Reporting to the Business Excellence Manager, the primary purpose of the Business Improvement Lead role is to manage, oversee and support the execution of the Business Improvement Plan within the refinery. The role requires sourcing innovative ideas to progressing them through the project pipeline to enhance the refinery’s commercial performance. This role is responsible for tracking of the implementation of initiatives, reporting on their progress, and realizing value, both financially and operationally. Serving as a strategic leader, the Business Improvement Lead coordinates closely with various departments, including Finance, to ensure that all business improvement efforts align with the company's overarching goals and strategies. This role is also pivotal in performing economic evaluations, presenting key performance indicators to stakeholders, and leading the annual business planning process. Additionally, the Business Improvement Lead explores and coordinates business development opportunities, ensuring that all initiatives and projects are not only technically feasible but also strategically aligned and economically viable. This role plays a critical role in enhancing the refinery’s competitive edge and operational excellence.
Overseeing the development, prioritization, and resourcing strategies of the Business Improvement Plan, ensuring alignment with the refinery's strategic objectives and AE Corporate Strategy.
Manage the Business Improvement Plan, overseeing the entire lifecycle of each initiative: sourcing ideas, progressing them through the pipeline, tracking implementation, and reporting on progress and value realization.
Developing and overseeing Gross Margin improvements and Sustaining Capital Project opportunities, coordinating with the Capital Projects team and Capital Lead.
Leading and coordinating business development opportunities, including pre-appraisal and conceptual assessments, and ensuring alignment with the overall Business Improvement Plan and corporate strategy.
Overseeing the Enterprise Risk Management process for the refinery to identify, manage, and mitigate risks.
Leading the annual planning processes and setting deliverables for the Business Improvement Plan for the upcoming year.
Provide economic and strategic guidance for technical studies to ensure that technical changes fit strategically and are economically sound.
Perform economic evaluations on refinery projects by modelling the proposed changes in the refinery planning tools, performing cash flow analyses, calculating financial indicators, and conducting appropriate risk analyses.
Manage, update, and present the refinery scorecard to relevant stakeholders.
Coordinate the annual business planning process along with the Finance team.
Lean principles advisor at the refinery.
15 October 2026
Astron Energy is one of the leading suppliers of petroleum products in South Africa through its vast network of approximately 850 service stations.
Astron Energy owns and operates the country’s third-largest crude oil refinery, with a capacity of 100,000 barrels a day. The refinery, located in Milnerton, Cape Town, produces petrol, diesel, jet fuel, LPG, bitumen gas and other speciality products.
The company’s Durban-based Lubricants Manufacturing Plant has world class blending and base oil storage capabilities, through which it markets and exports high-quality products to consumers across the country and to key African markets.
Astron Energy has a Level 1 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment rating against the amended Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good Practice. The company has committed to protecting people and the environment and to driving sustainable economic growth in South Africa through its social investment programmes in health, education and economic development.
