The Senior Operations Manager is responsible for overall plant operations of AMTP Altensteig, a welded precision steel tubes manufacturing facility. This role provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure world-class safety, quality, productivity, and profitability while supporting business growth and customer satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities
Plant Operations Leadership
* Provide end-to-end leadership for manufacturing operations including slitting, forming, ERW/HFW welding, sizing, straightening, finishing, testing, and dispatch of structural tubes.
* Own and deliver plant production targets, capacity utilization, and throughput optimization.
* Lead cross-functional plant teams including Production, Maintenance, Quality, PPC, Utilities, and Stores.
Manufacturing Excellence
* Drive operational excellence through Lean Manufacturing, TPM, OEE improvement, and waste reduction.
* Establish and monitor plant-level KPIs for safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
* Lead continuous improvement initiatives to improve yield, reduce conversion cost, and improve process stability.
Quality & Compliance
* Ensure compliance with structural tube standards such as IS 4923, EN 10219, ASTM A500, and customer specifications.
* Champion weld quality, dimensional control, mechanical properties, and surface finish.
* Lead root cause analysis of major quality issues and customer complaints.
Maintenance & Asset Management
* Ensure high availability and reliability of tube mills, HF welders, NDT systems, straighteners, and finishing lines.
* Drive preventive and predictive maintenance strategies and long-term asset health plans.
* Lead CAPEX planning, equipment upgrades, and plant expansion or debottlenecking projects.
Safety, Health & Environment (SHE)
* Set and enforce a strong safety culture with zero-incident mindset.
* Ensure compliance with statutory, environmental, and energy regulations.
* Lead safety audits, risk assessments, and emergency preparedness initiatives.
Cost, Budget & Profitability
* Own plant operating budget, conversion cost, and working capital efficiency.
* Drive cost-reduction initiatives without compromising quality or safety.
* Optimize manpower, energy consumption, consumables, and inventory levels.
People & Organization Development
* Build a high-performance leadership team across functions.
* Mentor senior managers and develop succession plans.
* Promote skill development, training, and accountability culture across the plant.
Business & Stakeholder Interface
* Work closely with Sales, Marketing, and Supply Chain to align production with market demand.
* Support new product development, trials, and customer audits.
* Act as primary operations interface for key customers, auditors, and regulatory bodies.
Qualifications & Experience
Education
* Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical / Metallurgical / Production Engineering
* MBA or Postgraduate qualification in Operations or General Management preferred
Experience
* 15–25 years of experience in manufacturing
* Minimum 7–10 years in senior plant leadership roles
* Experience in welded precision steel tubes manufacturing (square, rectangular, and round) is an asset
Core Competencies
* Strategic plant leadership and decision-making
* Deep technical expertise in ERW/HFW tube manufacturing
* Lean, TPM, and OEE implementation
* Financial acumen and budget ownership
* Strong stakeholder and people management skills
* Change management and continuous improvement mindset