Chemical Engineer - Plant Operations & Optimization

Placements24; Upington; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical aid

Retirement fund benefits

Training and development

Upington base in Northern Cape

Performance-based incentives

Job summary

Placements24 in Upington, Northern Cape, is seeking a hands-on Chemical Engineer for our client’s plant operations team. You will monitor, control, and optimize chemical processes to ensure safety, efficiency, and product quality, and work with a dedicated operations group in a mining/agrochemical context.

The role requires a BEng in Chemical Engineering and at least 4 years’ experience, with DCS, process instrumentation, and PHAs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related field.
• 4+ years in chemical plant operations or process engineering.
• Strong knowledge of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and reaction kinetics.
• Experience with DCS and process instrumentation.
• Familiarity with Process Safety Management (PSM).
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to work rotating shifts if required.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office.
• Experience in mining/agricultural chemical sectors is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and control plant processes to optimize performance and schedules.
• Analyze process data to identify trends and improvements.
• Troubleshoot upsets and equipment malfunctions with timely fixes.
• Ensure compliance with SHE regulations and policies.
• Participate in PHAs and implement safety recommendations.
• Collaborate with maintenance, operations, and QA teams for reliability.
• Assist commissioning and startup of new equipment and modifications.
• Develop and update SOPs for plant operations.
• Support root cause analyses for production and quality issues.
• Contribute to cost reduction and process optimization initiatives.

Skills

DCS experience

Process instrumentation

PSM concepts

Analytical skills

Teamwork

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Placements24 in Upington, Northern Cape, is seeking a hands-on Chemical Engineer for our client’s plant operations team. You will monitor, control, and optimize chemical processes to ensure safety, efficiency, and product quality, and work with a dedicated operations group in a mining/agrochemical context.

The role requires a BEng in Chemical Engineering and at least 4 years’ experience, with DCS, process instrumentation, and PHAs.