Senior Manager - Production (Solar Module Manufacturing Plant)

Job Purpose

The Senior Manager – Production will oversee end-to-end production operations in the solar module manufacturing plant. This role is responsible for ensuring high production efficiency, minimizing wastage, maintaining quality standards, and driving continuous improvement. The role also involves leading a cross-functional team, coordinating with other departments (like quality, maintenance, supply chain), and ensuring compliance with safety and ISO 9001:2015 systems.

Key Responsibilities

Production Operations & Planning

• •Lead and manage daily production operations for solar modules (or related product lines), ensuring targets (throughput, yield, quality) are met.
• •Develop and execute production plans, balancing capacity, inventory, labor, and cost.
• •Monitor production KPIs (e.g., throughput, uptime, yield, rejections) and drive initiatives to improve them.

Quality, Rejection, and Downgrade Control

• •Implement robust quality control systems to minimize rejections, downgrades, and non-conformance.
• •Perform root cause analysis on rejects / downgrades, drive corrective actions, and work with quality and engineering teams.
• •Implement continuous improvement programs (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) to reduce waste and improve yield.

Equipment and Systems Management

• •Oversee maintenance and reliability of critical production equipment; ensure preventive maintenance schedules are followed.
• •Manage MES / SAP-based production systems to track real-time production data, drive transparency, and enable data-driven decisions.
• •Coordinate with maintenance, engineering, and automation teams for equipment upgrades or troubleshooting.

Team Leadership & Development

• •Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing production team (supervisors, operators, technicians).
• •Conduct trainings for staff on best practices, safety, 5S, and continuous improvement.
• •Define roles/responsibilities, set performance goals, and conduct performance reviews.

Cross-functional Coordination

• •Work closely with quality, engineering, supply chain, procurement, and safety teams to align on production goals.
• •Coordinate with planning and logistics to ensure raw materials and components are available as per production schedule.
• •Participate in new product introduction (NPI) activities, pilot runs, and scale-up for new solar module lines (if applicable).

Safety, Compliance & Documentation

• •Promote a strong safety culture on the production floor; enforce HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) standards.
• •Ensure all processes are compliant with ISO 9001:2015 standards and maintain proper documentation (SOPs, work instructions, logs).
• •Lead 5S methodology in the plant, ensuring continuous improvement of workplace organization and cleanliness.

Cost Management & Operational Efficiency

• •Monitor and control production cost, scrap rate, and consumption of raw materials.
• •Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities without compromising on quality or safety.
• •Lead productivity enhancement programs (e.g., line balancing, automation, process optimization).

Reporting & Analytics

• •Prepare and present regular production reports (daily, weekly, monthly) to senior management.
• •Use data analytics to identify trends, forecast issues, and propose mitigation plans.

Skills & Qualifications:

• •Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Production/Industrial) or equivalent. Master’s/MBA is a plus.
• •5–9 years in manufacturing / production operations, preferably in solar module manufacturing, electronics, or similar discrete manufacturing environment.
• •Experience with SAP / MES systems.
• •Strong knowledge of production planning, scheduling, and shop floor operations.
• •Familiarity with root-cause analysis, quality tools (e.g., 8D, FMEA), and continuous improvement methods.
• •Understanding of safety standards and ISO 9001:2015 quality systems.
• •Proven experience in managing teams, mentoring, and cross-functional coordination.
• •Ability to analyze production data, identify bottlenecks, and lead improvement initiatives.
• •Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to work with multiple stakeholders.