: 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.

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.

- Mandatory AI & Digital Tool Competency

Unlike traditional, legacy plant managers, this role sits within a contemporary, 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.

- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Success

1. Harvest-Window Readiness: Complete installation and wet testing within the strict 24-week critical path timeline to capture the seasonal crop cycle.
2. Boiler Boundary Preservation: Zero boiler trips or pressure drops caused by process line scaling or concurrency management failures.
3. Utility Optimization: Keeping total operational peak load strictly within the 115 kW connected / 78 kW running demand limits.
4. True Zero Discharge: Documented 100% recycling of the 13,250 Liters of daily effluent with zero environmental compliance deviations.

📌 Project Manager Pomegranate BioRefinery (India)
🏢 Verdant Group
📍 India