Process Development Engineer - Fine Chemicals (Hybrid)

Placements24; Klerksdorp; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package with bonus

Comprehensive medical aid

Retirement planning

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 in South Africa seeks a skilled Process Development Engineer to join the team in Klerksdorp. The role focuses on developing, optimizing, and scaling up chemical processes for fine chemicals and APIs, translating lab discoveries into robust manufacturing steps.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in organic chemistry and chemical engineering, with hands-on lab and pilot plant experience, and a track record in GMP environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry (required).
• Minimum of 6 years of process development, scale-up and optimization experience in fine chemicals/pharma.
• Strong grasp of organic synthesis, reaction mechanisms and kinetics.
• Hands-on lab and pilot-plant experience; GMP familiarity is preferred.
• Proficiency with process simulation software (Aspen Plus, Design-Expert).
• Excellent problem-solving, documentation and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize synthetic routes and chemical processes for fine chemical production.
• Conduct lab experiments to evaluate parameters, yield and purity.
• Scale up from bench to pilot plant and commercial production.
• Perform PHAs and implement safety measures.
• Model process behavior with simulation tools and interpret results.
• Troubleshoot process issues and implement solutions.
• Collaborate with R&D, analytics and manufacturing teams.
• Document detailed process descriptions, SOPs and batch records.
• Ensure GMP compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Identify and evaluate new technologies for cost reduction.

Skills

Process development

Scale-up

GMP awareness

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry

Tools

Aspen Plus

Design-Expert

Job description

Placements24 in South Africa seeks a skilled Process Development Engineer to join the team in Klerksdorp. The role focuses on developing, optimizing, and scaling up chemical processes for fine chemicals and APIs, translating lab discoveries into robust manufacturing steps.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in organic chemistry and chemical engineering, with hands-on lab and pilot plant experience, and a track record in GMP environments.