Technical Manager

Job description

Job Title: Technical Manager – India

Location: India (with oversight across fully owned and JV manufacturing sites)

Industry: Automotive / Foam Manufacturing

Reports To: Regional/Corporate Leadership Team

Role Purpose

The Technical Manager – India is responsible for leading and overseeing all technical functions at our manufacturing plants in India—including both wholly-owned and joint venture (JV) facilities. This role ensures the manufacture of cost-optimized, Right-First-Time (RFT) foam pads, drives Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) reduction, and champions the implementation of new technologies and process improvements.

This position also leads Woodbridge Production System (WPS) and Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives to enhance plant competitiveness and profitability. In addition, the Technical Manager serves as the Business Case Lead for India, overseeing the development and execution of new investment or project business cases and supporting successful program launches.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead by example and champion a culture of safety across all Indian manufacturing sites.
2. Provide leadership, coaching, training, and direction to all plant technical functions, including Process Engineering, Tooling, and Maintenance.
3. Support cross-functional collaboration between technical teams and departments such as HR, Production, Quality, and Materials.
4. Lead technical support for program launches, ensuring communication flow between global product engineering (WFC) and Indian plants to drive launch excellence.
5. Support customer and supplier engagement to troubleshoot and resolve technical challenges.
6. Reduce downtime and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by proactively addressing failure modes and inefficiencies.
7. Drive standardization in tooling by deploying Woodbridge Global Standards, reducing scrap and rework through action-oriented plans.
8. Monitor, analyze, and improve COPQ metrics and KPIs across all Indian sites.
9. Develop and implement a Technology Roadmap in collaboration with plant teams; support rollout and provide training on new technologies.
10. Optimize chemical usage and premix formulations, engaging cross-functional teams to reduce costs without compromising quality.
11. Serve as the liaison between Corporate Technical Teams and plant-level technical resources.
12. Lead WPS and Lean CI workshops, delivering measurable improvements in plant competitiveness.
13. Prepare and support execution of Business Cases, ensuring returns meet or exceed projections.
14. Communicate effectively with senior leadership, ensuring clear, confident updates and reporting.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering
2. 12+ years of technical leadership experience in manufacturing, preferably within the automotive industry

Additional Skills and Competencies

1. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
2. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver technical excellence
3. High-level verbal and written communication skills
4. Experience in implementing Lean Manufacturing / Continuous Improvement methodologies
5. Ability to lead projects with cross-border and cross-functional alignment