Head of Engineering

Head R&D / Engineering - (Special Purpose Machines & Heavy Industrial Machinery)

Role Purpose:

The objective of the Head Engineering / R&D is to lead and strengthen global engineering capabilities for Special Purpose Machines and Heavy Industrial Machinery, driving technology leadership, innovation, and engineering excellence across the organization.

The role will position India as a strategic global engineering and manufacturing hub for select products and platforms, while leading new product development and complex projects originating from India. The incumbent will ensure that India-based engineering teams support and collaborate with global locations across Europe, the US, and other regions, delivering standardized, cost-effective, and high-quality engineering solutions aligned with global standards.

This role is responsible for building scalable platforms, accelerating new projects, enabling cross-regional collaboration, and supporting business growth by seamlessly integrating engineering, innovation, and execution across global operations.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

1. Engineering & Technology Strategy

• Define and implement the engineering and R&D roadmap for SPMs and heavy industrial machines.
• Drive platform-based designs, standardization, and modular architecture across machine families.
• Identify and deploy new technologies such as automation, robotics, Industry 4.0, digital twins, advanced materials, and smart diagnostics.
• Align engineering initiatives with long-term business, capacity, and market expansion plans.

2. Product Design & Development

• Lead conceptual design, detailed engineering, prototyping, testing, and validation of machines.
• Oversee integration of mechanical structures, heavy fabrication, electrical systems, hydraulics, pneumatics, controls, PLC/SCADA, robotics, and vision systems.
• Ensure designs meet performance, durability, safety, reliability, and lifecycle cost targets.
• Approve technical specifications, layouts, GA drawings, calculations, and BOMs.

3. Application Engineering & Customer Interface

• Engage with customers to understand process requirements, production challenges, and capacity needs.
• Lead technical feasibility studies, concept proposals, and techno-commercial inputs during RFQ and pre-sales stages.
• Support customers during FAT, SAT, installation, commissioning, and ramp-up.
• Drive structured engineering change management for customer or field-driven modifications.

4. Project Execution & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Ensure engineering deliverables support on-time, on-cost, and right-first-time project execution.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing, sourcing, quality, project management, and service teams.
• Promote Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Serviceability (DFS).
• Proactively identify and mitigate technical and execution risks.

5. Quality, Compliance & Safety

• Ensure adherence to international engineering and safety standards (ISO, CE, UL, IEC, customer-specific norms).
• Implement robust design reviews, DFMEA, PFMEA, and validation protocols.
• Ensure machines comply with statutory, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for field failures and reliability issues.

6. Innovation, Cost Optimization & Continuous Improvement

• Drive value engineering, cost reduction, and localization initiatives without compromising performance.
• Promote development of proprietary technologies, IP, and patents where applicable.
• Institutionalize lessons learned, engineering standards, and reusable design libraries.
• Benchmark global competitors and emerging technologies in SPM and heavy machinery domains.

7. Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Build and lead multi-disciplinary engineering teams (mechanical, electrical, controls, automation).
• Develop talent pipelines, training programs, and succession plans.
• Set KPIs for engineering productivity, quality, innovation, and delivery.
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, and technical excellence.

8. Budget, Governance & Management Interface

• Manage engineering budgets, R&D investments, and resource planning.
• Support leadership with technical inputs for capital investments and new business opportunities.
• Present engineering strategy, risks, and progress to senior management and board-level stakeholders.

Key Skills & Experience:

• Strong exposure to SPMs, heavy engineering machinery, industrial automation, or capital equipment
• Expertise in mechanical systems, heavy structures, hydraulics, controls, PLC/SCADA, robotics
• Deep understanding of industrial manufacturing processes (automotive, metals, energy, cement, steel, etc.)
• Strong customer-facing, leadership, and problem-solving capabilities
• Experience with global customers and multinational standards preferred

Candidate Requirements:

• BE / BTech in Mechanical / Mechatronics / Electrical / Automation (ME/MTech preferred)
• 1830+ years of experience in SPM / heavy industrial machinery / capital equipment, with MNC background mandatory
• Proven experience leading engineering / R&D functions in multinational organizations
• Strong exposure to global engineering standards and compliance (ISO, CE, UL, IEC)
• Hands-on engineering knowledge across heavy machine design, heavy industries / structures, hydraulics, controls, PLC/SCADA, industrial compressor, Textile Machines
• Demonstrated business and engineering experience working with Europe, US, and other international markets
• Experience collaborating with global customers, cross-cultural teams, and overseas manufacturing / engineering centers
• Strong capability in techno-commercial decision making, RFQs, and stakeholder management