Company Profile: Our Client is one of the leading group into Food business

Designation: CEO

Industry: Air Dried, Freeze Dried & IQF (Food Processing Industry)

Location: Noida

Role Objective:

The CEO will act as the Operational & Manufacturing Head of the company, leading all factory operations, driving process efficiencies, ensuring product quality, and building a strong production backbone to support business growth. This is a hands-on role for a leader who thrives in factory environments and has deep expertise in food processing technologies, especially for Air Dried, Freeze Dried, and IQF categories.

The ideal candidate is a manufacturing-first leader with strong technical acumen, capable of transforming plant performance while aligning production output with sales and customer demand globally.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Manufacturing Leadership

- Own end-to-end responsibility for all Air Dried, Freeze Dried, and IQF manufacturing units - ensuring maximum uptime, optimized production costs, and consistent product quality.

- Deploy Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) methodologies to reduce waste, improve yields, and enhance productivity.

- Implement robust production planning and scheduling aligned to sales forecasts and export order pipelines.

- Drive strict adherence to food safety certifications (BRC, FSSC 22000, HACCP, FDA, etc.) and ensure audit readiness at all times.

- Lead capex planning for plant expansions, equipment upgrades, and automation.

- Drive energy efficiency, water recycling, and waste minimization to enhance sustainability and cost savings.

- Ensure seamless handling of seasonal raw material arrivals, cold storage management, and inventory control.

2. Process Innovation & Technology Adoption

- Introduce advanced drying, freezing, and packaging technologies to improve product quality and shelf life.

- Collaborate with equipment suppliers and technology partners to bring cutting-edge solutions into the plants.

- Drive real-time production monitoring using ERP, SCADA, and IoT systems.

- Champion continuous process innovation for better texture, color retention, nutrient preservation, and faster throughput.

3. Cost Control & Efficiency Improvement

- Continuously monitor and control Cost of Production (COP) across each product line.

- Benchmark against global best practices and drive down conversion costs.

- Negotiate with suppliers to reduce input costs (energy, packaging, raw materials, etc.).

- Develop clear metrics for OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), yield losses, downtime, and productivity - and drive regular reviews.

4. Quality Assurance & Compliance

- Build a strong QA/QC culture across all shifts, ensuring zero deviation from product specifications.

- Set up advanced in-line quality control systems to detect issues early in the process.

- Work closely with R&D and QA teams to align process parameters with product innovation needs.

- Own and drive all regulatory, export documentation, and food safety audits personally.

5. Team Development & Culture Building

- Build a world-class plant leadership team including production managers, engineers, quality heads, and maintenance teams.

- Set up clear SOPs, training programs, and performance KPIs for each function.

- Foster a culture of discipline, ownership, and continuous improvement on the shop floor.

- Drive strong worker engagement programs to improve retention and safety.

6. Business & Commercial Alignment

- Work closely with Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams to align production capacities with market demand.

- Provide manufacturing feasibility inputs for new product development.

- Contribute to costing and pricing strategies based on real-time manufacturing costs.

- Attend key customer visits or audits to showcase manufacturing strengths and capabilities.

Key Qualifications:

- Experience: 20+ years in food manufacturing, with at least 5 years leading multiple plants/factories in the Air Dried, Freeze Dried, or IQF segments.

- Education: Degree in Food Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, or Production Management. Additional MBA/Management degrees are a plus but not mandatory.

- Core Expertise: Deep understanding of drying, freezing, and preservation technologies, production automation, process control, and food safety.

- Certifications: Knowledge of FSSC 22000, BRC, HACCP, GMP, and export documentation is mandatory.

- Hands-On Approach: Must be comfortable spending a majority of time on the shop floor rather than in the boardroom.