Lead R&D Chemical Engineer – Cape Town (On-site)

Placements24; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Annual bonus

Health, dental, and life insurance

Professional development & conference/

Sabbatical program

Cape Town base

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead R&D Chemical Engineer to spearhead new product development and process innovation at our Cape Town facility. This senior role requires translating scientific concepts into commercially viable chemical products and scalable manufacturing processes.

You will lead a team of scientists and engineers, drive research initiatives, manage budgets, and collaborate with marketing, sales, and production to align with market needs.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master’s in Chemical Engineering or Organic Chemistry.
• Minimum 10 years of R&D experience in chemical research, with a focus on specialty chemicals.
• Proven track record leading R&D projects and managing technical teams.
• Expertise in synthetic chemistry, reaction engineering, and process scale-up.
• Proficient with GC-MS, HPLC, NMR, and FTIR analytical techniques.
• Strong IP/patent landscape awareness.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Willingness to work on-site in Cape Town, Western Cape.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D projects from laboratory scale to pilot plant and commercialization.
• Develop novel chemical synthesis routes and optimize processes for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Conduct extensive literature reviews and patent searches to identify new research avenues.
• Supervise and mentor a team of R&D chemists and engineers.
• Collaborate with marketing, sales, and manufacturing to ensure market alignment and smooth scale-up.
• Ensure all R&D activities adhere to safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Stay abreast of latest scientific advancements in specialty chemicals.
• Manage R&D budgets and resources to achieve project milestones.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Presentation skills

Team management

Education

Ph.D. or Master’s in Chemical Engineering or Organic Chemistry

Tools

GC-MS

HPLC

NMR

FTIR

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead R&D Chemical Engineer to spearhead new product development and process innovation at our Cape Town facility. This senior role requires translating scientific concepts into commercially viable chemical products and scalable manufacturing processes.

You will lead a team of scientists and engineers, drive research initiatives, manage budgets, and collaborate with marketing, sales, and production to align with market needs.