Production Manager - Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals

About the Role

A reputed contract manufacturer specializing in cosmetics and medicated products with over 45 years of experience is seeking a Production Manager / Head for their GMP, GLP, and ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing units. The company produces a wide array of items such as dusting and talcum powders, shampoo, conditioner, creams, gels, lotions, oils, soaps, sunscreens, and serums.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end daily production operations at both pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturing facilities, ensuring schedules are met efficiently and quality, cost, and delivery standards are upheld.
• Manage allocation of resources—including manpower and machinery—to optimize plant utilization and productivity while monitoring production output against targets.
• Lead and mentor production supervisors and teams, fostering accountability, discipline, and a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Plan manpower needs and succession strategies, driving effective team performances through regular assessments and clear production targets.
• Coordinate with various departments such as PPC, Stores, Purchase, QA, QC, Warehouse, Maintenance, and Dispatch to maintain seamless production flow and timely availability of materials and equipment.
• Identify and implement process improvements aimed at enhancing productivity, reducing cycle times, and optimizing resources, employing Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and related methodologies.
• Ensure all manufacturing activities comply with GMP standards, SOPs, batch manufacturing records, and regulatory guidelines, supporting quality investigations and CAPA implementations when necessary.
• Prepare manufacturing plants for customer audits and upcoming WHO-GMP certifications.
• Monitor key performance indicators including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), production efficiency, and manufacturing losses, minimizing downtime and waste through coordinated efforts with engineering and maintenance teams.
• Maintain strict adherence to environmental, health, safety, and hygiene protocols across the plants, ensuring safe handling of raw materials and equipment.
• Generate and analyze daily, weekly, and monthly production reports and present operational outcomes and improvement initiatives to senior leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Cosmetic Science, or a related discipline.
• Ten to fifteen years of production experience in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, FMCG, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• At least five years in a leadership position overseeing multiple production lines or facilities.
• Deep understanding of pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturing processes, GMP, WHO-GMP, ISO standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Expertise in production planning, capacity management, batch manufacturing, process optimization, and continuous improvement techniques like Lean, 5S, and Kaizen.
• Strong leadership, communication, people management, and decision-making capabilities.
• Proficiency with ERP software, Microsoft Office, and manufacturing performance reporting tools.