Current Vacancies at The Heineken Company

Purpose:

• As a Learning and Development Intern, you will be responsible for lending support to the Learning team with key activities including, co-ordination, administration and supporting in the reporting of key learning interventions across the business.
• The purpose is to give practical work experience to students who are in their final year of study and have a prerequisite to have practical work experience to obtain their qualification. The successful candidate will be expected to enter a 12-month contract.

Key Responsibilities:

• Budget control: capturing and processing of Purchase Orders for the Learning Team.
• Support manager with grant funding with the SETA and tax rebates with SARS.
• Coordinating learnership programs for the group – end to end (recruitment, contracting, registration)
• Lending support to the Learning team with key activities including, co-ordination, administration and reporting of key learning interventions across the business.
• Support to other L&D Managers on learning and development initiatives.
• Coordinate the BBBEE process for the skills development component end to end, including coordinating required company data and supporting documentation, monitoring records of skills development initiatives including skills development spend.
• Support with co-ordination of virtual onboarding sessions.
• Assist with administrative support on various projects where required.
• Assist with any catering, travel arrangements as/when required.
• Support with any vendor processes for suppliers.
• Planning and coordinating the logistics and administration of the implementation of training, learning and Function as a fully fletched administrator of the Learner Management System (end to end), including closing off classes on LMS & Downloading Completed Learning Report for Skills Development Element
• Support in the alignment of learning and skills development to Employment Equity and transformation objectives and initiatives.
• Verification of data and reports for SETA accreditation
• Coordinating grant funding processes with internal and external stakeholders
• Support SDF by maintaining training records to be utilized for the compilation and submission of scheduled skills development reports.

 Education & Experience:

• Final year of obtaining a Human Resources/ Education, Training, and Development related tertiary qualification – Degree / Diploma. 
• Computer literacy – Microsoft Suit (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Sound communication and presentation skills.
• Effective time management.
• Ability to multi-task and perform under pressure.
• Ability to work in a team.
• South African citizen.

Prospective interns must submit the following:

•  Motivational letter,
• A curriculum vitae,
• Certified academic record,
• Certified copy of grade 12 certificate.
• Certified copy of identity document.
• A letter from the tertiary institution confirming that the student requires exposure to the workplace to obtain their qualification.
• A format for evaluation required by the tertiary institution (Logbook)

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PURPOSE:

Lead site quality at HEINEKEN Beverages, putting consumers first and developing the people, processes and assurance systems that deliver First Time Right quality.

• In this role, you will prevent food safety and quality failures through effective assurance systems, stable processes, well-maintained equipment and material integrity.
• Working with Cellars/Brewing, Production and Engineering, you will use reliable data to improve process capability, lead the Product Quality (PQ) pillar and drive continuous improvement, New Product Introduction (NPI) and incoming material quality. The role forms part of Supply Chain and reports to the Plant Manager / Brewery Manager.

Role Accountabilities:

• Lead the site quality strategy in alignment with HEINEKEN standards, operating company (OpCo) priorities and consumer needs.
• Identify and prevent food safety and quality risks through reliable data, compliant systems and effective process controls.
• Build a consumer-first quality culture and operational ownership of First Time Right performance.
• Lead the site PQ pillar and the shift towards quality at source and condition-based management.
• Protect consumers, product integrity and the reputation of HEINEKEN Beverages through effective quality governance.
• Maintain and improve integrated quality, food safety and laboratory management systems.
• Embed HEINEKEN standards, specifications, Quality Factors and Q-Points in site routines.
• Lead site NPI quality implementation and support supplier performance improvement for raw, packaging and auxiliary materials.
• Reduce losses and the cost of poor quality through Total Productive Management (TPM), lean practices and advanced Unified Problem Solving (UPS).
• Lead and develop the quality team, strengthen cross-functional capability and demonstrate HEINEKEN Behaviours.
• Report quality risks, incidents, trends and business impact, and manage the QA budget and improvement roadmap.
• Embed safe working practices and contribute to Brewing a Better World sustainability objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

Lead the site quality strategy and integrated assurance systems

• Implement a consumer-focused site quality vision and strategy covering processes, organisation and people development.
• Maintain and improve integrated quality, food safety and laboratory management systems, procedures, checklists and standards.
• Build a strong quality culture across all site functions, working with OpCo Quality and Global Supply Chain and sharing learning across sites and operating companies.

Lead the PQ pillar, quality at source and continuous improvement

• Lead the site PQ pillar, establish and maintain Quality Factors and Q-Points, and develop autonomous teams to sustain quality conditions.
• Apply advanced Unified Problem Solving to prevent recurring failures, improve First Time Right, reduce losses and work towards zero quality defects.
• Support corrective and preventive actions and transfer PQ tasks to Autonomous Maintenance (AM) and Planned Maintenance (PM), building Production ownership of quality and release within agreed standards.
• Lead measurement management to ensure accurate, reliable and timely results, supporting operational teams with troubleshooting, calibration and equipment verification.
• Analyse product and process data to identify risks and improve process capability. Where capability and controls are established, shift the emphasis from finished-product testing to process and condition control, particularly hygiene.
• Embed lean quality-at-source systems and identify cost and value improvement opportunities across processes, technologies, recipes and materials. Support benchmarking and provide expert technological guidance.
• Develop quality champions and process-owner capability for routine analysis. Production / Brewing is responsible for satellite laboratories and sampling, excluding microbiological sampling; Quality provides technical support.

Protect product integrity and HEINEKEN Beverages’ reputation

• Align site stakeholders with HEINEKEN policies and applicable legislation governing food safety and product integrity.
• Monitor customer and consumer feedback, manage complaint investigations and verify the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions.
• Support supplier performance monitoring for raw, packaging and auxiliary materials through operational feedback, verification of corrective actions and supplier collaboration.

Lead site New Product Introduction

• Lead site NPI implementation within the stage-gate model. Provide quality input into technological and legislative assessments and the approval of raw, auxiliary and packaging materials and production processes.
• Apply project management and Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) to ensure food safety, conformance, quality and delivery on time and in full.

Lead people development and cross-functional capability

• Build quality control, assurance and food safety skills through training, continuous learning and awareness activities.
• Plan shifts, overtime and temporary labour to meet changing demand and maintain effective quality support.
• Attract, recruit, develop and retain talent.
• Develop end-to-end specialists and encourage knowledge sharing across manufacturing sites and operating companies.
• Manage individual and team performance, fostering engagement, collaboration and cross-functional integration.
• Build process-owner autonomy in advanced problem solving and defect analysis to sustain food safety, quality and reliable delivery.

Manage departmental budgets and costs

• Develop annual operating expenditure (OPEX) and capital expenditure (CAPEX) budgets and business plans for the end-to-end quality assurance roadmap, including process-control equipment and consumables.
• Implement approved plans, monitor monthly expenditure and follow up on variances. Approve goods and services within budget and delegated authority, and plan resources for unexpected demand peaks.

Embed safety, food safety and sustainability

• Embed health and safety in QA workflows, laboratories and associated facilities, including equipment safety checks before use.
• Integrate food safety into operations and NPI. Use safety data and consumer feedback to drive continuous improvement and help ensure products are fit for consumption.
• Contribute to HEINEKEN’s Brewing a Better World sustainability objectives through departmental plans and daily practices.

Manage information and quality reporting

• Report weekly and monthly results, significant incidents, trends and business impact covering food safety, product quality, supplier performance and consumer insights.
• Maintain and improve reporting systems and use data to guide decisions and improve process stability. Monitor applicable measures including PQI, FTR, losses, CVE, NPI delivery, Taste Test Score, OPEX, customer and consumer complaints, supplier performance and system improvement.

Role Requirements

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in Food Technology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Microbiology or Chemical Engineering.
• Experience in quality control, quality assurance and food safety management systems.
• People management and leadership experience, with the ability to lead and develop teams.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in food and/or beverage production and production technology.
• Experience in laboratory operations within food and beverage production, together with brewing / packaging experience.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English and collaborate across functions.
• Experience applying continuous improvement methodologies such as TPM, Lean or Six Sigma, with strong problem-solving and facilitation skills.
• Planning and project management experience; exposure to Utilities and New Product Introduction (NPI) is preferred.
• Strong data analysis, measurement management and process performance management capabilities.

Core Skills Required:

• People leadership, organisational development and cross-functional collaboration.
• Quality assurance, quality systems and standards, safety and sustainability.
• Strategy development, implementation and excellence in execution.
• Financial planning, cost control and value creation.
• Advanced problem solving and process performance improvement.
• Data management, digitalisation and evidence-based decision-making.

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Minimum Requirements

• Minimum of 3–5 years’ experience in a manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Trade Test Certificate (Millwright and/or Mechanical/Electrical)
• Proven experience working on bottling and packaging machinery.
• Strong fault-finding and troubleshooting skills.
• Experience working shifts in a high-speed production environment.
• Knowledge of PLCs, Servo, AC Drives, Conveyors, fillers, labelers, packers, and related packaging equipment will be advantageous.

Key Activities

• Maintains the equipment and works in line with the defined and implemented safety and food safety standards. Following the 5S, and Housekeeping related to the work place. 
• Takes care of the process measurement equipment. Supports regular calibrations and periodical checks.
• Takes initiatives and is actively involved in optimizing workplace performance via AM/5S teams and activities. Proposes improvement actions based on standard analyses and sensing (hearing/looking/feeling/smelling) of his/her area of the line.
• Ensures the Packaging process (machines) operates in an efficient and effective manner according to the production plan and specification in standard and non-standard conditions.
• Executes dedicated preventive maintenance activities OTIF and understands principle of FTR (First Time Right), Acts efficiently in case of breakdowns. Captures and interprets performance data and executes corrective actions if needed.

Skills

• Strong fault-finding and troubleshooting abilities on production equipment
• Basic machining and workshop skills, including drilling, cutting, welding, and lathe operations.
• Experience with high-speed bottling and packaging line machinery
• Competence in preventative and breakdown maintenance within a production environment
• Working knowledge of pneumatic and hydraulic systems
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, schematics, and equipment manuals
• Hands-on experience with conveyors, fillers, cappers, labellers, and related packaging equipment
• Understanding of alignment, bearings, gearboxes, and drive systems
• Experience within a beverage or FMCG manufacturing environment
• Knowledge of food safety standards and hygiene practices (GMP/HACCP)
• Ability to perform effectively under pressure in a fast-paced production environment
• Willingness and ability to work shift patterns and respond to breakdowns promptly
• Strong adherence to safety procedures, including lockout/tagout compliance
• Good communication and teamwork within multidisciplinary maintenance and production teams

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Key Performance Areas would include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring compliance to environmental, health, safety and risk management standards.
• Ensure that world class asset care and maintenance principles are introduced and adhered to (efficient asset utilization).
• Compile, manage and control maintenance budget including capex
• Maintain effective control of all project funding requests (i.e. abnormal maintenance and capital)
• Manage performance and people development within the department.
• Managing maintenance projects and feasibility studies.
• Plan utilities availability and planned shutdowns and assist with compiling short and long term equipment replacement plan
• Develop and Management of quality systems (ISO 9001/2000) in responsibility area.
• Ensure compliance to OHSACT and all Heineken Beverages Risk, Health and Safety procedures, including statutory requirements Ensure crew complies and adheres to all relevant policies, procedures, work instruction and SOPs
• Develop and implement annual departmental business plans and assist in site’s business plan.
• Innovation and business improvements in support of operational goals.
• Ensure maintenance plans for equipment is current and drive ICC compliance
• Problem solving and technical guidance of the maintenance teams
• Ensure that plant maintenance standards are met and RCM principles are applied
• Management and co-ordination of an efficient maintenance function throughout the plant
• Reduction of unplanned downtime, optimise utilization and efficiency of plant resources. Drive sustainability agenda across site.
• Manage multi-disciplinary projects from inception until final commissioning.
• Conduct all the required risk assessments and Hazop processes in compliance with Heineken Beverages Requirements
• Develop project schedules to ensure projects are closely managed.
• Lead the process of projects FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) and PAT (Performance Acceptance Test)
• Ensure that staff is trained and signed off on operation of new equipment.
• Develop project close out to ensure snags are closed and project formally handed over to the site.
• Managing and maintaining site facilities and infrastructure.

The successful candidate must have the following qualifications, skills, and experience:

• Relevant and recognised tertiary qualification BSc degree, B. Tech degree or National Higher Engineering Diploma in Mechanical/ Electrical Engineering.
• A Government Certificate of Competency (Factories) is advantageous.
• At least 5 years’ experience in coal fired boiler operation and maintenance.
• At least 5 years’ experience in managing general utilities i.e. water, gas, refrigeration plant, compressors, waste water.
• At least 5 years relevant maintenance and project management experience, preferably in a beverage or fast-moving consumables goods environment. (Including budget control).
• Good working knowledge of plant items in light industrial applications (i.e. coal boilers, steam systems, cooling towers, refrigeration systems, air compressors, waste water treatment plants, water filtration (UF/RO), valves, pumps, piping systems, heat exchangers, electrical systems, instrumentation and civil work etc.)
• Project management experience, preferably in a beverage- or related production environment.
• Computer literacy (i.e. Microsoft Office, Excel, SAPR3/ PM, etc.)
• A willingness to work outside of normal working hours, when required People management, performance management and leadership skills.
• Sound written and verbal communication skills at various levels of employees. A self-starter with high levels of energy and motivation
• The successful candidate must be innovative and drive best practices

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The purpose of this position:

• The key purpose of this role is to provide structured, strategic and leadership within the automation and control discipline across Heineken Beverages manufacturing operations.
• The role develops and governs automation standards, architecture, frameworks and lifecycle practices; influences site and project decisions; improves manufacturing reliability and performance; strengthens PCD cybersecurity; and enables the controlled implementation and enhancement of digital manufacturing technologies.
• The role works across sites and functions to ensure automation solutions are safe, reliable, maintainable, secure, integrated, scalable and aligned with Heineken requirements and long-term business priorities.

Key responsibilities: 

Automation Manufacturing Reliability and Continuous Improvement:

• Provide cross-site technical leadership to improve the reliability, maintainability and performance of automation and control systems.
• Establish and govern reliability standards, maintenance strategies and performance measures for PLC, SCADA, HMI, industrial networks, drives, instrumentation and associated control infrastructure.
• Analyse systemic failures, repeat breakdowns and automation-related production losses; lead structured root cause analysis and ensure sustainable corrective and preventive actions are implemented.
• Support sites with complex or high-impact automation incidents while strengthening site capability and ownership.
• Identify and prioritise opportunities to improve throughput, quality, energy performance, process stability, OPI and cost through automation and advanced control.
• Develop reusable troubleshooting practices, standard diagnostics, technical guidance and lessons-learned mechanisms across the manufacturing network.

Automation Projects and Obsolescence Management:

• Provide technical assurance and lifecycle governance for automation capital projects, upgrades and obsolescence programmes.
• Define automation project requirements, design principles, acceptance criteria and handover standards.
• Review and approve control philosophies, functional design specifications, architectures, software designs, network designs and supplier proposals for compliance with approved standards.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, FAT, SAT, commissioning, performance verification and operational handover for strategic projects.
• Develop and maintain automation asset lifecycle and obsolescence frameworks, site risk profiles, technology roadmaps and prioritised replacement plans.

Automation Technology, Architecture and Integration:

• Define and govern fit-for-purpose automation technologies and integration patterns across the control and manufacturing landscape.
• Own and maintain reference architectures, approved technology standards, software libraries, naming conventions, interface principles and engineering practices for automation and control systems.
• Evaluate emerging and existing technologies against business value, cybersecurity, interoperability, supportability, scalability and lifecycle requirements.
• Ensure reliable integration between field devices, control systems, SCADA, historians, MES, utilities platforms, reporting solutions and approved enterprise services.
• Guide industrial communication and data integration using approved protocols, segmented architectures and clearly defined ownership boundaries between OT and IT.
• Maintain strategic relationships with OEMs, system integrators and technology partners; influence roadmaps and ensure solutions remain aligned with Heineken architecture and support models.
• Create governance mechanisms for deviations, technical decisions, solution assurance and controlled introduction of new technology.

PCD Cybersecurity and Compliance:

• Strengthen cybersecurity and compliance within the Process Control Domain through standards, risk management and technical governance.
• Translate Heineken PCD security requirements into practical automation engineering standards, implementation roadmaps and assurance controls.
• Govern secure network segmentation, access control, remote access, backup and restore, patching, malware protection, account management, logging and recovery practices for automation assets.
• Support PCD risk assessments, audits, vulnerability remediation and incident response, ensuring actions are prioritised according to operational and business risk.
• Embed security-by-design into automation projects, system changes, supplier access and technology lifecycle decisions.
• Define evidence, documentation and compliance routines required to demonstrate that controls are implemented, sustained and periodically tested.
• Collaborate with PCD Security, IT, site engineering and external partners to resolve risks without compromising safety, quality or production continuity.

Digital Manufacturing Implementation and Enhancement:

• Enable sustainable digital manufacturing solutions by ensuring robust automation data foundations, controlled integration and measurable operational value.
• Provide automation leadership for historian, MES, OPI, energy, condition monitoring, analytics and other approved digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Define data acquisition, contextualisation, tag, interface, time synchronisation, data quality and ownership standards from shop-floor systems to authorised digital platforms.
• Ensure digital solutions are industrialised, supportable, cybersecure and integrated into site operating and maintenance routines rather than remaining isolated pilots.
• Partner with operations, engineering, digital, data and IT teams to translate business problems into scalable automation and data solutions.
• Assess solution performance after implementation and drive enhancements based on adoption, reliability, data quality and realised business benefits.

Standards, Governance, Capability and Strategic Influence:

• Build a consistent and sustainable automation engineering capability across Heineken Beverages through governance, assurance and knowledge leadership.
• Develop, maintain and deploy automation policies, standards, frameworks, specifications, templates and technical procedures aligned with global and local requirements.
• Establish governance forums, compliance assessments, maturity reviews and performance reporting to provide visibility of automation risks, priorities and progress.
• Influence investment plans and management decisions by presenting clear technical risk, lifecycle, cost and business-impact information.
• Provide coaching, technical mentoring and structured capability development for site automation engineers, technicians, project engineers and relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate cross-site communities of practice, knowledge sharing, benchmarking and replication of proven solutions.
• Define competency expectations and support succession and training for the automation and control discipline.
• Act as a recognised subject matter expert and escalation point, balancing enterprise standardisation with site requirements and operational realities.

Safety, Health, Environment and Quality:

• Ensure that automation strategies, designs, changes and work practices protect people, product, plant, information and the environment.
• Apply management-of-change, functional safety, quality, environmental and legal requirements to automation engineering activities.
• Ensure control system modifications are appropriately assessed, tested, approved, documented, backed up and recoverable before release to production.
• Promote safe engineering behaviours and ensure suppliers and partners comply with site and Heineken SHE requirements.

The successful candidate must have the following experience/skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics, Process Control, Instrumentation, Automation or a related engineering discipline.
• Relevant professional registration, postgraduate qualification or recognized automation, industrial networking, cybersecurity or project certification would be an added advantage.
• Minimum 10 years relevant experience in industrial automation and control within a manufacturing or process environment, including experience with PLC, SCADA/HMI, industrial networks, drives, instrumentation and system integration.
• Demonstrated experience in automation projects, reliability improvement, technology lifecycle or obsolescence management and cross-functional technical leadership.
• Experience operating across multiple manufacturing sites, developing standards or providing technical governance at business, regional or Centre of Excellence level would be an added advantage.