About the Client
The client is a leading international provider of engineering solutions in the civil, geotechnical and environmental construction sectors. Headquartered in Europe with over 100 years of legacy, the organisation operates across 5 continents, supported by multiple production facilities and a wide global footprint.
The Challenge
The client sought to hire a Manufacturing Head to lead operations across India and Nepal, a role central to their regional transformation plans. The mandate was complex, multi-layered, and required a rare blend of capabilities:
- Deep Manufacturing Excellence: A leader with not only strategic oversight but also hands‑on shop floor experience, proven ability to manage labour‑intensive environments, and a track record of driving operational improvements directly on the ground.
- Multi‑Location Leadership: Experience overseeing manufacturing across diverse geographies within India, and adaptable to multi-location operations.
- Global Stakeholder Management: The candidate should be capable of effectively engaging not only the plant-level workforce, but also senior European stakeholders to transfer best practices and align the Indian subcontinent’s manufacturing ecosystem with global standards.
- A Strong Diversity Lens: The client had a preference for a female leader, aligning with their commitment to champion women within a traditionally male-dominated manufacturing domain. Senior women with extensive shop-floor credibility are extremely rare, making this an especially niche requirement.
The Solution: How Michael Page Helped
- Market Mapping: We began with a deep market-mapping exercise, creating a comprehensive talent landscape of potential candidates across India. This included profiles from adjacent industries who had led manufacturing operations prior to their current roles. The list covered both female candidates and select male leaders.
- Collaborative Client Partnership: We worked closely with the client to refine the brief, align expectations, and provide intelligence on industry compensation norms.
- Multi-Channel Sourcing: To attract high-quality talent, we utilised multiple channels, such as:
- Strategic LinkedIn outreach
- Job advertisements on the Michael Page website
- Engagement through our internal candidate database
The Result
The right candidate was finally found after a professional from our database applied to the opportunity through a job ad. She went on to successfully complete the client’s rigorous multi-round interview process, demonstrating both technical excellence and strong alignment with the organisation’s culture and leadership expectations.
