operating discipline – drive small, continuous improvements across every department.
- Implement Lean and 5S practices at office, stores, production, and project sites.
- Conduct daily / weekly improvement huddles with department heads to surface and act on issues quickly.
- Run an employee suggestion scheme to capture and reward improvement ideas from execution teams.
- Drive elimination of the seven wastes – material, time, motion, rework, inventory, over-processing, and waiting.
- Track Kaizen KPIs including number of improvements implemented, savings generated, and SOP adherence audit scores.
16. Digital Transformation & Automation
- Drive adoption of SCADA, IoT, and remote monitoring across plants and project sites.
- Champion WTT's internal automation initiatives and ensure operational integration.
- Improve documentation, drawing control, and knowledge management through digital tools and ERP.
- Promote data-driven decision-making across operations.
17. Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, mentor, and support department heads and operational teams.
- Ensure teams remain aligned with organizational goals and operational standards.
- Promote accountability, collaboration, and performance-driven culture.
- Support hiring, training, succession planning, and employee development initiatives.
- Build technical capability through structured internal training programs.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- On-time project completion (% of milestones met vs. plan)
- Budget adherence and cost control (project margin vs. budget)
- Cash flow performance – milestone billing and receivables ageing
- Speed and effectiveness of issue resolution
- Quality – NCRs, rework percentage, and warranty claims
- Safety – Lost Time Injury (LTI) rate, near-miss reporting, and audit scores
- O&M plant uptime, contractual performance guarantee adherence, and AMC renewal rate
- Client satisfaction (CSAT) and client retention
- Number of Kaizen / improvement ideas implemented per quarter and savings generated
- SOP adherence audit scores
- Frequency and effectiveness of review meetings
- Employee retention in operations and team engagement scores
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical / Chemical / Environmental Engineering (Master's preferred)
- 18+ years of experience in water treatment / wastewater industry
- Minimum 5–8 years in a senior leadership role
- Strong experience in EPC / turnkey project execution
- Multi-site and international project exposure preferred (Middle East / Africa / SE Asia)
- PMP, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), or Lean certification preferred
- NEBOSH / IOSH or equivalent safety certification preferred
- Hands-on proficiency with ERP systems (SAP / Oracle / Zoho) and project management tools
Core Competencies
- Strong decision-making ability under pressure
- Excellent technical and operational knowledge of water and wastewater systems
- Leadership and team management skills across multi-disciplinary teams
- Kaizen mindset – continuous improvement and waste elimination
- High accountability and ownership mindset
- Strong commercial acumen and budget control
- Strong communication, coordination, and stakeholder management skills
- Cultural agility for working across India, Middle East, and overseas client geographies
Pay: ₹150,000.00 - ₹180,000.00 per month
Work Location: In person
