Reporting to the Refinery General Manager, this leadership team position will lead the Business Excellence function with a focus on driving strategic initiatives, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring refinery governance.

While commercially focused, this role requires an Engineering degree and deep operational experience in a manufacturing or refinery environment, preferably in a leadership or business improvement role and could include an Area Manager background.

The role supervises a team of 4 direct reports and is influential across the value chain at senior levels.

To lead the Business Excellence function with a focus on driving strategic initiatives, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring refinery governance. The role is dedicated to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the refinery through the Business Improvement Plan, which focuses on margin improvement, cost optimisation, and operational efficiency. Additionally, the role aims to optimise refinery performance by overseeing the development and execution of long-term strategies, commercial development, managing change initiatives. The goal is to improve the refineries competitive position in the global market, ensure alignment with corporate objectives, and improve overall business performance through continuous improvement programs and data-driven decision-making.

To lead the Business Excellence function with a focus on driving strategic initiatives, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring refinery governance. The role is dedicated to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the refinery through the Business Improvement Plan, which focuses on margin improvement, cost optimisation, and operational efficiency. Additionally, the role aims to optimise refinery performance by overseeing the development and execution of long-term strategies, commercial development, managing change initiatives. The goal is to improve the refineries competitive position in the global market, ensure alignment with corporate objectives, and improve overall business performance through continuous improvement programs and data-driven decision-making.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor the Business Excellence team of five direct reports, ensuring alignment with refinery goals and driving a culture of continuous improvement.
• Develop the 4-year strategic plan. Ensure the refinery's strategy and annual business plan are aligned with AE Corporate Strategy.
• Drive the commercial development of the refinery in conjunction with the Enterprise Value Chain Organization.
• Act as the primary liaison with the AE Strategy, Sustainability and Operational Excellence Group to align resources, tools, and goals with refinery objectives.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including presentations to the Executive Committee (EXCO) and Board, to provide a unified refinery narrative.
• Lead reviews of critical refinery processes and procedures to improve operational efficiency and increase value generation.
• Oversee the Business Improvement Program, targeting margin enhancement, cost reduction, and capital expenditure optimisation to secure long-term refinery sustainability.
• Steward refinery digitalisation efforts, integrating new technologies into operational and business processes to improve efficiency and innovation.
• Lead pre-appraisal and conceptual evaluations of new business development opportunities to support growth and strategic alignment.
• Lead the refinery energy efficiency and carbon abatement strategies and initiatives.

Professional Qualification and Certifications:

• Minimum requirement: Bachelor of Engineering or equivalent.
• An MBA qualification will be advantageous.

Work Experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in a manufacturing or refinery environment, preferably in a leadership or business improvement role.

Knowledge and skills:     

• Strong understanding of refinery operations and the oil and gas sector.
• Proven experience in strategic planning, business improvement, and change management.
• Demonstrated ability to drive strategic and operational efficiency initiatives.
• Excellent leadership, mentoring, and team management skills.
• Strong analytical skills with a focus on data-driven decision-making.
• Proficiency in project management and stakeholder engagement at a senior level.
• Familiarity with process optimisation tools such as Linear Programming (LP) and other performance improvement methodologies.
• Familiarity with performance benchmarking methodologies, such as Solomons, to drive operational excellence and comparative performance analysis.
• Knowledge of safety and environmental regulations, particularly OHSA compliance.

Application deadline:

05 March 2026