Principal Process Engineer: Scale-Up & Innovation Leader

Placements24; Willows (CA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Life insurance

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal Process Engineer for the Welkom, Free State facility to lead design, optimization, and scale-up of chemical processes. The role requires strong expertise in reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, and process safety.

You will mentor engineers, drive capital projects, and collaborate across R&D, engineering, and operations. The ideal candidate holds an MSc or PhD in Chemical Engineering with 8+ years of experience in chemical/petrochemical industries and proficiency

Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in Chemical Engineering as required educational background.
• 8+ years of experience in process engineering within chemical or related industries.
• Proven ability to lead complex process development and scale-up projects.
• Strong knowledge of unit operations, reaction engineering, and thermodynamics.
• Experience with process simulation software and P&ID development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and optimization of chemical processes.
• Perform process simulations and modeling with industry-standard software.
• Develop PFDs, P&IDs, and equipment specifications.
• Conduct PHAs including HAZOP studies for safety and compliance.
• Oversee pilot plant operations and scale-up activities.
• Mentor junior engineers and collaborate with R&D, engineering, and operations.
• Evaluate new technologies and drive capital project proposals.

Skills

Leadership & mentoring

Process simulation

PHAs & HAZOP

Team collaboration

Analytical problem solving

Clear communication

Education

MSc or PhD in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Aspen Plus

HYSYS

PFD/P&ID development

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Principal Process Engineer for the Welkom, Free State facility to lead design, optimization, and scale-up of chemical processes. The role requires strong expertise in reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, and process safety.

You will mentor engineers, drive capital projects, and collaborate across R&D, engineering, and operations. The ideal candidate holds an MSc or PhD in Chemical Engineering with 8+ years of experience in chemical/petrochemical industries and proficiency