Role Objective

Dual leadership role responsible for governing daily refractory reliability, turnaround maintenance, and cost optimization for operating Pellet Plant 1, while directing end-to-end refractory engineering, material procurement, lining installation, dry-out, and commissioning for the Pellet Plant 2 project. This position bridges project execution and sustained operational performance to ensure seamless plant integration, zero unplanned outages, and optimized refractory lifecycle costs.

Key Responsibilities

PP-2 Project Execution, Erection & Commissioning

• Direct all refractory erection and commissioning activities for Pellet Plant 2 from engineering design review to initial light-up and handover.

• Scrutinize refractory layout drawings, lining profiles, anchoring systems, expansion joint design, and thermal insulation calculations across the induration furnace, rotary kiln, burner hood, annular cooler, and waste gas ducts.

• Manage refractory installation contractors on-site, supervising daily masonry execution, castable pouring, gunning, shotcreting, and curing to ensure adherence to engineering tolerances.

• Formulate and execute controlled initial dry-out schedules and heating-up curves to prevent explosive spalling, thermal cracking, and structural lining damage during plant light-up.

• Supervise pre-commissioning refractory inspections, thermal audits, and refractory performance during Performance Guarantee (PG) test runs.

PP-1 Operational Governance & Maintenance Management

• Formulate and implement the Annual Refractory Master Plan and preventive maintenance schedules for Pellet Plant 1 to maximize campaign life and equipment uptime.

• Direct cold and hot refractory repairs across all operating thermal zones: drying zones, pre-heating zones, firing/burning zones, and discharge ends.

• Plan and execute major capital relining and annual turnaround shutdowns within targeted timeframes and cost parameters.

• Optimize operational costs by reducing specific refractory consumption ($kg/tonne$ of pellets produced) and driving transitions from conventional brickwork to monolithic linings where technically beneficial.

• Drive scrap reclamation initiatives to process discarded refractory material into reusable in-house aggregates, reducing operational waste.

Quality Assurance, Testing & Failure Analysis

• Direct incoming inspection and laboratory testing of refractory materials (bricks, monolithic castables, mortars, ceramic blankets, and metallic anchors).

• Validate critical material properties including Cold Crushing Strength (CCS), Permanent Linear Change (PLC), Refractoriness Under Load (RUL), Bulk Density, and chemical compositions before installation.

• Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) on premature lining wear, hot spots, shell deformation, and anchor failures in PP-1, incorporating lessons learned into the PP-2 design and execution phases.

• Conduct regular infrared thermography surveys and shell temperature profiling on operating vessels to preempt breakout hazards.

CAPEX/OPEX Budgeting, Procurement & Vendor Management

• Formulate and manage the annual CAPEX budget for PP-2 refractory procurement and the annual OPEX budget for PP-1 refractory maintenance.

• Evaluate techno-commercial bids from domestic and international refractory suppliers and application contractors, negotiating scopes for supply, application, and Cost-Per-Tonne (CPT) performance contracts.

• Coordinate closely with Project, Purchase, and Warehouse teams to maintain optimal inventory levels of operational consumables and project buffer stocks without inventory lock-in.

• Supervise supplier factory audits and conduct structured plant trials for next-generation refractories and energy-saving insulation systems.

Safety, Housekeeping & Team Governance

• Enforce industrial safety regulations, confined-space entry permits, working-at-height standards, and hot-work protocols across both project and operating sites.

• Formulate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) for project casting, heavy demolition, and kiln relining operations.

• Direct and upskill an internal team of refractory engineers, frontline supervisors, and contractor masons through structured technical training programs.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• PP-2 Project Milestone Compliance: Zero project delays attributed to refractory material delivery, installation, or dry-out execution.

• Equipment Availability: Zero unplanned refractory outages and maximum campaign uptime in PP-1.

• Thermal Performance: Smooth light-up and first campaign integrity of PP-2 lining systems with zero hotspot formation.

• Cost Governance: Adherence to PP-2 CAPEX budget and reduction of specific refractory consumption ($kg/tonne$) in PP-1.

• Safety: 100% adherence to zero-harm safety standards and zero Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) across operational and construction zones.