Chief Operating Officer - Manufacturing/Supply Chain - IIM/ISB/MDI/XLRI

Role Overview: The COO will lead the company's operating engine across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Procurement, Projects, Quality, Customer Fulfilment, Business Excellence, ESG, and Digital Operations, while partnering closely with the MD & CEO to build a high-performing, future-ready organization. This is a Board-facing leadership role with the potential to evolve into the CEO role over time, subject to demonstrated performance and leadership. Key Responsibilities: Enterprise Operations: - Lead end-to-end business operations to deliver growth, profitability, productivity, and execution excellence. - Translate strategic priorities into operational plans with clear accountability and governance. - Drive enterprise-wide operating rhythm through Monthly Business Reviews (MBRs), KPI dashboards, and cross-functional execution. Manufacturing Excellence: - Lead all manufacturing operations with accountability for safety, quality, productivity, cost, capacity utilization, and asset reliability. - Drive Lean Manufacturing, TPM, automation, digitization, and continuous improvement initiatives. - Improve plant efficiency, throughput, yield, and overall manufacturing competitiveness. Supply Chain & Procurement: - Own integrated planning, sourcing, procurement, logistics, warehousing, and distribution. - Improve inventory productivity, forecast accuracy, supplier performance, and working capital. - Build a resilient, agile, and cost-efficient supply chain. Customer Fulfilment: - Deliver best-in-class order-to-delivery performance in partnership with the Commercial team. - Improve service levels, dealer experience, order fulfilment, and customer responsiveness. - Drive operational excellence across the complete customer fulfilment cycle. Transformation & Business Excellence: - Lead enterprise transformation initiatives, including digital manufacturing, automation, process redesign, analytics, and operational governance. - Institutionalize a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making. - Drive simplification, standardization, and scalability across the organization. Leadership: - Build a high-performance execution culture anchored in accountability, collaboration, speed, and ownership. - Develop leadership capability, succession pipelines, and future operational talent. - Serve as a strategic thought partner to the MD & CEO and the Board on business performance, operational risks, and long-term capability building. Candidate Profile: - 20-25 years of progressive leadership experience with at least 10 years in senior enterprise operations. - Proven track record of leading large manufacturing and supply chain businesses with P&L responsibility. - Demonstrated success in operational transformation, productivity improvement, cost optimization, and organizational scaling. - Experience presenting to Boards and leading cross-functional business transformation. Preferred Industry Background: Building Materials, Ceramics, Tiles, Cement, Paints, Industrial Manufacturing, Consumer Durables, Engineering, Process Industries, or comparable asset-intensive businesses. Education: - Bachelor's degree in Engineering from a reputed institution. - MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification preferred. Leadership Competencies: - Enterprise Leadership, Strategic Execution, Operational Excellence, Financial & Commercial Acumen, Manufacturing & Supply Chain Leadership, Customer Orientation, Digital & Business Transformation, Data-Driven Decision Making, Change Leadership, Talent Development. - High Integrity with Strong Bias for Action. Success Profile: The successful candidate will have demonstrated the ability to: - Build high-performing operational organizations. - Deliver sustainable improvements in EBITDA and ROCE. - Scale businesses while improving quality, productivity, and customer experience. - Lead complex transformations with measurable business impact. - Build leadership teams that consistently outperform. - Operate effectively with promoters, Boards, investors, and senior leadership teams.