Head of Manufacturing

Job Description : Head of Manufacturing - Rigid Plastics a leading rigid plastic packaging manufacturer serving major FMCG clients, is looking to appoint a Head of Manufacturing based in the UAE. The incumbent will lead multi-site manufacturing operations across Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality and Safety, driving operational excellence, productivity, profitability, and continuous improvement across the GCC region. Reporting - Chief Operating Officer (COO) Location - Dubai, UAE Industry - Rigid Plastic Packaging (Food Grade Manufacturing) Salary - AED 30,000 to AED 35,000 + Benefits + Bonus Summary of Role The Head of Manufacturing will oversee manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, and shop-floor operations across multiple production sites. This is a high-accountability, execution-focused leadership role requiring someone who: Comes from a rigid plastic packaging manufacturing background Is deeply grounded in Lean, OEE improvement, Kaizen, and process discipline Has strong experience managing multi-site manufacturing operations Has structured KPI-driven management experience Has SAP manufacturing digitization exposure, ideally having implemented or driven full adoption at shop-floor level Has progressed through hands-on shopfloor and manufacturing roles Key Responsibilities Take full accountability for manufacturing and operational performance across all UAE production sites Drive production, engineering, and maintenance efficiency across the manufacturing footprint Lead Lean transformation, OEE improvement, waste reduction, downtime reduction, and process standardization Strengthen compliance with FSSC, ISO, HSE, safety, quality, and customer standards Lead SAP integration and real-time digital manufacturing adoption at shop-floor level Establish and drive structured manufacturing KPIs and performance management systems Build strong second-line leadership and develop a culture of discipline, ownership, accountability, and customer-centricity Lead CAPEX projects, plant layout changes, automation initiatives, and capacity expansion Drive manufacturing cost optimization and productivity improvement Establish robust preventive and predictive maintenance practices Ensure effective root-cause analysis and permanent corrective actions Ideal Candidate Profile Credentials & Experience 18–25 years of manufacturing experience, with at least 10 years in senior manufacturing leadership Strong background in rigid plastic packaging manufacturing Proven multi-site manufacturing leadership experience Strong Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma / Kaizen background; Black Belt preferred Demonstrated experience in SAP manufacturing digitization, with hands-on implementation or adoption experience preferred Strong shop-floor manufacturing background with a track record of progressing through operational roles Experience managing Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Safety functions Strong exposure to manufacturing KPIs, OEE, productivity, quality, downtime, waste, and cost optimization Manufacturing Excellence Expectations The successful candidate must have a proven track record of delivering measurable improvements in: OEE Machine efficiency Production productivity Rejection and defect reduction Downtime reduction Manufacturing cost optimization Waste reduction Preventive & predictive maintenance Process standardization Lean manufacturing Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Continuous Improvement / Kaizen Manufacturing Technologies The organization currently operates with the following technologies: PET Injection Stretch Blow Molding (ISBM) PET 2-Stage / Stretch Blow Molding Injection Molding – PP, HDPE & PET Extrusion Blow Molding – HDPE & PP Injection Blow Molding – HDPE Leadership Qualities Structured and process-driven thinker Strong people leader who coaches and develops teams Calm, mature, and decisive under pressure Customer-first mindset with strong alignment to quality and safety High-energy and execution-focused Resilient and comfortable operating in a high-accountabili

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