Plant Head / Head of Manufacturing – Pet Food (Greenfield Plant Setup) | Jaipur/Kishangarh, Rajasthan

SAPL Pets is setting up a multi-format pet food manufacturing plant in Kishangarh (near Ajmer/Jaipur), Rajasthan. Our production line arrives in the coming weeks and we already have private-label and marketplace-scale demand confirmed. We're hiring one person to own manufacturing and supply end to end, from commissioning the line to shipping finished goods reliably at volume.

This is a build-from-zero role, not a role managing an existing line. If you've stood in an empty shed and turned crated machines into a running plant, this is for you.

What you'll own:

• Commissioning the extrusion, drying, and packaging line from installation to stable production
• Building the raw material pipeline, stores, and vendor base from scratch
• Recruiting, training, and running the shop floor; setting SOPs and production discipline
• Owning output, cost, yield, and on-time dispatch targets
• Driving FSSAI, HACCP, and ISO 22000 readiness and batch traceability

What we're looking for:

• 8+ years in food or feed manufacturing, with at least one plant commissioned from zero (not just operated)
• Deep hands-on extrusion experience. Backgrounds in aqua feed (floating fish feed), cattle/poultry feed milling, or snack/namkeen extrusion are equally welcome; the process fundamentals are the same and we'll teach the pet-specific part
• Strong grasp of the full line, including the reality that drying and cooling, not the extruder, set your true throughput
• Proven ownership of production output, cost control, and dispatch
• Comfortable leading a Tier-2 shop floor and building a lean team
• Willing to be based in or relocate to the Kishangarh/Ajmer/Jaipur belt

Nice to have:

• Direct pet food experience
• Exposure to wet/retort processing, treats, or biscuit lines
• Experience with export or private-label/OEM manufacturing

The honest version: This is an early-stage plant in a Tier-2 town with an Airport and a very good lifestyle. The first few months are build-and-ramp, not push-button production. In return you get a co-founder-grade seat, real ownership, direct reporting to the founder, and a competitive package with performance-linked upside and ESOP.

Skills: Plant Commissioning · Extrusion · Food Manufacturing · Production Management · Feed Manufacturing · Supply Chain · Manufacturing Operations · FSSAI · HACCP · Team Leadership