Plant Manager - Biochar Based Fertilizers

Location: Mundargi, GadagAbout Equilibrium:Equilibrium is a full-stack carbon removal developer building one of the largest high-integrity carbon portfolios from the Global South, with a ~20Mt CO₂ removal pipeline.

We develop bankable, high-impact projects by integrating advanced climate science, an in-house digital MRV platform, and innovative blended finance.Our portfolio spans across nature-based and engineered removal: on nature-based, we have large-scale agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, and mangrove restoration initiatives; on engineered removal, we are building India's leading biochar platform with large-scale commercial operations. Collectively, our projects span 120,000+ hectares and will support over 150,000 smallholder farmers and coastal communities.Our work is backed by a $3M institutional seed round from Peak XV (formerly Sequoia) and Avaana Capital, and driven by a 95+ member team with deep expertise in climate science, carbon markets, and project operations.

Key Responsibilities

We are looking for a hands-on Plant Manager to take end-to-end ownership of our biochar-based fertilizer manufacturing operations at our plant in Mundargi, Gadag.The role will be responsible for ensuring efficient production, consistent quality, cost control and smooth day-to-day plant operations as the facility scales. Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:Plan and manage daily and monthly production to meet volume and quality targets.Manage plant manpower, shifts and overall shop-floor operations.Ensure efficient utilisation of raw materials, equipment and labour.Monitor manufacturing costs, wastage, productivity and overall plant performance.Ensure consistent quality and output of biochar-based fertilizer products.Coordinate procurement, inventory, maintenance and dispatch requirements.Develop, implement and improve SOPs and manufacturing processes as the plant scales.Ensure accurate production and inventory data capture, including adoption of dMRV/data systems.Maintain plant safety, housekeeping and regulatory compliance.Identify and implement initiatives to improve productivity, quality and cost efficiency.Troubleshoot day-to-day operational issues and ensure timely resolution to minimise production disruptions.Ideal Candidate Profile:3–5 years of experience in manufacturing or plant operations.Degree in Engineering, Agriculture or a related field.Experience managing people, machinery and day-to-day shop-floor operations.Strong understanding of production planning, inventory, quality and cost control.Comfortable working in a hands-on, fast-paced manufacturing environment.Strong problem-solving and execution skills.Experience in fertilizer, organic manure, biochar, biomass, agri-processing or similar manufacturing is preferred.Comfortable working in an evolving environment and building processes as the plant scales.Should be comfortable speaking in Kannada.How to ApplySend your application to talent@equilibriumearth.com