Technical Innovation Product Specialist

Beschreibung:

Dreaming big is in our DNA. It's who we are as a company. It's our culture. It's our heritage. And more than ever, it's our future. A future where we're always looking forward. Always serving up new ways to meet life's moments. A future where we keep dreaming bigger. We look for people with passion, talent, and curiosity, and provide them with the teammates, resources and opportunities to unleash their full potential. The power we create together - when we combine your strengths with ours - is unstoppable. Are you ready to join a team that dreams as big as you do?

The Key Purpose is to drive the identification, development, trialing, and implementation of technical renovation opportunities across raw materials, ingredients, brewing technologies, and manufacturing processes within the Africa Zone. Own assigned raw material and technology categories and lead the hands-on execution of technical projects, brewery trials, and process evaluations aimed at reducing cost, improving quality, enhancing sustainability, optimizing operational performance, and unlocking additional manufacturing capacity. Working closely with breweries and cross-functional teams, the Technical Innovation Specialist translates opportunities into practical solutions through robust technical assessment, on-site trial execution, data analysis, and implementation support.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

Technical Project Execution
* Lead the execution of technical renovation projects from opportunity identification through implementation and benefits realization.
* Develop project scopes, test protocols, implementation plans, timelines, and risk assessments.
* Manage project activities against agreed milestones, budgets, and KPIs.
* Support larger strategic initiatives led by Technical Innovation Managers through ownership of specific workstreams and deliverables.
* Track project performance and ensure technical and financial benefits are delivered and sustained.

Brewery Trials and Industrial Validation
* Plan, coordinate, and execute brewery trials across Africa Zone operations.
* Work directly with brewery teams to implement trial protocols and evaluate new raw materials, ingredients, technologies, and process improvements.
* Collect, analyse, interpret, and report trial results to support data-driven decision-making.
* Provide on-site technical support during trial execution and implementation activities.
* Identify and resolve technical issues encountered during trialing and scale-up activities.
* Support successful transition of approved initiatives into routine operations.

Raw Material and Process Development
* Maintain and develop opportunity pipelines within assigned raw material and technology categories (e.g., malt, hops, cereals, adjuncts, co-products, processing technologies).
* Evaluate alternative raw materials, ingredients, suppliers, and technologies to identify value engineering opportunities.
* Develop and validate process improvements that drive cost savings, quality enhancement, operational efficiencies, sustainability benefits, and capacity upliftment.
* Support debottlenecking initiatives through process evaluation, trial execution, and implementation support.

Technical Expertise
* Conduct technical evaluations and feasibility assessments of proposed solutions.
* Support breweries in troubleshooting raw material and process-related challenges.
* Ensure compliance with quality, food safety, regulatory, and company standards throughout project execution.
* Contribute technical expertise to cross-functional problem-solving and continuous improvement initiatives.

Stakeholder Collaboration
* Collaborate closely with Brewery Operations, Procurement, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Finance Teams, Suppliers and GITEC
* Provide clear and concise updates on project progress, risks, outcomes, and recommendations.
* Facilitate effective communication between technical and operational stakeholders during project execution.

Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
* Document project learnings, technical evaluations, and best practices.
* Support the development and maintenance of technical standards, specifications, and operating guidelines.
* Share knowledge across breweries to accelerate implementation and replication of successful initiatives.
* Contribute to building technical capability within the Africa Zone network.

Minimum Requirements:
* Degree in Brewing Science, Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Process Engineering, or a related technical discipline
* Experience in brewing, beverage manufacturing, process development, raw materials, or technical project execution
* Demonstrated experience planning and executing plant, brewery, pilot, or industrial trials
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate technical findings into practical recommendations
* Experience working with raw materials, ingredients, process optimization, or manufacturing improvement initiatives is advantageous
* Willingness and ability to travel across Africa Zone breweries as required
* Strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills
* 5 + years brewery operations management experience in a large or complex manufacturing facility
* A checked-out Brewing or Engineering Trainee with good supply process knowledge would be an advantage

Additional Information:
* Band: VI

SAB/ABInBev is an equal opportunity employer, and all appointments will be made in line with SAB/ABInBev employment equity plan and talent requirements. The advert has minimum requirements listed. Management reserves the right to use additional/ relevant information as criteria for short-listing