Mid-term LP Planner at Astron Energy (Pty) Ltd.

Job Description

• The Mid-Term LP Planner develops refinery optimisation plans for the 1–24 month horizon, ensuring crude procurement, refinery utilisation, and product placement align with commercial and operational objectives. The role integrates crude supply strategies, turnarounds, and market demand forecasts to optimise refinery and enterprise margins.
• Develops the  optimised refinery plans with main focus on the period M+1 and M+2 when crudes secured, ensuring crude selection, refinery utilisation, and product output align with  demand requirement and operational constraints. The role reviews  4 – 24 month horizon  as required. 
• Use the refinery LP model to evaluate future crude supply, processing strategies, and major operational factors such as turnarounds and planned maintenance.
• Work closely with the Supply and Demand Planners to ensure optimised refinery plans are effectively integrated into enterprise-wide S&D plans.
• Conduct scenario analyses to assess the impact of different crude slates, pricing trends, or operational constraints on refinery economics and supply strategies.
• Analyse the weekly price forecast to evaluate its impact on refinery optimisation and margins, communicating key insights to stakeholders.
• Support the Backcasting Engineer in performance analysis by identifying deviations between planned and actual refinery performance and refining LP assumptions as needed.
• Collaborate with the Short-Term LP Planner to analyse how campaign plans affect longer-term refinery performance and commercial outcomes.
• Provide refinery planning input into the Enterprise Business Management (EBM) process to ensure alignment between refinery operations and broader business planning.
• Support the Short-Term LP Planner by providing backup coverage as required and assisting with planning refinements.
• Maintain and update LP model inputs, including refinery constraints, crude properties, and unit capabilities, to ensure accuracy in mid-term planning.
• Engage with supply, trading, operations, and commercial teams to align mid-term refinery planning with strategic business objectives.

Professional Qualifications & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, process engineering, operations research, or a related field.
• Advanced training in refinery optimisation or LP modelling is an advantage.

Work Experience

• 2+ years of experience in refinery planning, LP modelling, or process optimisation.
• Background in refinery LP models such as Aspen PIMS, Spiral LP, or GRTMPS.
• Experience working with refinery operations, scheduling, or supply chain planning teams an advantage. 

Knowledge & Skills

• Understanding of refinery process optimisation, crude selection, and long-term production planning.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess LP outputs and optimise refinery strategies.
• Ability to conduct scenario planning and evaluate sensitivities in crude supply, pricing, and operational constraints.
• Understanding of refinery operations, turnarounds, and product blending economics.
• Strong collaboration skills to engage with planning, operations, and commercial teams.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools and LP modelling software.
• Effective communication and reporting skills to translate LP model outputs into actionable plans.

Application deadline:

• 11 November 2025