Managing Director

Executive summary

Results-driven Managing Director with deep technical and commercial expertise in vacuum-furnace and heat-treatment equipment. Proven track record of scaling mid-sized manufacturing operations, strengthening India OEM and aftermarket channels, and delivering high margins through operational excellence, product differentiation and customer-centric service models. Strong experience with export markets, German-HQ collaboration, board engagement, and building high-performance engineering and sales teams.

Core responsibilities

• Strategic leadership: set vision, long-term strategy, and roadmap for product, service and market expansion.
• Business growth: P&L ownership, sales growth, margin improvement, pricing strategy and new market entry.
• Operations & quality: drive lean manufacturing, supply-chain resilience, and compliance to industry standards.
• Product & engineering: new product commercialization, and lifecycle management of vacuum furnaces.
• Customer success: secure major OEM accounts, turnkey projects, spares & service contracts.
• People & culture: recruit and retain senior engineers, sales leaders and plant managers; mentor next-gen leadership.
• Governance & stakeholders: report to board/owners, manage investor relations, ensure regulatory and safety compliance.

Required experience & qualifications

• 20+ years in heavy / capital equipment manufacturing (vacuum furnaces, heat treatment, metallurgy or related).
• Prior P&L responsibility, ideally as VP or MD of a mid-sized manufacturing company.
• Experience working with German or European technology partners / HQs and global export markets.
• Strong engineering background (B.E./M.E. or equivalent) with commercial exposure (MBA desirable).
• Demonstrated success in large project deliveries, after-sales service models and industrial sales cycles.

Core skills & competencies

• Strategic & commercial acumen (pricing, contract negotiation, channel management)
• Deep domain knowledge: vacuum technology, metallurgy, thermal cycles, furnace controls
• Operational excellence: TPM/lean, CAPEX planning, quality systems (ISO)
• People leadership: senior hiring, succession planning, cross-cultural collaboration
• Finance & risk management: cost control, working capital, project risk mitigation
• Stakeholder & board communication: concise reporting, investor alignment

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

• Revenue growth (YoY %) and gross margin improvement
• EBITDA margin and PBT targets
• Order book value (quarterly) and on-time project delivery rate
• After-sales revenue / service contract penetration (%)
• Inventory turns, lead-time reduction
• Employee retention rate for senior technical staff

Ideal leadership & culture fit

A pragmatic leader balances engineering credibility with commercial drives, decisive under pressure, hands-on when needed, and comfortable negotiating at C-suite and board levels. Safety values, customer trust, and long-term partnerships over short-term wins.