National Head – Plant, Machinery & Assets

About the Role

We are hiring an experienced National Head – Plant, Machinery & Assets to manage the complete lifecycle of plant, machinery, and construction assets across multiple project sites.

The role will oversee equipment procurement, deployment, utilisation, maintenance, redeployment, and disposal while ensuring optimal equipment availability, operational efficiency, and cost control.

The incumbent will lead centralised P&M planning, capital expenditure management, hire-versus-buy decisions, equipment maintenance, statutory compliance, and fleet performance monitoring across high-rise residential, commercial, industrial, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, data centre, and other building construction projects.

Key Responsibilities

1. Plant & Machinery Planning and Deployment

• Lead centralised plant and machinery planning across multiple concurrent construction projects.
• Align equipment requirements with project schedules, construction milestones, and site-specific demands.
• Optimise fleet allocation and equipment utilisation across projects, including inter-site transfers and external hiring wherever required.
• Ensure timely mobilisation and demobilisation of equipment in coordination with project management teams.
• Oversee site readiness, transportation, statutory clearances, and insurance requirements for equipment movement.

2. Capital Expenditure & Commercial Management

• Develop and manage annual capital expenditure (CapEx) plans for plant, machinery, and construction assets.
• Conduct hire-versus-buy analysis for major equipment categories, including tower cranes, passenger and material hoists, formwork systems, batching plants, transit mixers, boom placers, excavators, and other specialised equipment.
• Evaluate equipment procurement proposals based on lifecycle costs, utilisation potential, project requirements, and return on investment.
• Manage vendor negotiations, equipment procurement, and commercial relationships with OEMs and equipment suppliers.
• Drive cost optimisation through effective asset utilisation, ownership planning, and hiring strategies.

3. Formwork Engineering & Management

• Oversee formwork engineering, system selection, and deployment based on project typology, construction methodology, and cycle-time requirements.
• Manage modular, aluminium, tunnel, and jump-form systems across relevant projects.
• Optimise formwork inventory, reuse cycles, maintenance, and inter-project redeployment.
• Ensure appropriate formwork systems are selected to improve construction productivity, quality, and cost efficiency.

4. Maintenance & Workshop Operations

• Establish preventive and breakdown maintenance systems for all plant, machinery, and construction equipment.
• Oversee workshop operations, equipment servicing, repair schedules, and spare parts inventory management.
• Monitor equipment condition and minimise downtime through effective maintenance planning.
• Manage annual maintenance contracts and service arrangements with OEMs and external service providers.
• Establish maintenance standards and ensure equipment readiness across all active sites.

5. Fleet Utilisation & Performance Monitoring

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive P&M management information system (MIS) to track fleet performance.
• Monitor equipment utilisation, operating hours, breakdown frequency, downtime, maintenance costs, and availability.
• Track cost-efficiency metrics, including cost per cubic metre of concrete and cost per tonne of steel handled, wherever applicable.
• Compare equipment hiring costs against ownership and operating costs to identify optimisation opportunities.
• Present periodic performance reports to senior management and drive corrective actions to improve productivity and cost efficiency.

6. Operator & Workforce Management

• Oversee the deployment, training, licensing, and productivity monitoring of equipment operators.
• Ensure operators handling cranes, hoists, forklifts, and other specialised machinery possess the required qualifications and certifications.
• Coordinate with the HR team to develop skilled operator hiring pipelines based on project requirements.
• Establish clear operating procedures and performance standards for equipment operators and site-level P&M teams.

7. Statutory Compliance, Safety & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with statutory inspection requirements, equipment insurance, Pollution Under Control (PUC) requirements where applicable, load test certifications, and third-party audits.
• Maintain proper documentation and certification for all plant, machinery, and construction assets.
• Coordinate with project teams to ensure adherence to equipment-related EHS standards and safe operating practices.
• Identify equipment-related operational and safety risks and implement appropriate preventive measures.

8. Asset Lifecycle & Disposal Management

• Manage the complete asset lifecycle, from procurement and commissioning to maintenance, redeployment, and disposal.
• Evaluate end-of-life assets for resale, refurbishment, or scrapping based on their condition and commercial viability.
• Coordinate with the finance team for asset valuation, book-value reconciliation, and disposal documentation.
• Maintain accurate asset registers and ensure appropriate controls over equipment inventory and movement.

9. Team Leadership & Function Development

• Build and lead a centralised P&M function supported by zonal and site-level teams.
• Manage mechanical engineers, workshop supervisors, and site P&M coordinators across multiple locations.
• Standardise P&M planning, procurement, maintenance, reporting, and asset management processes.
• Drive the transition from fragmented, project-level equipment decisions to an integrated and structured centralised P&M management model.
• Establish performance metrics, accountability frameworks, and continuous improvement initiatives across the function.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering is mandatory.
• Experience: Minimum 18 years of experience in construction plant and machinery or heavy equipment management.
• At least 6 years of experience leading the P&M function at a main construction contractor.
• A minimum of 5 continuous years in a senior P&M role within a single organisation.
• Extensive experience in building and factory construction projects, including high-rise residential, commercial, industrial, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, or data centre projects.
• Proven experience managing plant and machinery across at least 15 concurrent projects.
• Demonstrated success in improving equipment utilisation, reducing downtime, or optimising equipment-related costs.
• Strong hands-on expertise in the selection, deployment, maintenance, and lifecycle management of construction equipment.
• Experience in capital expenditure planning, hire-versus-buy analysis, lifecycle costing, procurement, and vendor negotiations.

Technical & Functional Expertise

• Tower Cranes: Experience with luffing-jib and hammerhead tower cranes.
• Hoisting Equipment: Passenger and material hoists.
• Formwork Systems: Modular, aluminium, tunnel, and jump-form systems.
• Concrete Equipment: Batching plants, transit mixers, and boom placers.
• Heavy Equipment: Excavators and other specialised construction machinery.
• Maintenance Management: Preventive maintenance, breakdown management, workshop operations, and spare parts planning.
• Commercial Management: CapEx planning, equipment procurement, hire-versus-buy analysis, and lifecycle cost optimisation.
• Fleet Management: Equipment utilisation, deployment planning, asset tracking, and performance reporting.
• Compliance & Safety: Statutory inspections, certifications, equipment insurance, and EHS compliance.

Preferred Experience & Additional Skills

• Experience with established building and factory construction contractors or large-scale EPC organisations.
• Familiarity with leading formwork systems and suppliers, including Doka, PERI, MFE, and MIVAN.
• Experience working with crane manufacturers and suppliers such as Potain, Liebherr, and ACE.
• Familiarity with concrete equipment manufacturers and suppliers such as Schwing Stetter and Ajax Fiori.
• Experience implementing digital P&M management systems, telematics, GPS tracking, equipment IoT, or specialised P&M modules within SAP or construction ERP platforms.
• Exposure to jump-form and aluminium formwork systems on high-rise residential projects.
• Proven ability to establish centralised P&M planning and standardised processes across a multi-project construction portfolio.

Important Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates must have substantial experience with a main construction contractor in a senior P&M leadership role. Experience limited to equipment rental companies or OEMs will not meet this requirement.
• Experience must be predominantly in building and factory construction. Candidates whose P&M experience is limited to roads, bridges, tunnels, highways, or other infrastructure projects will not be considered.
• Candidates must demonstrate hands-on expertise in building construction equipment, particularly tower cranes, passenger and material hoists, formwork systems, batching plants, and boom placers.
• Experience managing P&M operations across at least 15 concurrent projects is essential.
• A minimum of 5 continuous years in a senior P&M role at one organisation is mandatory; candidates with fragmented tenures that do not meet this requirement will not be considered.