API Process Development Engineer — Scale-Up & Innovation

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Hybrid; ZAR 850,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation package available

International training opportunities

Cutting-edge facilities

Sustainability focus

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Process Development Engineer for our pharmaceutical client in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. The role focuses on developing, optimizing, and scaling API manufacturing processes with emphasis on safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.

You will collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, and QA teams, design scalable synthesis routes, perform lab and pilot studies, and drive process improvements in a state-of-the-art facility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related field; PhD is a plus.
• Minimum 5 years in process development and scale-up in pharma or fine chemicals.
• Strong knowledge of organic synthesis, kinetics, thermodynamics, and separations.
• Experience with GMP and regulatory API manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize API synthesis routes and processes.
• Run lab-scale and pilot-scale studies to validate new processes.
• Perform PHAs and implement safety measures.
• Use process modeling to predict and optimize performance.
• Develop analytical methods for process monitoring and QC.
• Collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, and QA for tech transfers.
• Troubleshoot scale-up issues and support commercial manufacturing.
• Prepare technical reports and regulatory documentation.
• Ensure compliance with EH&S regulations.

Skills

Process development

Scale-up

Pharmaceutical manufacturing

Process simulation

GMP knowledge

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

BSc/MSc in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry

PhD is a plus

Tools

Aspen Plus

Chemcad

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Process Development Engineer for our pharmaceutical client in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. The role focuses on developing, optimizing, and scaling API manufacturing processes with emphasis on safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.

You will collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, and QA teams, design scalable synthesis routes, perform lab and pilot studies, and drive process improvements in a state-of-the-art facility.