BENEO and CropEnergies, both members of the Südzucker Group, are recognized leaders in food ingredients, renewable products, and sustainable industrial solutions. With operations across Europe and a shared commitment to innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence, they play a key role in shaping the future of nutrition, bio-based industries, and renewable energy. We are looking for a Director Technical Strategy & Investment to lead the combined Investment and operational excellence department. This is a high-impact, group-level leadership role covering Investment Management, Maintenance Management, Sustainability Engineering, and Digitalization across 11 production sites. You will be the driving force behind a unified corporate framework that strengthens operational efficiency and steers the group's technical evolution.

Director Technical Strategy & Investment / Head of Investment and optimum

Your key responsibilities

- Develop a long-term Asset Lifecycle Strategy and replacement roadmap to safeguard the technical integrity and reliability of high-value production assets while optimizing total cost of ownership
- Manage the integrated Technical Project Portfolio from ideation to implementation — on time, within budget, and in quality
- Steer the operational and technical aspects of product portfolio extensions for both food ingredients and bio-based chemicals, providing cost estimations and strategic guidance for growth projects
- Develop and implement the Südzucker Group Operatonal Excellence Program (Optimum) tailored to each site, focusing on increasing OEE, reducing manufacturing costs, and expanding production capacities
- Drive sustainability engineering initiatives (heat recovery, carbon reduction) to reduce the combined ecological footprint of BENEO and CropEnergies
- Lead the Corporate Maintenance Management community in budgets, criticality rankings, and systems (SAP-EAM),



developing group-wide best practices
- Define and execute the group's digital and automation strategy, identifying opportunities for digital transformation across all sites
- Report CAPEX, KPIs, and project approval status to the Executive Boards, providing timely data for strategic decision-making
- Coach and develop engineering teams and project execution resources across the organization
- Standardize technical investment and optimization processes across BENEO and CropEnergies to leverage synergies and harmonize engineering standards

What we're looking for

- Master's degree in Process Engineering, Food Technology, or Chemical Engineering
- At least 10 years of professional experience in the food, process, or (bio-) chemical industry
- Proven track record in managing large-scale capital investment projects and technical portfolios
- Strong understanding of operational excellence, maintenance management, and sustainability engineering
- Experience with digitalization and automation in industrial environments
- Excellent leadership skills with the ability to coach and align multi-site, cross-functional teams
- Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational level within a large international group
- Fluent in English; additional languages are an asset

What we offer

- A group-level leadership role with genuine scope and impact across 11 European production sites
- A key seat at the table in shaping the technical and sustainability future of well-established food and biotech businesses
- The backing of a leading European agribusiness group with a strong international presence
- A competitive remuneration package in line with the seniority and responsibility of the role

Interested?

- Call Ralf Gutschoven on +32 (0)478 43 61 68 (or via WhatAapp) for more info or an application. On weekdays between 9h00 and 11h00 and in the evening from 19h00 to 21h00, on Saturday between 10h00 and 12h00.
- Or mail your CV to [email protected]

📌 Director technical strategy & investment (España)
🏢 BENEO
📍 España