Production Manager

Role: Production Manager

Location: Hosur, Tamil Nadu

Reporting to: Production Head - Vehicle

Team Name: Manufacturing Operations

About the Team and the Role

The Manufacturing Operations team at Ather is responsible for orchestrating high-efficiency electric vehicle manufacturing, driving production readiness from pilot phases to mass volume, and delivering top-tier SQCDM benchmarks across factory operations.

This role is for a Production Manager who will lead end-to-end vehicle assembly line operations, manage capital and operational expenditures, optimize shop floor resources, and drive cross-functional engineering change management to meet organizational OKRs.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single point of contact for production programs, managing operational timelines, CAPEX, and OPEX plans to ensure seamless line readiness and execution.

• Lead New Product Development (NPD/APQP) integration from proof-of-concept through SOP, providing cross-functional technical inputs to CFT swimlanes.

• Deliver key operational metrics under SQCDM while coordinating with Shift-In-Charges (SICs) to deploy 3M (Man, Machine, Material) resources and maintain contingency planning.

• Oversee pre-SOP and post-SOP trial builds, executing structured root-cause analysis and implementing robust countermeasures for shop-floor concerns.

• Drive capacity utilization, line balancing, and productivity projects to consistently improve manufacturing efficiency and cost metrics.

• Direct engineering change management workflows (including MQ1, SOR, DAP, FTR, CR, and IA) in close collaboration with CFT stakeholders.

• Champion shop-floor safety and quality compliance by representing the production unit in internal and external IMS audits and closing all findings.

• Facilitate the design and integration of assembly tooling, fixtures, and lean manufacturing practices to enhance production ergonomics and throughput.

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor of Engineering (B.E./B.Tech) in Mechanical, Electrical & Electronics, Electronics & Communication, or Mechatronics (MBA in Operations Management is an added advantage).

• 8 to 12 years of experience in Production, Process Engineering, or Operations Program Management, preferably within the automobile industry.

Must Have Competencies

• High-volume vehicle assembly line management and mass production operations execution.

• Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), PFMEA development, and control plan deployment across the product development lifecycle.

• Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Toyota Production System (TPS), and Total Quality Management (TQM) implementation on the shop floor.

• 3M (Man, Machine, Material) resource optimization, line balancing, and operational capacity planning.

Good to Have Competencies

• Greenfield manufacturing project setup, line commissioning, and production ramp-up.

• Integrated Management Systems (IMS) compliance adhering to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 frameworks.

• Computer-aided factory layout planning and workflow design using AutoCAD and FactoryCAD.

• Enterprise resource planning and agile project execution using SAP and JIRA.

Want to know more?

At Ather, we�ve built India�s first intelligent scooter, from scratch. Based on the philosophy of clean design and smart technology, we are transforming the urban commute experience. We are expanding in India, and in the coming years, we look forward to scaling up and launching more products globally. Today, our product offerings include the Ather 450X, 450S, 450 Apex, and Rizta. Beyond the product, we are also setting up an extensive charging network and re-imagining end-to-end ownership experience. To know more, check out our Careers site and our Substack.

Be You, With Us

The Ather story doesn't write itself - our people do. We believe everyone is equal, but not the same. Diversity is our strength, and building an inclusive and equitable workplace begins with acknowledging and embracing our differences. We are an equal opportunity employer, and our team reflects a wide range of identities, experiences, and perspectives - all united by a shared passion to shape the Ather journey.