Deputy Plant Manager

About JLG, an Oshkosh company

JLG began in 1969, when our founder, John L. Grove set out to resolve growing safety concerns in the construction industry. Since then we have been committed to understanding the challenges and delivering innovative solutions to the access market. We partner with customers to provide quality equipment, training opportunities and trusted support within the access industry. We are a global company, and our products—including mobile elevating work platforms, telehandlers, utility vehicles and accessories—can be found all over the world.

Job Summary

The Deputy Plant Manager is a key member of the Pune site leadership team, responsible for supporting the safe, efficient and effective operation of the manufacturing facility.

Working closely with the Plant Manager, the role will lead day-to-day manufacturing performance while playing a key role in the continued growth and development of the Pune operation. The successful candidate will help build the people, processes, capabilities and infrastructure required to support a rapidly growing manufacturing facility, with a strong focus on safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost and customer satisfaction.

This is an opportunity for an experienced manufacturing leader to make a significant impact within a growing operation and a global manufacturing organisation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the Plant Manager in the overall leadership and management of the Pune manufacturing facility, assuming site leadership responsibilities as required.
• Lead manufacturing operations to achieve targets across safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost and employee engagement.
• Monitor production performance, labour, capacity, materials and operating costs, taking timely action to address performance gaps.
• Establish strong daily and weekly operating disciplines, performance measures and accountability processes.
• Play a key role in scaling the Pune facility to support future business growth, including workforce, capacity, equipment, layout and infrastructure requirements.
• Support the introduction and industrialisation of new products, manufacturing processes, equipment and production capabilities.
• Champion a strong safety and quality culture and ensure compliance with company standards and applicable requirements.
• Drive Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and structured problem solving to improve operational performance.
• Support capital investment planning and business cases for equipment, technology and infrastructure required to support growth and productivity.
• Develop and coach manufacturing leaders, supervisors and team members, building the capability required for a growing organisation.
• Partner closely with HR on workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, employee engagement and talent development.
• Work collaboratively with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance, HR and other functions to deliver business objectives.
• Collaborate with regional and global teams to share best practices and support broader operational initiatives.
• Provide clear updates to senior leadership on plant performance, priorities, risks and improvement actions.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment, including significant leadership responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience leading manufacturing operations and delivering improvements across safety, quality, delivery, cost and productivity.
• Strong understanding of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and structured problem solving.
• Experience leading teams through operational growth, change or increasing manufacturing complexity.
• Strong communication, people leadership, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Ability to work effectively across functions and within a global organisation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within a global or multinational manufacturing organisation.
• Experience in heavy equipment, automotive, industrial machinery, off-highway or another complex manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting the start-up, expansion or significant scaling of a manufacturing operation.
• Experience with new product introduction, industrialisation or capacity expansion.
• Experience developing manufacturing leaders and building high-performing teams.

Oshkosh Leadership Traits

The successful candidate will demonstrate the Oshkosh Leadership Traits through the way they lead people, manage the operation and support the growth of the business.

Inspires Vision and Purpose - Connects day-to-day priorities to the broader business direction and creates energy around the future of the Pune operation.

Instills Trust - Leads with honesty, integrity and transparency, follows through on commitments and builds dependable relationships.

Fosters Engagement - Empowers people, develops capability, recognises contribution and creates an environment where teams are motivated to perform at their best.

Cultivates Innovation - Challenges the status quo, encourages new and better ways of working and uses diverse perspectives and technology to improve performance.

Customer Focus - Builds customer ownership throughout the operation and ensures manufacturing decisions support evolving customer needs and expectations.

Drives Results - Creates accountability and urgency, removes barriers and consistently delivers meaningful results, even in challenging circumstances.

Working Conditions

• Based at the Pune manufacturing facility, with a strong presence required within manufacturing and operational areas.
• Flexibility to support operational requirements outside normal working hours when required.
• Occasional domestic and international travel may be required.