Chemical Process Development Engineer

Placements24; Polokwane; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work arrangement

Flexible hours

Health benefits

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Chemical Process Development Engineer to advance and optimize chemical processes from laboratory scale through pilot and commercial production. This remote-first role emphasizes scalable, efficient manufacturing and the development of new routes.

The ideal candidate holds a Master’s or PhD in Chemical Engineering with 5+ years of process development experience, strong reaction engineering knowledge, and proficiency in Aspen HYSYS or Aspen Plus.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in chemical process development, scale-up, and optimization.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize chemical processes for new and existing products.
• Conduct laboratory experiments and pilot plant trials to validate designs and gather scale-up data.
• Analyze process performance data for yield, efficiency, and cost improvements.
• Develop PFDs and P&IDs.
• Perform process simulations and modeling to predict performance.
• Troubleshoot process issues and implement practical solutions.
• Collaborate with R&D, engineering, and manufacturing for technology transfer.
• Write technical reports and research summaries.

Skills

Process scale-up

Chemical process development

Remote collaboration

Education

Master's degree in Chemical Engineering

PhD in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Aspen HYSYS

Aspen Plus

Job description

About the Role Our client, a leading innovator in the sustainable materials sector, is seeking a talented Chemical Process Development Engineer to join their team. This role is focused on advancing and optimizing chemical processes from laboratory scale through to pilot and commercial production. You will play a key part in developing new manufacturing routes, improving existing ones, and ensuring efficient and scalable production. This is a remote-first position, allowing you to leverage your expertise to drive critical process development efforts from anywhere. We require a proactive individual with strong analytical skills, a deep understanding of chemical kinetics and thermodynamics, and proven experience in process scale-up. Your work will directly contribute to bringing novel chemical products to market efficiently and sustainably. We are looking for someone who thrives in a collaborative, remote environment and is passionate about chemical engineering innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize chemical processes for new and existing products.
• Conduct laboratory experiments and pilot plant trials to validate process designs and gather scale-up data.
• Analyze process performance data and identify opportunities for improvement in yield, efficiency, and cost.
• Develop process flow diagrams (PFDs) and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs).
• Perform process simulations and modeling to predict performance and identify operating parameters.
• Troubleshoot process issues and develop practical solutions for implementation.
• Collaborate with research, engineering, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless technology transfer.
• Write detailed technical reports, procedures, and research summaries.
• Ensure all process development activities comply with safety, health, and environmental standards.

Requirements

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in chemical process development, scale-up, and optimization.
• Strong theoretical knowledge of reaction engineering, separations, and process control.
• Proficiency with process simulation software (e.g., Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus) and data analysis tools.
• Demonstrated experience in pilot plant operations and troubleshooting.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Effective remote communication and collaboration abilities.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Experience in the sustainable materials or specialty chemicals sector is a plus.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits package.
• Generous paid time off and company holidays.
• Professional development opportunities and training budgets.
• Fully remote work arrangement with flexible hours.
• Opportunity to shape the development of groundbreaking chemical technologies.
• Contribute to environmentally conscious product development.