Production Manager - Wiring Harness Manufacturing

About the Role

Celestix Industries is establishing a new, large-scale manufacturing campus in Falna, Rajasthan, comprising multiple factories focused on wiring harness manufacturing, copper busbars, sheet metal fabrication, electrical components and industrial manufacturing.

We are looking for an experienced, technically strong and hands-on Production Manager – Wiring Harness Manufacturing to establish and lead our new wiring harness and cable assembly production operations.

This position is suitable for an experienced Production Manager, Assistant Production Manager, Production Head or senior Production Engineer who has successfully managed wiring harness manufacturing operations and possesses strong practical knowledge of production planning, manpower management, wire processing, terminal crimping, cable assembly, testing, quality control and manufacturing productivity.

As this is a greenfield manufacturing facility, the selected candidate will initially be responsible for supporting machinery selection, production line layout, equipment installation, tooling development, production process establishment, manpower recruitment, operator training and manufacturing commissioning.

Once production begins, the Production Manager will assume responsibility for daily and monthly production targets, production planning and control (PPC), manufacturing capacity, material availability, shop-floor management, quality performance, production costs and on-time delivery.

Our wiring harness manufacturing operations may include:

• Industrial wiring harnesses
• Electrical cable assemblies
• Automotive wiring harnesses
• Appliance wiring harnesses
• Power cable assemblies
• Battery cable assemblies
• High-current cable assemblies
• Molded cable assemblies
• Braided cable assemblies
• Custom OEM wiring harnesses
• Connector and terminal assemblies

The most important requirement is direct wiring harness manufacturing experience combined with strong production leadership, greenfield production setup capability, efficient manpower utilization, crimping process knowledge and the ability to consistently achieve manufacturing targets.

We are not looking for a desk-only Production Manager whose experience is limited to preparing production schedules or reports.

The ideal candidate should understand the manufacturing process from raw wire and components through cutting, stripping, crimping, splicing, assembly, testing, inspection and finished-goods transfer.

Key Responsibilities

1. Greenfield Wiring Harness Production Facility Setup

The Production Manager will play a key role in establishing the wiring harness manufacturing division from the ground up.

Responsibilities include:

• Participate in planning and establishing the wiring harness manufacturing facility.
• Review expected product categories, manufacturing processes and production capacity requirements.
• Recommend suitable manufacturing machinery, equipment and tooling.
• Support factory layout planning and production workstation design.
• Plan efficient movement of raw materials, work-in-progress and finished harnesses.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Purchase and Stores during factory setup.
• Participate in equipment installation, commissioning and production trials.
• Identify requirements for assembly boards, fixtures, test equipment and production tools.
• Support development of production process flows, work instructions and operating procedures.
• Establish production line staffing and operator skill requirements.
• Participate in recruitment and technical evaluation of supervisors, Production Engineers, technicians and operators.
• Coordinate operator training before regular production begins.
• Support trial production, process validation and initial commercial production.
• Identify startup bottlenecks and implement corrective action.
• Establish manufacturing reporting, production control and operational performance systems.

The objective is to create a reliable, scalable and cost-efficient wiring harness manufacturing operation capable of supporting increasing customer demand.

2. Wiring Harness Manufacturing Operations

Manage the complete manufacturing process for wiring harnesses and cable assemblies.

The candidate should possess practical knowledge of processes including:

• Wire cutting
• Wire stripping
• Semi-automatic and automatic terminal crimping
• Terminal insertion
• Connector assembly
• Wire twisting
• Soldering
• Splicing
• Ultrasonic welding
• Harness routing
• Taping and wrapping
• Braiding and sleeving
• Loom assembly
• Cable labeling and identification
• Continuity testing
• Electrical testing
• Visual inspection
• Final packing

Responsibilities include:

• Establish approved manufacturing sequences for different wiring harness products.
• Ensure production follows customer drawings, wiring diagrams, BOMs and work instructions.
• Monitor daily production output and manufacturing efficiency.
• Coordinate machine setup and production readiness.
• Ensure correct materials, terminals, connectors and tools are used.
• Identify manufacturing bottlenecks and improve process flow.
• Reduce unnecessary material movement, waiting time and rework.
• Maintain consistency across different production lines and work orders.
• Ensure finished harnesses meet approved technical and quality requirements.

3. Wire Cutting, Stripping & Crimping Process Management

Crimping and wire processing are among the most critical technical processes in wiring harness manufacturing.

The Production Manager should understand:

• Wire types, sizes and specifications
• AWG and metric wire sizes
• Wire cutting lengths
• Strip lengths
• Terminal and connector selection
• Crimping presses and applicators
• Terminal feeding and positioning
• Crimp-height requirements
• Pull-force testing
• Conductor crimp requirements
• Insulation crimp requirements
• Terminal deformation and damage
• Wire strand damage
• Crimp defects and their causes
• First-piece inspection
• Process setup and verification

Responsibilities include:

• Establish standardized wire cutting and stripping processes.
• Coordinate suitable machine and applicator selection.
• Ensure approved crimping parameters are followed.
• Monitor crimp-height and pull-force verification requirements.
• Identify defective crimps and recurring process problems.
• Coordinate process corrections with Quality and Engineering.
• Support training of machine operators and crimping technicians.
• Minimize crimp-related rejection and rework.
• Ensure process consistency across shifts and production lines.

The candidate must be capable of identifying potential crimping process problems and guiding the team toward appropriate corrective action.

4. Production Planning & Control (PPC)

Manage production execution according to customer orders, delivery commitments and available manufacturing capacity.

Responsibilities include:

• Prepare daily, weekly and monthly production plans.
• Convert customer demand and approved work orders into achievable manufacturing schedules.
• Coordinate capacity planning and production line loading.
• Plan manpower requirements according to production demand.
• Verify raw material, tooling and equipment readiness.
• Coordinate with PPC, Procurement and Stores regarding production material availability.
• Establish work-order priorities and manufacturing sequences.
• Monitor planned versus actual production.
• Identify production delays and capacity limitations.
• Manage work-in-progress (WIP) across production stages.
• Coordinate urgent customer requirements and production recovery plans.
• Maintain visibility of pending orders and production backlogs.
• Escalate delivery risks before they affect customer commitments.

The Production Manager must understand the relationship between customer demand, material availability, capacity, manpower and production output.

5. Production Line Setup, Layout & Workstation Development

As part of the greenfield setup, the candidate will be responsible for developing efficient wiring harness production lines.

Responsibilities include:

• Design practical workstation arrangements for different manufacturing processes.
• Establish material flow between cutting, crimping, assembly, testing and packing.
• Identify requirements for assembly boards, jigs and fixtures.
• Determine workstation manpower and equipment capacity.
• Coordinate installation of assembly tables, conveyors and production infrastructure.
• Establish standard work sequences.
• Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary movement and material handling.
• Improve workstation ergonomics and production efficiency.
• Implement visual work instructions and appropriate material identification.
• Support line commissioning and production trials.
• Optimize line layouts as production volumes increase.

6. Manpower Planning, Recruitment & Shop Floor Management

Lead a manufacturing team consisting of:

• Production Engineers
• Production Supervisors
• Line Leaders
• Machine Operators
• Wiring Harness Assemblers
• Technicians
• Helpers and Trainees

Responsibilities include:

• Prepare manpower plans according to production capacity and customer demand.
• Participate in recruitment and technical evaluation of manufacturing personnel.
• Allocate manpower according to production requirements and operator skills.
• Establish shift structures and production staffing plans.
• Monitor attendance, absenteeism and manpower availability.
• Develop operator skill matrices.
• Coordinate structured training for new employees.
• Monitor employee productivity and production discipline.
• Develop capable Production Supervisors and Line Leaders.
• Establish performance objectives and accountability.
• Resolve manpower-related production bottlenecks.
• Coordinate workforce planning with HR and the Plant Head.

The candidate must have strong team leadership and the ability to build a skilled manufacturing workforce from the initial commissioning stage.

7. Production Engineers & Supervisor Development

• Lead and guide Production Engineers and Production Supervisors.
• Allocate responsibility for individual production lines and manufacturing processes.
• Review daily production output and quality performance.
• Ensure supervisors follow approved production plans.
• Establish daily production meetings and shift handover procedures.
• Train supervisors in manpower planning, production reporting and defect prevention.
• Develop technical troubleshooting capability within the production team.
• Hold supervisors accountable for productivity, discipline and process compliance.
• Identify leadership gaps and recommend suitable training.
• Support internal promotion of capable operators and technicians.

This position requires management of the complete production department, not just supervision of one assembly line.

8. Production Productivity, Line Balancing & Cycle Time Reduction

Continuously improve manufacturing output and workforce efficiency through:

• Line balancing
• Workstation optimization
• Cycle-time measurement
• Takt-time analysis
• Bottleneck identification
• Standardized work
• Operator skill development
• Layout improvement
• Better material presentation
• Jig and fixture improvements
• Reduced material movement
• Manufacturing automation
• Process simplification

Responsibilities include:

• Establish measurable production productivity targets.
• Monitor production output by line, shift and operator where appropriate.
• Identify operations with excessive cycle times.
• Improve the distribution of work across operators.
• Reduce waiting time and work-in-progress accumulation.
• Improve manufacturing capacity without compromising quality.
• Implement practical productivity improvements.
• Monitor results and sustain improvements over time.

9. Quality Control & Wiring Harness Workmanship

Ensure manufacturing operations meet approved customer specifications and workmanship requirements.

The candidate should understand:

• IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship requirements
• Wire cutting and stripping quality
• Crimp quality
• Terminal insertion
• Connector assembly
• Soldering and splicing workmanship
• Wire routing and harness dimensions
• In-process inspection
• Continuity testing
• Electrical testing
• Product identification and traceability
• Nonconforming material control
• Corrective and preventive action

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinate with Quality to establish inspection requirements.
• Ensure operators follow approved work instructions.
• Implement first-piece and in-process quality controls.
• Monitor rejection and rework by process.
• Participate in root cause analysis for recurring defects.
• Coordinate corrective actions and operator retraining.
• Prevent material and component mix-ups.
• Maintain consistent workmanship standards.
• Support customer quality requirements and audit readiness.

Working knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620 is strongly preferred.

10. Electrical Testing & Final Product Verification

Manage production readiness and throughput for wiring harness testing operations.

Testing activities may include:

• Continuity testing
• Open-circuit detection
• Short-circuit detection
• Pin-to-pin verification
• Polarity verification
• Electrical resistance testing, where specified
• High-voltage or insulation testing, where specified
• Visual and dimensional inspection
• Final product identification

Responsibilities include:

• Ensure appropriate test equipment and fixtures are available.
• Coordinate testing capacity with production output.
• Monitor testing-related bottlenecks.
• Review common electrical test failures.
• Coordinate corrective action for assembly or process-related defects.
• Ensure failed products are controlled and not released as acceptable production.
• Support accurate testing and traceability records.
• Coordinate tester maintenance and calibration with authorized departments.
• Ensure products meet approved customer testing requirements before release.

11. Manufacturing Equipment & Machine Utilization

The Production Manager should understand manufacturing machinery such as:

• Automatic wire cutting and stripping machines
• Semi-automatic crimping machines
• Terminal crimping presses
• Terminal applicators
• Pneumatic crimping equipment
• Wire twisting machines
• Ultrasonic welding machines
• Soldering equipment
• Braiding equipment
• Assembly conveyors
• Continuity testing equipment
• Electrical testing machines
• Pull-force testers
• Crimp-height measuring instruments

Responsibilities include:

• Review equipment capacity and suitability.
• Coordinate machine installation and commissioning.
• Monitor production machine utilization.
• Identify recurring equipment-related production issues.
• Coordinate breakdowns with the Maintenance department.
• Ensure suitable applicators, tools and fixtures are available.
• Support preventive maintenance scheduling.
• Reduce unnecessary machine idle time.
• Identify opportunities for improved automation and production capacity.

12. Raw Material Availability, BOM & Inventory Coordination

Wiring harness manufacturing requires accurate availability of several component categories.

These may include:

• Electrical wires and cables
• Terminals
• Connectors
• Connector housings
• Seals and grommets
• Heat-shrink tubing
• Sleeves and braided protection
• Tapes and labels
• Cable ties
• Insulation materials
• Other customer-specific components

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinate raw material readiness before releasing production orders.
• Review manufacturing BOM requirements.
• Identify critical material shortages.
• Ensure correct materials are issued to production.
• Prevent component mixing and incorrect material usage.
• Monitor material consumption and wastage.
• Coordinate WIP identification and storage.
• Support inventory accuracy and traceability.
• Work with Procurement and Stores on shortage recovery plans.
• Maintain production continuity through proactive material planning.

13. Manufacturing Cost Control & Material Utilization

• Monitor production conversion costs.
• Improve direct labour productivity.
• Reduce wire cutting and stripping wastage.
• Minimize incorrect cutting lengths and material rejection.
• Reduce unnecessary consumption of terminals and connectors.
• Monitor consumable usage.
• Reduce rework and repeated testing.
• Improve machine utilization.
• Monitor overtime and manufacturing labour requirements.
• Identify opportunities to reduce production costs through process improvements.
• Establish measurable cost-saving initiatives.
• Coordinate manufacturing cost reviews with the Plant Head and Finance department.

The Production Manager must understand how labour productivity, material utilization, quality and manufacturing efficiency affect production cost.

14. ERP, MRP & Production Reporting

• Ensure accurate production transactions are recorded in ERP or approved systems.
• Maintain production order and work-order records.
• Track raw material issue and consumption.
• Monitor WIP and finished production.
• Ensure actual production quantities are recorded correctly.
• Coordinate BOM and routing accuracy with Engineering and Planning.
• Support inventory reconciliation.
• Monitor production backlog and pending orders.
• Prepare accurate production and material consumption reports.
• Use Excel and ERP data to identify performance problems and improvement opportunities.

15. Production KPIs & Management Reporting

Develop and monitor key manufacturing performance indicators, including:

• Planned versus actual production
• Production output by line and shift
• On-time production completion
• Production capacity utilization
• Labour productivity
• Operator efficiency
• Cycle time
• Line balancing efficiency
• Work-in-progress
• Production rejection
• Rework
• First-pass yield
• Crimping defects
• Electrical testing failures
• Material wastage
• Machine downtime
• Overtime
• Production lead time
• Customer delivery risks

Prepare regular production performance reports for the Plant Head and senior management.

Reports should identify the actual reasons for performance gaps and include practical corrective actions.

16. New Product Development & Manufacturing Readiness

Work with NPD, Engineering and Quality teams to introduce new wiring harness products.

Responsibilities include:

• Review customer drawings and technical requirements.
• Assess manufacturing feasibility.
• Identify production equipment and tooling requirements.
• Estimate manufacturing cycle times.
• Determine manpower and production capacity requirements.
• Develop process flow and workstation requirements.
• Coordinate assembly boards, fixtures and testing arrangements.
• Support prototype and sample production.
• Participate in trial and pilot production.
• Coordinate manufacturing process validation.
• Support smooth transfer of new products into regular production.
• Resolve production-related issues during customer program ramp-up.

17. PFMEA, Control Plans & Process Improvement

Support Manufacturing Engineering and Quality in establishing process controls.

Responsibilities include:

• Participate in Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), where required.
• Support preparation and implementation of Control Plans.
• Ensure approved Standard Operating Procedures are followed.
• Identify recurring manufacturing defects.
• Participate in root cause analysis.
• Implement agreed corrective and preventive actions.
• Support error-proofing and mistake-proofing initiatives.
• Improve process reliability and repeatability.
• Coordinate process changes with Engineering and Quality.
• Maintain production discipline during introduction of revised processes.

18. Lean Manufacturing, 5S & Continuous Improvement

• Implement Lean Manufacturing principles across wiring harness production.
• Establish standardized work practices.
• Implement and sustain 5S.
• Reduce unnecessary material movement, waiting time and WIP.
• Improve workstation organization.
• Encourage Kaizen and shop-floor improvement suggestions.
• Identify and eliminate recurring production losses.
• Improve operator utilization and production line balance.
• Reduce avoidable rework and rejection.
• Support practical automation and error-proofing opportunities.
• Establish a culture of measurable continuous improvement.

19. Manufacturing Safety & Shop Floor Discipline

• Ensure production personnel follow approved safety procedures.
• Monitor safe operation of cutting, stripping, crimping and other manufacturing machines.
• Ensure appropriate machine guarding and safety controls.
• Maintain safe material handling and workstation arrangements.
• Enforce required PPE usage.
• Coordinate with EHS regarding shop-floor hazards.
• Ensure operators receive appropriate machine safety training.
• Maintain clean and organized production areas.
• Support incident investigation and corrective action.
• Ensure approved operating and maintenance procedures are followed.

20. Customer Audits, Quality Systems & Production Compliance

• Support customer visits and manufacturing audits.
• Explain production processes and manufacturing controls to auditors.
• Coordinate audit readiness with Quality and Engineering.
• Support ISO 9001 quality management systems.
• Support IATF 16949-related requirements where applicable to customer programs and the company's certification scope.
• Maintain process documentation and production traceability.
• Review audit observations affecting production.
• Implement agreed corrective actions.
• Ensure operators and supervisors understand relevant customer requirements.
• Maintain manufacturing discipline during customer inspections.

21. Production Capacity Expansion & Workforce Development

As the manufacturing division expands, the Production Manager will support:

• Additional production lines
• Higher manufacturing volumes
• Increased manpower requirements
• Additional cutting and crimping equipment
• More assembly workstations
• Expanded electrical testing capacity
• Additional customer programs
• Process automation
• Supervisor and operator development
• Improvement of production layouts
• Standardization across multiple shifts

The objective is to build a manufacturing operation capable of expanding efficiently without compromising quality, productivity or delivery performance.

Required Experience

• 8–12 years of manufacturing experience, preferably in wiring harness or cable assembly manufacturing.
• At least 3 years in production management, production engineering leadership or significant production supervisory responsibility.
• Direct hands-on understanding of wiring harness manufacturing processes.
• Practical knowledge of wire cutting, stripping, terminal crimping, connector assembly, splicing and testing.
• Experience managing production planning and shop-floor operations.
• Ability to manage Production Engineers, Production Supervisors, operators and technicians.
• Strong understanding of manpower allocation, line balancing and productivity improvement.
• Experience with material planning, inventory coordination and WIP control.
• Knowledge of manufacturing quality, crimp inspection, electrical testing and rejection reduction.
• Ability to monitor machine utilization, downtime and production capacity.
• Experience with ERP, Excel and manufacturing reporting systems.
• Strong problem-solving, leadership and cross-functional coordination skills.

Direct wiring harness manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.

Strongly Preferred Experience

• Greenfield wiring harness factory setup
• New production line establishment
• Manufacturing equipment installation and commissioning
• Automatic wire cutting and stripping machines
• Crimping presses and terminal applicators
• Crimp-height measurement and pull-force testing
• Ultrasonic welding and splicing
• Wiring harness assembly boards and fixtures
• Continuity and electrical testing systems
• IPC/WHMA-A-620
• ISO 9001
• PFMEA and Control Plans
• Lean Manufacturing and 5S
• Production capacity planning
• Operator training and production ramp-up
• ERP / MRP systems

Preferred Industry Background

Candidates with experience in the following industries may be considered:

• Wiring Harness Manufacturing
• Cable Assembly Manufacturing
• Automotive Electrical Components
• Industrial Wiring Harnesses
• Appliance Wiring Harnesses
• Electrical Cable Assemblies
• Battery Cable Manufacturing
• Electrical Connector Assembly
• High-Volume Electrical Assembly Manufacturing

Candidates whose experience is limited to general electrical installation, electrical panel assembly or production planning without hands-on wiring harness manufacturing knowledge may not be suitable.

Qualifications

• Diploma / B.E. / B.Tech in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Industrial Engineering or Automobile Engineering.
• Candidates with equivalent practical wiring harness manufacturing experience and proven production leadership may also be considered.

Hands-on manufacturing capability and demonstrated production management results are more important than the exact engineering specialization.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a Production Manager who can independently establish and operate a new wiring harness manufacturing division.

For example, if management provides customer wiring harness drawings, expected monthly production volumes, machinery requirements and a planned factory building, the candidate should be capable of:

• Reviewing manufacturing requirements and product complexity.
• Establishing a practical production process flow.
• Identifying suitable cutting, stripping, crimping, assembly and testing equipment.
• Planning workstation layouts and production line capacity.
• Estimating manpower requirements.
• Recruiting and training Production Supervisors, technicians and operators.
• Developing production work instructions and process controls with Engineering and Quality.
• Coordinating installation and commissioning of manufacturing equipment.
• Conducting trial production and identifying manufacturing problems.
• Establishing production planning and reporting systems.
• Monitoring output, quality, material consumption and machine utilization.
• Improving line balancing and manufacturing productivity.
• Managing increasing customer demand and production volumes.

The ideal candidate should be comfortable working directly on the production floor, identifying operational problems and implementing practical solutions.

We are not looking for someone who only prepares production reports, manages schedules or supervises operators without understanding the actual manufacturing processes.

The strongest candidates will combine wiring harness manufacturing expertise, production leadership, manpower management, process improvement and the ability to build a new manufacturing operation.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Production Manager will establish and lead a wiring harness manufacturing division where:

• Production machinery and workstations are commissioned successfully.
• Manufacturing processes and work instructions are established.
• Production Supervisors and operators are properly trained.
• Production capacity and manpower requirements are accurately planned.
• Daily and monthly production targets are achieved.
• Material shortages are identified early.
• Crimping and assembly defects are minimized.
• Electrical testing capacity supports production output.
• Rejection and rework are reduced.
• Labour productivity and line efficiency improve.
• Inventory and WIP records are accurate.
• Machines and manpower are utilized effectively.
• Production costs remain within approved budgets.
• Customer delivery commitments are consistently supported.
• New customer programs transition smoothly into production.
• Manufacturing capacity can expand without compromising quality or operational discipline.

This position offers the opportunity to establish and lead a new wiring harness manufacturing operation at Celestix Industries' expanding industrial campus in Falna, Rajasthan.