Engineering Head

Job Title – Engineering Head

City, Country – Asoj, Vadodara, India

At dsm-firmenich, being a force for good is not optional. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a shared responsibility woven into our daily work to not only benefit our People, Customers & Communities but also drive business value. Equal access to opportunities is a given, belonging is a shared feeling, authenticity is celebrated.

Your key responsibilities:

Engineering & Asset Management

• Lead the engineering and maintenance function for the site ensuring optimum equipment reliability, availability, and lifecycle performance.
• Establish engineering standards, maintenance systems, and governance processes for all plant assets.
• Develop and maintain the site asset register and equipment criticality classification system.
• Define preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance strategies for all critical equipment.
• Ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, safety, and company engineering requirements.
• Drive effective management of rotating, static, utility, electrical, instrumentation, and automation assets.
• Establish site engineering KPIs and monitor performance against reliability and efficiency targets.

Greenfield Project Handover & Operational Readiness

• Lead the engineering takeover of the greenfield facility from the project organization.
• Ensure complete transfer of technical documentation, drawings, manuals, spare parts, and maintenance requirements.
• Verify asset readiness, maintainability, reliability, and operability before production start-up.
• Support commissioning, qualification, startup, and stabilization activities.
• Establish long-term maintenance and asset management strategies during the transition phase.

Maintenance Excellence & Reliability

• Develop and deploy reliability-centered maintenance practices across the site.
• Implement robust planning and scheduling processes to improve maintenance effectiveness.
• Lead shutdown, turnaround, and major maintenance activities.
• Conduct Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) for critical equipment failures and implement corrective actions.
• Drive reduction in breakdowns, downtime, and maintenance costs through systematic reliability improvements.
• Establish spare parts management and inventory optimization processes.

TPM, 5S & Continuous Improvement

• Lead implementation and sustainability of TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) across the site.
• Drive Autonomous Maintenance, Planned Maintenance, and Focused Improvement pillars.
• Establish and sustain world-class 5S standards throughout engineering and production areas.
• Promote a culture of equipment ownership and operational discipline.
• Identify and implement productivity, reliability, and cost optimization initiatives.

Operational Excellence Collaboration

• Partner with Operational Excellence (OE) teams to execute plant improvement projects.
• Support Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, digitalization, and performance improvement programs.
• Provide engineering leadership for cost-saving and productivity-enhancement initiatives.
• Participate in cross-functional improvement projects and business transformation initiatives.

Budget & Resource Management

• Own the maintenance and engineering operating budgets.
• Prepare and manage annual maintenance expenditure plans.
• Develop and justify capital investment proposals required for asset reliability, compliance, and capacity enhancement.
• Ensure optimal utilization of engineering resources and external service providers.

Leadership & Capability Building

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing engineering and maintenance organization.
• Define competency development plans for engineering personnel.
• Coach and mentor engineers and technicians on best engineering and maintenance practices.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous learning.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure engineering activities are executed in compliance with HSE and Quality requirements.
• Support Process Safety Management (PSM) initiatives.
• Participate in risk assessments, audits, and compliance programs.
• Ensure contractor safety management and engineering work permit compliance.

Required Qualifications

• 15-20+ years of engineering and maintenance experience in chemical, specialty chemicals, pharmaceutical, FMCG, food, or process industries.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing engineering and maintenance functions.
• Experience in greenfield project handover and plant startup is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of TPM, Reliability Engineering, Asset Management, Maintenance Excellence, and Continuous Improvement systems.

Technical Competencies

• Asset Reliability Management
• Equipment Criticality Assessment
• TPM Deployment
• Preventive & Predictive Maintenance
• Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA)
• Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
• Condition Monitoring
• SAP PM / CMMS
• Shutdown & Turnaround Management
• Utilities Management
• Engineering Standards & Governance
• Operational Excellence & Lean Manufacturing
• Budget Management

We bring.

• Empowerment to make meaningful contributions while upholding ethical standards.
• Recognition and celebration of your efforts and accomplishments.
• Opportunities for growth and advancement for those who embrace innovation and take initiative.
• Opportunity to build a career making a significant impact on billions of lives, with the freedom to shape your own path.
• Responsibility and accountability in living company values and driving sustainable solutions.
• Supportive environment where individuals are empowered to progress and contribute to meaningful change.

You bring.

• 15-20+ years of engineering and maintenance experience in chemical, specialty chemicals, pharmaceutical, FMCG, food, or process industries.
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing engineering and maintenance functions.
• Experience in greenfield project handover and plant startup is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of TPM, Reliability Engineering, Asset Management, Maintenance Excellence, and Continuous Improvement systems.
• Experience with SAP PM or equivalent CMMS platform.

Equal opportunities commitment

dsm-firmenich is fully dedicated to inclusion because when people feel engaged and empowered, their creativity and innovation drive unprecedented progress. We aim to build a workplace where opportunity really is equal, so everyone can thrive. We do not discriminate if there’s a place for everyone at dsm-firmenich.

As a committed equal opportunity employer, we ensure our recruitment practices are inclusive and fair. We encourage the recruitment of a diverse workforce, representative of the communities in which we work, by using inclusive language, diverse interview panels, and diversified sourcing strategies. Selection is based on qualifications, competency, experience, performance history and fit with the team to advance fair and equitable opportunity.

Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, backgrounds, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

We are committed to providing reasonable support for disabled applicants in our recruiting process. Should you need assistance, and are comfortable to share this, please let us know.

About dsm-firmenich:

At dsm-firmenich, we don’t just meet expectations – we go beyond them.

Join our global team powered by science, creativity, and a shared purpose: to bring progress to life.

From elevating health to making fortified food and sustainable skincare, the impact of your work here will be felt by millions – every single day. Whether it’s fragrance that helps you focus, alternative meat that’s better for the planet, or reducing sugar without losing flavor, this is where you help shape the future of nutrition, health, and beauty for everyone, everywhere.

And while you’re making a difference, we’ll make sure you’re growing too. With learning that never stops, a culture that lifts you up and the freedom to move across businesses, teams, and borders. Your voice matters here. And your ideas? They’re essential to our future.

Because real progress only happens when we go beyond, together.

Our application process:

Interested in this position? Please apply on-line by uploading your resume in English via our career portal (www. dsm-firmenich.com/careers). For further information, please contact Supriya Patade, Talent Acquisition Partner ([email protected]).

Inclusion, belonging and equal opportunity statement:

At dsm-firmenich, we believe being a force for good starts with the way we treat each other. When people feel supported, included, and free to be themselves, they do their best work – and that’s exactly the kind of culture we’re building. A place where opportunity is truly equal, authenticity is celebrated, and everyone has the chance to grow, contribute, and feel they belong.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we’re serious about making our hiring process as fair and inclusive as possible. From inclusive language and diverse interview panels to thoughtful sourcing, we’re committed to reflecting on the world we serve.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds — no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes you.

And if you have a disability or need any support through the application process, we’re here to help – just let us know what you need, and we’ll do everything we can to make it work.

Agency statement

We’re managing this search directly at dsm-firmenich. If you’re applying as an individual, we’d love to hear from you. We’re not accept agency submissions or proposals involving fees or commissions for this role.