Brewing Area Manager - Alrode Brewery at The South African Breweries (SAB)

End Date: March 13, 2026

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Promote Beer Brewing Quality Excellence in the Value Chain:
• Communicate brewing process and product quality information and standards
• Effectively communicate changes in the brewing process or standards
• Provide leadership to ensure commitment to product quality in the brewing department
• Apply brewing sub-department quality systems in the workplace

Provide Brewing Process Expertise and Lead Problem Solving Processes:

• Assess brewing technical requirements and make technical decisions where required
• Support implementation of technical recommendations
• Support implementation of process and product optimization including CAPin and VA projects and trials
• Audit area standards (quality, process and work practices) to ensure effective management of the area
• Support implementation of all 7 VPO pillar standards in the workplace relating to VPO

Facilitate Team Problem Solving and Decision Making:

• Apply structured problem solving and decision-making techniques and principles
• Interact with brewing management and operations teams to ensure appropriate people are involved in problem solving sessions

Manage Health, Safety & Risk:

• Manage occupational health, safety and risk for the brewing area teams
• Ensure safe work practices are followed within the department

Manage Productivity:

• Control fixed and variable costs
• Minimize waste within the brewing process

Manage the Brewing Process:

• Ensure conformance to brewing area production plans
• Ensure conformance to brewing area specifications and standards
• Ensure maintenance integrity within the brewing area
• Ensure effective cost management on fixed and variable costs including by-products
• Optimize process availability to achieve delivery and reliability targets
• Support engineering integrity within the brewing area
• Support production and process optimization including trials, VA and CAPEX projects
• Ensure adherence to environmental standards by area teams
• Ensure adherence to quality standards by area teams

System Expertise:

• Ensure adherence and compliance to system processes prescribed by MES, PTS, eQMS, PaQT and other production technology systems within the brewing department

Management of People:

• Apply performance management principles for production employees
• Apply self-performance management principles
• Develop employees for current and future roles to ensure a strong talent pipeline
• Ensure a healthy industrial relations climate within the team
• Manage and apply personnel practices
• Provide effective leadership to the brewing teams
• Ensure employees are trained on technical and VPO standards
• Drive high performance levels of autonomous teams without direct shift supervision

Minimum Requirements:

Education:

• BSc Degree in Biological Sciences, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
• Completed brewing traineeship
• IBD Papers 1, 2 and 3 completed and passed

Experience:

• At least 2 years production experience, of which at least 1 year operating at a management level within Brewing
• Demonstrated experience in driving commercial decisions in a brewery (financial, operational and people)
• Strong brewing technical expertise
• A strong performance track record indicating a disciplined work ethic and passion for maintaining quality
• Desirable but Not Essential:
• Master Brewer IBD qualification obtained or currently studying towards Master Brewer qualification
• Additional business qualification
• Experience with SAP modules
• White Belt certification