Head – NPD | NIPHA

Company Overview

Not specified.

Job Summary

The Head – New Product Development (NPD) at NIPHA will lead the end-to-end product development and manufacturing scale-up efforts for a rapidly growing engineering business. The role is pivotal in supporting the company's ambitious growth targets—from approximately ₹60 Crore to ₹100 Crore by year-end, and up to ₹500 Crore over the next 3–4 years. The candidate will own the NPD function, drive innovation, and build manufacturing capabilities to develop the next generation of products, ensuring timely market entry and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end New Product Development process, including concept ideation, design, prototyping, testing, validation, and commercialization.
• Build, develop, and strengthen the NPD/R&D team, along with establishing robust processes and capabilities.
• Identify new product opportunities based on market trends, customer needs, and technological advancements.
• Drive product innovation, focusing on cost optimization, quality enhancement, and reducing time-to-market.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing, sourcing, quality, sales, and business teams to ensure successful product launches.
• Lead the setup of a new manufacturing facility from scratch, including product industrialization, process design, equipment procurement, manpower planning, and operational readiness.
• Develop scalable product and manufacturing systems to support aggressive growth plans.
• Establish strong processes around design, prototyping, testing, validation, BOM management, tooling, and product industrialization.
• Benchmark products and technologies, integrating global and industry best practices into the organization.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree (BTech, BSc, or equivalent) with strong experience in NPD, R&D, or Product Engineering.
• Proven experience in tractors, agricultural machinery, farm equipment, construction equipment, heavy machinery, or earthmoving equipment.
• Deep understanding of mechanical product design, prototyping, testing, and industrialization.
• Experience in setting up manufacturing facilities from the ground up is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in taking products from concept to commercial scale.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to build teams, systems, and processes in a high-growth environment.
• Excellent leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working with tractor and farm equipment companies or construction/heavy machinery players.
• Knowledge of global manufacturing standards and best practices.
• Ability to innovate and adapt in a fast-paced, high-growth setting.
• Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking capabilities.

Experience

• Extensive experience in product development and manufacturing scale-up within engineering sectors such as agriculture, construction, or heavy machinery.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and managing large-scale projects.
• Experience in building or transforming manufacturing facilities from scratch.

Environment

• The role is based in Kolkata.
• The work environment involves collaborative cross-functional teams across R&D, manufacturing, quality, and business units.
• The position may require hands-on involvement in setting up new manufacturing facilities and overseeing product development processes.
• The setting is primarily office-based with on-site manufacturing and setup activities.

Salary

Not specified.

GrowthOpportunities

Not specified.

Benefits

Not specified.