Head of Manufacturing - Rigid Plastics
Our client, 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 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-accountability environment
- Shop-floor oriented and technically hands-on
- Strong problem-solving and root-cause-analysis mindset
