Role Description
The Group Manager - Production will be responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing manufacturing operations to meet business objectives of quality, cost, delivery, and safety. This role will lead end-to-end production activities across the plant, ensure adherence to SOPs and quality standards, drive productivity improvements, and support scale-up of manufacturing operations in line with Kimbal's growth roadmap.
Key Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end production planning and execution to meet daily, weekly, and monthly output targets.
- Ensure adherence to defined manufacturing processes, SOPs, and quality standards across all production lines.
- Drive optimal utilization of manpower, machines, materials, and time to improve productivity and reduce waste.
- Coordinate closely with Planning, Quality, Maintenance, Stores, and Supply Chain teams to ensure smooth production flow.
- Monitor production KPIs including output, yield, rejection, downtime, and cycle time; take corrective actions as needed.
- Ensure strict compliance with safety, EHS, and statutory requirements within the production area.
- Lead root cause analysis for production issues, defects, delays, and equipment failures; implement corrective and preventive actions.
- Support introduction of new products, process changes, and line balancing activities.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Kaizen, 5S, and other productivity improvement tools.
- Build, coach, and develop production supervisors and operators; ensure skill development and discipline on the shop floor.
- Ensure proper documentation, reporting, and data accuracy for audits and management reviews.
Current Challenges
- Scaling manufacturing capacity to support rapid business growth and new product introductions.
- Improving productivity and efficiency while maintaining quality and cost targets.
- Reducing rework, rejection, and downtime across production lines.
- Building a strong shop-floor discipline and performance-driven culture.
- Ensuring consistency in processes and output across shifts and teams.
Success Metrics
- Achievement of production targets (output, delivery, and adherence to plan).
- Reduction in rejection, rework, and production downtime.
- Improvement in productivity, OEE, and cost efficiency metrics.
- Strong safety performance and compliance within production operations.
- Capability and performance improvement of production teams.
Job Requirements
Qualifications
- Engineering degree (Mechanical / Electrical / Electronics / Production or related discipline).
- 10+ years of experience in production or manufacturing roles, preferably in electronics, electrical, or industrial manufacturing.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, shop-floor operations, and quality systems.
- Experience working in ISO-certified manufacturing environments.
Functional & Leadership Skills
- Strong expertise in production planning, scheduling, and execution.
- Hands-on experience in Lean manufacturing, Kaizen, 5S, and continuous improvement tools.
- Ability to analyse production data, identify bottlenecks, and drive structured problem-solving.
- Strong people leadership skills with experience managing supervisors and shop-floor teams.
- Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Quality, Maintenance, SCM, and Engineering teams.
- High ownership mindset with the ability to operate in fast-paced, scaling environments.
- Clear communication and decision-making skills with a strong bias for action.
Why Kimbal
At Kimbal, manufacturing is a strategic capabilitynot just an operational function. As a Production Manager, you will play a critical role in building scalable, high-quality manufacturing systems that power India's smart metering and grid modernization journey.
Kimbal offers an environment where leaders are trusted with ownership, encouraged to improve systems continuously, and empowered to build teams and processes that can scale rapidly. This role provides the opportunity to move beyond routine production management and actively shape manufacturing excellence in a growing energy-tech organization.
