Senior Specialist: Crude Management Of Change Specialist

Job Req ID

13601

Closing Date

26 November 2026

OME

Sasolburg and Natref Operations

Location

Sasolburg

Purpose of Job

To lead the technical evaluation, selection, crude assays, management of change, crude database management and optimisation of crude oil feedstocks to maximise Natref margin, improve utilisation, protect refinery value and hybrid refinery project, BE50/7.5 and continuous improvement objectives. Role plays a critical role to integrate crude and feedstock quality, logistics, inventory, blending, processing/operating constraints, product yields enabling safe and feasible operations.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead end-to-end crude and feedstock evaluation, selection and optimisation for short-, medium- and long-term refinery planning, including new crude opportunities, spot purchases, alternative feedstocks and blend options.
• Develop integrated technical assessments that consider quality, logistics, tankage, blending, unit constraints, yields, product values, utility impacts and operational risks.
• Responsible to assess and monitor crude data and qualities at load port, discharge and Natref storage
• Use Natref tools and models related to assess crude and feedstock scenarios, quantify impact and recommend the most value-accretive and executable options.
• Maintain and govern crude assays, feedstock property data, commercial assumptions, quality limits and other datasets required for robust evaluation and optimisation. Trigger assay updates and validation
• Work with Tools & Modelling to ensure accurate representation of crude and feedstock properties, blending behaviour, unit interactions, yields and constraints in the Natref evaluation tools, planning model and scheduling tools.
• Partner with Crude Scheduling, Refinery Planning & Scheduling, Process Engineering and Operations to translate feedstock strategies into executable receipt, storage, blending and processing plans.
• Monitor actual crude and feedstock performance against evaluation assumptions and LP predictions; coordinate retro-run or backcasting analysis and recommend corrective actions or model adjustments and database management.
• Identify quality, compatibility, contaminant, corrosion, fouling, catalyst, reliability, product specification, SHE and operability risks associated with crude and feedstock options and ensure appropriate technical assurance before implementation.
• Build and maintain a prioritised crude and feedstock opportunity pipeline that supports hybrid operations, BE50/7.5, margin uplift, utilisation improvement, value protection, working-capital optimisation and continuous improvement.
• Provide decision support for JV crude tenders, planners, commercial negotiations, term and spot feedstock options, supply disruptions, inventory constraints and changing market conditions.
• Facilitate cross-functional crude and feedstock optimisation forums, clearly communicating assumptions, value drivers, sensitivities, risks, recommendations, decisions and accountabilities.
• Develop fit-for-purpose governance, evaluation standards, procedures, templates and approval requirements for crude and feedstock studies, trials and implementation decisions.
• Coordinate refinery trials and post-implementation reviews for new crude or feedstock options, ensuring performance is measured, lessons are captured and improvement actions are closed.
• Build sustainable internal Natref capability through coaching, training, technical guidance, documented methods and knowledge transfer across JV, Technical and Operations teams.
• Maintain strong collaboration with Sasol Group and approved external specialists where appropriate, while protecting Natref data, governance, commercial confidentiality and decision accountability.

Formal Education

BEng/BSc in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering or an equivalent four-year technical degree. 

Work Experience

8 years relevant refinery, petrochemical, oil and gas, crude supply, feedstock planning, optimisation or commercial evaluation experience, including practical exposure to refinery economics and decision support.

Certification & Professional Membership

Professional registration and recognised training in refinery economics, crude evaluation, optimisation or planning tools are advantageous.

Required Personal and Professional Skills