JOB DESCRIPTION: PROJECT MANAGER – POMEGRANATE BIOREFINERY PROJECT
Executive Summary
- Position Title: Project Manager (Turnkey Plant Execution)
- Project Valuation: ₹12 Crores (Comprehensive Capital Footprint, including existing infrastructure retrofits)
- Primary Location: Onsite – Bagalkot, Karnataka, India Candidates willing to relocate are welcome
- Discipline Requirement: B.E. / B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering
- Core Mandate: Proven track record in greenfield/brownfield biorefinery setup + Proficiency in AI-assisted project management tools.
1. Core Role Objective
The Verdant Group is pioneering a commercial-scale agricultural waste upcycling initiative in the pomegranate farming belt of Karnataka. We are seeking a highly sophisticated, technology-driven Project Manager to lead the turnkey Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning (EPCC) of our new 12.5 MT/Day Seasonal Biorefinery .
The successful candidate will take full, single-point accountability for managing single-source EPC contractors (such as SSP or HRS), executing the site layout within our existing 12,000 sq ft industrial warehouse envelope (20 ft clear height) , and coordinating the integration of our green energy micro-grid and advanced environmental systems.
2. Technical & Engineering Responsibilities
The Project Manager will enforce absolute contractor compliance against our rigid technical design parameters:
- Process Line Management: Supervise the installation of the continuous 1,250 kg/hour extraction layout (7,500 kg/day fruit processing + 5,000 kg/day waste peel intake). Binds the vendor to achieve a verified ≥95% closed-loop hydroalcoholic extraction solvent recovery efficiency per batch.
- Existing Infrastructure Integration: Oversee the mechanical and software integration of our existing 500 kg/hr Saturated Steam Boiler . Ensure the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) SCADA code utilizes a 3-Phase Staggered Recipe Schedule to prevent concurrent thermal surges from exceeding 460 kg/hr , while verifying an insulated ≥80% hot condensate (~85°C) return system .
- Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Execution: Monitor the commissioning of a 2.5 m³/hr Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration loop handling 13,250 L/day of effluent . Ensure the 2,000 L/day high-salinity RO reject stream is hard-piped directly into the 500 kg/hr Agitated Thin Film Dryer (ATFD) block, fluidizing the wet spent peel cake to bypass a separate multi-effect evaporator.
- HVAC & Psychrometrics Validation: Direct the installation of a centralized 35 TR Air-Cooled Scroll Chiller plant . Audit the cleanroom air balancing to guarantee Zone 1 (Juice Filling) meets ISO 7 criteria at 35 ACPH, and Zone 2 (Powder Packing) operates under a 100% Once-Through Single Pass airflow design at 25 ACPH, maintaining a strict <40% Relative Humidity threshold for hygroscopic powders.
- Hybrid Micro-Grid Coordination: Manage the execution of an 80 kWp Rooftop Solar array across our 8,000 sq ft roof space, cross-tied to a 100 kW / 50 kWh Industrial Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) BESS . Validate that the sub-10ms Static Transfer Switch successfully isolates the plant‘s 78 kW maximum operating demand during regional 15-minute grid failures without tripping machinery VFDs.
3. Required Profile, Qualifications, & Experience
- Education: B.E. / B.Tech degree in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering from an institution of repute. A PMP certification or Master‘s degree in Process Engineering is highly desirable.
- Experience Threshold: 8 to 12 years of hardcore industrial execution experience.
- Biorefinery Track Record: Must possess a proven, verifiable track record of successfully setting up and commissioning at least one greenfield biorefinery , phyto-extraction facility, multi-effect evaporation block, or complex pharmaceutical/chemical processing plant from initial civil footings to commercial product handover.
- Contractor Management: Deep experience governing single-point EPC contracts, managing structural Bill of Quantities (BOQ) validations, and leading multi-disciplinary fabrication inspections (FAT/SAT).
- Language & Local Liaison: Fluency in English and Hindi is mandatory. Proficiency in Kannada is highly advantageous to interface effectively with local construction crews, equipment operators, and regional regulatory bodies in Bagalkot.
4. Mandatory AI & Digital Tool Competency
Unlike traditional, legacy plant managers, this role sits within a modern, data-dense engineering architecture. The candidate must be highly adept at utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, Large Language Models (LLMs), and advanced project software to streamline execution:
- Predictive Scheduling: Use AI-driven project management tools for real-time Predictive Critical Path Analysis , identifying supply chain risks or contractor bottlenecks weeks before they impact the 24-week schedule.
- Automated Sourcing Tracking: Leverage AI tools to maintain and parse the live Bid Clarification Logs , technical compliance statements, and change-order documentation.
- Instant Technical Troubleshooting: Utilize AI engineering assistants to quickly cross-reference international standards (SMACNA, ISO, ASME), analyze psychrometric HVAC charts, and evaluate contractor-submitted PLC logic configurations during the final commissioning phase.
5. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Success
- Harvest-Window Readiness: Complete installation and wet testing within the strict 24-week critical path timeline to capture the seasonal crop cycle.
- Boiler Boundary Preservation: Zero boiler trips or pressure drops caused by process line scaling or concurrency management failures.
- Utility Optimization: Keeping total operational peak load strictly within the 115 kW connected / 78 kW running demand limits.
- True Zero Discharge: Documented 100% recycling of the 13,250 Liters of daily effluent with zero environmental compliance deviations.
