Head Of Manufacturing And Procurement

Job Description

Head of Manufacturing & Procurement

Upstream Supply Chain

• Make, Source & Cost | All Categories
  
  

Sturlite Electric Private Limited | Bengaluru, Karnataka

Function

Manufacturing & Procurement

• Upstream Supply Chain
  
  

Level

Senior Leadership (VP / Head)

Location

Bengaluru HQ with regular travel to Suppliers and Factories

Reports To

Managing Director / CEO

Team

Lighting Procurement Lead, Plant Managers, Quality Head, Vendor Development Mgr

About Sturlite Electric

Founded in 2009 by Shri Sanjay Jain and Shri Mukesh Jain, Sturlite Electric is a Bengaluru-based Fast Moving Electrical Goods (FMEG) company with revenue of approximately Rs 700 Cr, growing at ~35% CAGR with an ambition to reach Rs 3,000 Cr+ over the next 35 years.

Sturlite's business has been built on the strength of its LED Lighting portfolio

• TUV Rheinland certified indoor and outdoor luminaires - distributed through a pan-India network of 16,000+ channel partners across 25 states. Lighting remains the company's largest and most established category, and the supply chain function must serve it with full rigour and reliability.
  
  

Building on this lighting foundation and its established channel relationships, Sturlite is now expanding into three additional categories:

Wires & Cables (branded Sturlite Voltedge)

• FR, FRLS, ZHFR, Solar DC, Flexible, and Submersible cables; ISI-marked, manufactured with 99.97% pure electrolytic-grade copper; manufactured at the Sturlite Voltedge plant in Mehsana, Gujarat.
  
  

Switchgear

• MCBs and Distribution Boards, currently sourced and branded.
  
  

Switches & Accessories (branded Zevolt) - modular switches, sockets, and accessories for the residential and commercial segment; manufactured in Sturlite's own factory; July 2025 launch.

The supply chain function must therefore serve a multi-category portfolio at different maturity stages - a scaled, high-volume lighting business alongside three new categories at varying stages of launch and growth. The two roles described in this document are designed to own this complexity end-to-end.

Role Overview

The Head of Manufacturing & Procurement owns Sturlite's upstream supply chain - everything from sourcing raw materials and components to manufacturing finished goods at the factory gate. This role carries a dual responsibility: running a mature, high-volume procurement operation for the Lighting category (Sturlite's core business) while simultaneously building the manufacturing and procurement infrastructure for three new categories

• Wires & Cables, Switchgear, and Switches.
  
  

Lighting demands immediate attention: LED components, drivers, optics, heat sinks, and lamp holders are sourced from a mix of domestic and international vendors, and supply chain reliability here directly determines Sturlite's ability to serve 16,000+ channel partners. The W&C plant in Ahmedabad and the Switches/Zevolt factory add two in-house manufacturing dimensions - the incumbent must be as comfortable on a factory floor reviewing OEE as they are negotiating copper or component contracts. Switchgear (MCBs and Distribution Boards) is currently vendor/OEM-sourced and will require rigorous vendor qualification and quality management.

The incumbent is the P&L owner for Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) across all categories and will have direct influence on Sturlite's gross margin as the business scales toward Rs 3,000 Cr+.

Key Responsibilities

• Lighting Procurement
• Core Business (Highest Priority)
  
  

Own end-to-end procurement of all LED Lighting components

• LED chips, drivers (constant current and dimmable), optics (lenses, reflectors), heat sinks, lamp holders, housing, and packaging materials.
  
  

Manage Sturlite's lighting vendor ecosystem - primarily Asia-sourced (China, Taiwan) for LED chips and drivers, with domestic vendors for housing, packaging, and assembly components.

Develop and maintain alternate and dual sources for every critical lighting component - a single-source failure in a top-moving SKU directly impacts Lighting revenue, which is Sturlite's largest P&L line.

Ensure all procured lighting components meet TUV Rheinland certification standards - manage vendor qualification, sample approval, and periodic re-testing rigorously.

Drive component cost reduction in Lighting - a 1% COGS improvement in the largest category has the highest absolute impact on gross margin.

Manage EXIM documentation and customs clearance for imported lighting components

• LC documentation, EXIM compliance, and freight coordination for international shipments.
• Manufacturing Operations
• Ahmedabad Plant
  
  

Own day-to-day operations of the Sturlite Voltedge W&C manufacturing plant in Nandasan, Mehsana - production output, quality, safety, and statutory compliance under the Factories Act and Gujarat industrial regulations.

Drive OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) on wire drawing, stranding, insulation extrusion, and jacketing lines - reduce downtime, improve throughput, eliminate waste.

Implement production scheduling in alignment with the monthly S&OP plan from the Head of Planning, Logistics & Warehousing - produce what the market needs, when it needs it.

Lead the plant team

• Plant Manager, production supervisors, and line operators - through daily shift reviews, weekly production meetings, and monthly performance reviews.
  
  

Manage plant safety with zero-LTI (Lost Time Injury) target; maintain all statutory requirements and Gujarat Pollution Control Board compliance.

Plan and execute capacity expansion as W&C production volumes scale with Sturlite's market expansion across 8 new states.

• W&C Raw Material Procurement
  
  

Own procurement of all W&C raw materials - electrolytic-grade copper (99.97% purity), PVC compounds, XLPE insulation, aluminium, steel tape armouring, and cable accessories.

Develop and execute a copper procurement strategy - including LME-linked pricing, hedging mechanisms, and alternate sourcing to manage commodity price risk. Copper is Sturlite Voltedge's single largest cost input.

Negotiate long-term supply agreements with Tier 1 RM vendors; implement vendor scorecards tracking quality, delivery, and price performance.

Identify and qualify dual sources for all critical W&C raw materials - eliminate supply concentration risk as the category scales.

• Switches
• In-House Factory Manufacturing
  
  

Own manufacturing operations at Sturlite's Switches factory - production output, quality, safety, and statutory compliance for modular switches, sockets, and accessories.

Manage procurement of all Switches components - switch mechanisms, base frames, mounting plates, PC/ABS compounds, copper contacts, and packaging - from qualified domestic and international vendors.

Implement production scheduling for the Switches factory in alignment with the S&OP plan - coordinate with the Head of Planning, Logistics & Warehousing on launch inventory build for the July 2025 go-live.

Ensure all Switches products meet applicable IS codes and safety certifications - establish in-process quality checkpoints and outbound testing protocols before the factory goes into commercial production.

Drive BOM cost optimisation for Switches over time - reduce component costs while maintaining the quality and aesthetics that define the brand positioning.

Build dual sources for critical Switches components - contact mechanisms and PC/ABS compounds in particular - to avoid single-vendor dependency as volumes scale.

• Switchgear
• Vendor / OEM Management
  
  

Establish and qualify the vendor/OEM ecosystem for Switchgear (MCBs and Distribution Boards) - identify manufacturers meeting BIS and IS standards, conduct quality audits, and sign supply agreements.

Negotiate pricing, minimum order quantities, and lead times with Switchgear OEMs; ensure supply agreements include clear quality specifications and penalty clauses for non-conformance.

Drive value engineering for Switchgear over time - reduce sourcing cost without compromising product quality or safety certification standards.

• Quality Management
• Source to Dispatch Gate, All Factories
  
  

Own in-process quality at the W&C plant - wire drawing, annealing, stranding, insulation, armouring, jacketing - with zero-defect dispatch as the aspiration.

Own in-process quality at the Switches/Zevolt factory - assembly, contact testing, insulation resistance, endurance testing, and finish quality for modular switches and sockets.

Manage BIS/ISI certification for all W&C and Switches products - surveillance audits, documentation, and non-conformance resolution. A BIS lapse on any SKU means that SKU cannot be sold legally in India.

Manage TUV Rheinland compliance for Lighting products - coordinate periodic re-testing, new SKU certification, and documentation.

Build and manage in-house testing labs at both the W&C (Ahmedabad) and Switches factories; ensure all test equipment is calibrated and every batch dispatch is accompanied by a test certificate.

Lead root-cause analysis on field quality failures and warranty returns across all categories - close corrective actions within defined timelines.

• COGS & BOM Optimisation
• All Categories
  
  

Own the COGS P&L across Lighting, W&C, Switchgear, and Switches - track material cost, conversion cost, and overhead absorption monthly vs. plan.

Lead value engineering across all categories - review BOM periodically to find cost reduction opportunities without compromising quality, certification, or brand promise.

Benchmark Sturlite's manufacturing and procurement costs against FMEG peers

• Polycab, Havells, GreatWhite, Legrand - identify gaps and build action plans.
  
  

Manage plant overhead costs - energy, consumables, contract labour, maintenance - within approved annual budgets.

• NPD Support Across All Categories
  
  

Partner with the NPD team on trial production runs for new SKUs in all categories

• ZHFR cables, submersible cables, new switch variants, new luminaire form factors.
  
  

Lead make-vs-buy analysis for any new product categories beyond current portfolio - define what Sturlite should manufacture in-house vs. source from qualified OEMs, based on volume, capex, and competency.

Plan manufacturing capacity additions for W&C as new states come online - machinery procurement, line balancing, and factory layout changes.

Key Performance Indicators

KPI

Weight / Target

Lighting Component Supply Continuity

25% weight - zero stock-outs at Bengaluru FG warehouse attributable to procurement failure

COGS vs. Budget (all categories)

25% weight - monthly and annual actuals vs. plan

W&C Plant OEE

15% weight - target > 75%; improve 5 points YoY

BIS/ISI & TUV Certification Compliance

15% weight - zero lapses; all audits passed on schedule

RM Procurement Cost vs. Benchmark

10% weight - at or below LME + conversion benchmark for copper

Switches Factory Launch Readiness

10% weight - factory operational and first-fill inventory dispatched by July 2025 launch date

Essential

Qualifications & Experience

15+ years in supply chain - manufacturing and/or procurement - spanning at least two of: LED Lighting components, Electrical cables/wires, Switchgear, or consumer electrical products.

Strong LED component procurement background - understanding of chip, driver, and optics vendor ecosystems, Asia-sourcing, and TUV/CE certification requirements.

Demonstrated experience managing BIS/ISI certification for electrical products, or TUV/CE for lighting products - knowledge of IS codes and surveillance audit processes.

Multi-plant or multi-category manufacturing leadership - experience managing two or more factories or production lines with clear safety, quality, and output accountability across different product types.

Track record in commodity procurement - copper, aluminium, or equivalent - including price negotiation and commodity risk management strategies.

B.E. / B.Tech in Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering; MBA is a plus.

Preferred

Prior experience at an FMEG or electrical products company with a multi-category portfolio companies or equivalent.

Lean manufacturing, TPM, or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher).

EXIM experience - import LC documentation, customs clearance, and international freight coordination for lighting components from China/Taiwan.

What Sturlite Offers

Ownership of a four-category procurement and manufacturing function at a company growing 35% YoY - highest business impact at the COGS level.

The rare opportunity to run manufacturing across two own factories (W&C and Switches/Zevolt) while managing a high-volume multi-vendor lighting procurement operation and a switchgear OEM base - a breadth of upstream supply chain responsibility that is hard to find in a single role.

Direct access to the Promoters and MD - fast decisions, genuine autonomy.

Competitive compensation with performance-linked variable pay tied to COGS, OEE, and certification KPIs.1

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