United Breweries Ltd.
Website:
unitedbreweries.com
Job details:
Position Title - Manager – Special Projects & Sustainability
Department: Business Development
Reporting to: Director – Business Development
Location: Corporate Office, with travel to manufacturing sites as required
1. Role Purpose
Identify, evaluate and execute strategic projects that deliver measurable business value through technology adoption, green energy, brewing-process optimisation, waste-to-wealth initiatives and resource efficiency.
The role combines technology scouting, data analytics, financial modelling and end-to-end project execution. The incumbent will be responsible for converting opportunities into commercially viable investments and ensuring delivery against approved business cases, frozen engineering designs, budgets, specifications and timelines.
2. Key Responsibilities
A. Technology Scouting and Special Projects.
- Maintain current knowledge of developments in renewable energy, industrial energy efficiency, waste recovery, circular economy and emerging technologies relevant to brewing and process manufacturing.
- Identify and evaluate opportunities in solar and other green energy solutions, heat recovery, energy optimisation, biogas, compressed biogas (CBG) and alternative fuels.
- Identify opportunities to convert brewing by-products and manufacturing waste—including spent grain, surplus yeast, effluent and other process residues, as applicable—into saleable products, energy or useful raw materials.
- Benchmark industry practices, assess technology providers and develop a prioritised pipeline of commercially attractive projects.
B. Data Analytics and Business Case Development
- Analyse plant operating data, energy consumption, production yields, waste streams, water usage and operating costs to identify improvement opportunities.
- Independently develop detailed, data-driven business cases and financial models covering capital expenditure, operating costs, revenue potential, savings, payback, NPV, IRR and sensitivity analysis.
- Compare alternative technologies and commercial models, validate assumptions and assess technical feasibility, investment risks and expected returns.
- Prepare evidence-based investment recommendations for management approval, supported by clear assumptions and quantified benefits.
- Use advanced Excel for financial modelling and data analysis. Proficiency in Power BI or equivalent dashboarding tools is desirable; familiarity with SQL, Python and AI-enabled analytical tools is an advantage.
C. Project Execution and Commissioning
- Take approved projects from detailed planning and engineering through procurement, installation, commissioning, performance testing and operational handover.
- Establish and maintain the approved design, scope, specifications, budget, quality standards and schedule as the execution baseline.
- Coordinate with engineering consultants, technology providers, contractors, plant teams and internal stakeholders to ensure timely and effective implementation.
- Enforce strict adherence to the frozen design and approved specifications. Any proposed deviation must undergo documented technical and commercial evaluation and formal approval before implementation.
- Monitor project progress, expenditure, risks, quality and milestones; promptly escalate deviations and implement corrective actions.
- Ensure commissioning, performance validation, documentation, training and handover, followed by verification of actual financial and operational benefits against the approved business case.
D. Sustainability and Resource Efficiency
- Develop projects to reduce energy consumption, conventional energy costs.
- Evaluate waste-to-energy, waste-to-wealth, water recovery.
- Quantify environmental and financial benefits against defined baselines and identify opportunities to replicate successful projects across manufacturing locations.
- Ensure proposed initiatives meet applicable regulatory, environmental, quality and safety requirements.
E. Stakeholder Management
- Work closely with Engineering, Plant Operations, Finance, Procurement and other relevant functions to validate proposals and deliver approved projects.
- Build relationships with technology providers, equipment manufacturers, consultants and potential commercial partners.
- Present investment proposals, project updates, risks and benefits realisation to the Director – Business Development and senior management.
3. Qualifications and Experience
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Energy, Environmental or another relevant engineering discipline.
- A postgraduate qualification in energy management, sustainability, project management or business management is desirable.
Experience
- Approximately 8–12 years of relevant experience in industrial project execution, engineering, energy management, process manufacturing or technology implementation.
- Demonstrated experience in delivering projects from feasibility through commissioning.
- Proven capability in financial modelling, investment evaluation and project cost and schedule control.
- Exposure to renewable energy, brewing or fermentation, bioenergy, CBG, waste management, resource recovery or industrial energy efficiency is desirable.
Preferred industry background
Brewing and distilleries, food and beverage, bioenergy and CBG, chemicals, cement, paper and pulp, renewable energy, industrial engineering or EPC project execution.
4. Critical Competencies
- Strong technical understanding of industrial processes, utilities, energy systems and resource efficiency.
- Advanced Excel proficiency and the ability to independently build comprehensive financial models and data-backed business cases.
- Strong quantitative, analytical and commercial decision-making skills.
- Hands-on project planning, execution, commissioning and performance validation experience.
- High discipline in engineering design freeze, scope control, change management, quality and cost control.
- Ability to challenge vendor assumptions and translate technical opportunities into measurable financial returns.
5. Key Performance Indicators
Performance will be measured against agreed annual targets:
- Value creation: Verified cost savings and incremental revenue delivered.
- Project execution: Projects commissioned within approved budgets and timelines.
- Design compliance: Adherence to frozen designs and formal change-control procedures.
- Investment performance: Actual returns against approved business cases.
- Resource efficiency: Measurable improvements in energy, and identified oppurtunties
- Waste-to-wealth: Commercial value realised from by-products and waste streams.
- Benefits realisation: Achievement of agreed technical, financial and environmental outcomes after commissioning.
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