Factory Manager - Beverages Manufacturing
Description
Job Description Factory Manager
Position: Factory Manager
Experience: 15-22 years in beverage/FMCG manufacturing, with 5+ years in a plant leadership role
Qualification: B.Tech/B.E. in Food Technology, Dairy Technology, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline. MBA/PGDM in Operations is an advantage.
Job Purpose:
The Factory Manager will be responsible for the overall management and performance of the beverage manufacturing facility, ensuring safe, efficient, cost-effective, and compliant production. The role will lead production, quality, maintenance, utilities, warehouse coordination, manpower, EHS, and continuous improvement initiatives to achieve business, quality, and customer-service objectives.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead end-to-end factory operations to achieve production plans, quality standards, cost targets, and delivery schedules.
- Develop and execute daily, weekly, and monthly production plans in coordination with Supply Chain, Sales, and Procurement.
- Ensure optimum utilization of production lines, manpower, materials, utilities, and equipment.
- Monitor OEE, line efficiency, production yield, downtime, wastage, and changeover performance.
- Drive reduction in production losses, rejects, rework, product giveaway, and material wastage.
- Ensure effective implementation of SOPs, work instructions, and process controls.
- Identify bottlenecks and implement corrective and preventive actions.
- Ensure consistent execution of beverage manufacturing processes including water treatment, syrup preparation, blending, carbonation, filling, packaging, CIP/SIP where applicable, and line changeovers.
- Ensure adherence to approved recipes, formulations, process parameters, and specifications.
- Maintain high standards of hygiene, sanitation, GMP, and food-safety practices.
- Work closely with the QA/QC team to maintain product quality and food-safety standards.
- Ensure compliance with applicable Indian food and beverage regulations, including FSSAI requirements.
- Drive implementation and adherence to HACCP, GMP, FSMS, and other applicable food-safety systems.
- Coordinate with Engineering/Maintenance teams to maximize equipment availability and reliability.
- Ensure preventive and predictive maintenance programs are implemented effectively.
- Prepare and control the factory operating budget and drive manufacturing-cost reduction.
- Implement Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, TPM, Six Sigma, or other continuous-improvement methodologies.
- Lead and develop production, engineering, quality, warehouse, and support teams.
- Ensure a safe working environment and strict adherence to EHS policies.
- Coordinate with Procurement, Planning, Warehouse, and Logistics teams to ensure uninterrupted availability of materials.
- Support plant-capacity expansion, new production lines, automation, and modernization projects.
Required Skills & Competencies:
- Strong knowledge of beverage manufacturing and packaging operations
- Excellent understanding of food safety, GMP, HACCP, and quality systems
- Strong plant and people leadership skills
- Production planning and operational excellence
- Cost management and analytical skills
- Knowledge of maintenance and industrial utilities
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability
- Lean/TPM/Kaizen/continuous-improvement mindset
- Good understanding of statutory and EHS requirements in India
- Strong communication, coordination, and stakeholder-management skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and manage multiple priorities