Head– Engineering (Utilities&Projects)– Pharma/Biotech, Puducherry

Qualifications and experience Education: BE/BTech in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. Experience: 15–20 years of relevant experience (min. 12–15 years mandatory) in operation, maintenance and projects in pharma/biotech manufacturing plants. Industry: Preferably have worked with pharma/biotech companies; experience in biosimilar facilities is strongly preferred.Language and culture: Must be able to read, write and speak Tamil fluently. Must be able to appreciate and gel with Puducherry culture and local workforce. Location readiness: Willingness to be based full‑time at Puducherry plant and work in a high‑intensity manufacturing environment. We are looking for a seasoned Engineering Head to lead utilities, plant engineering and greenfield/brownfield project activities for our pharma/biotech manufacturing facility in Puducherry. The role will own end‑to‑end operation and maintenance of utilities (chillers, boilers, WTP, ETP/STP, HVAC, compressed air, nitrogen, fire systems) and oversee installation and commissioning of new equipment and projects while ensuring safety, compliance and high uptime. The ideal candidate is from pharma/biotech(preferably biosimilar) plants, fluent in Tamil, and able to appreciate and gel with the Puducherry culture while leading a diverse engineering team.Key responsibilities (bullet points for job description) Lead plant engineering and utilities function for the Puducherry manufacturing site, ensuring high equipment uptime and reliable utilities for production. Communicate and coordinate with cross‑functional departments (Production, QA, QC, EHS, Projects, Supply Chain) for smooth plant operations and project execution.Oversee operation and maintenance of chillers, AC units, cooling towers and water transfer pumps. Oversee operation and maintenance of boiler, hot water generator, nitrogen generation system and air compressors. Manage operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment plant (ETP/STP), fire hydrant system and related safety infrastructure.Ensure effective operation of water treatment systems: pre‑treatment, purified water, WFI and pure steam generation (PSG) plants. Plan and execute installation and commissioning of raw utilities: chillers, cooling towers, water distribution pumps, air compressors, boilers, nitrogen generation systems, heat pumps and hot water generators.Plan and execute installation and commissioning of solvent recovery plants, effluent and sewage treatment plants. Plan and execute installation and commissioning of clean utilities: pre‑treatment, CSRO/HSRO, pure steam generation, WFI generation and associated piping/insulation works. Collaborate with other engineering disciplines and external vendors/contractors to deliver projects on time, within budget and as per quality standards.Drive preventive maintenance, breakdown analysis and reduction initiatives for all utility and process equipment; ensure robust maintenance planning and scheduling. Review and verify executed work qualitatively and quantitatively, ensure proper documentation and reporting (daily progress reports, monthly maintenance reports, machine history).Coordinate and follow up with vendors for work execution and timely completion of projects/maintenance activities. Ensure compliance with safety work permit systems and promote strong safety culture in all engineering activities. Prepare and implement SOPs for utilities and equipment as per cGMP and QMS requirements; support audits and regulatory inspections from an engineering perspective.Support HOD/plant leadership in new project development, capacity expansion and continuous improvement initiatives (energy conservation, reliability improvement). Behavioral and leadership competencies Strong team leadership and people management skills to lead a multi‑skilled engineering team at site.Ability to work closely with production, quality and EHS to balance uptime, quality and safety requirements. Hands‑on, problem‑solving mindset with the ability to troubleshoot technical issues under time pressure. High ownership, planning and coordination capability for managing multiple projects, shutdowns and maintenance activities in parallel.Culturally sensitive and collaborative, able to build trust with local teams and stakeholders in Puducherry while communicating in Tamil.