Process Engineer (Chemical)

Execustaff; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 520,000 - 760,000; Full time

Job summary

Execustaff seeks a Process Engineer (Chemical) to design groundwater treatment and related water treatment plants in Pretoria. You will translate raw water profiles into compliant, cost-effective process designs, balancing capex/opex while meeting output quality targets.

The role supports early to mid-senior levels with mentorship and a clear progression toward Professional Engineer status, offering site exposure and varied project scopes in water resilience.

Qualifications

• Engineering qualification: BEng / BSc Chemical Eng or equivalent.
• ECSA Candidate Engineer path toward Pr Eng; clear progression toward Pr Eng.
• Process design fundamentals: mass/energy balances, P&IDs and PFDs, equipment sizing, control philosophy.
• Water treatment exposure in groundwater/wastewater contexts; hands-on or project experience.
• Drafting/modelling: AutoCAD/Plant 3D; familiarity with Aspen Plus or similar tools.
• Safety mindset: understanding HAZOP and process safety importance.
• Driver's licence and own transport; site work required.

Responsibilities

• Groundwater treatment design.
• Characterise raw water from boreholes and other sources; define analytical scope for design.
• Select and size unit operations: pretreatment, filtration, disinfection, softening, RO/ion exchange, and advanced oxidation as needed.
• Produce mass and energy balances, hydraulic profiles, equipment specifications, and operating philosophy for the plant.
• Verify compliance with relevant standards (SANS 241, DWS limits) and fit-for-purpose requirements.
• Document processes across all six ECSA stages; ensure safety, compliance, and quality.
• Coordinate across disciplines; contribute to productisation & methodology.

Skills

Process design fundamentals

Water treatment exposure

Drafting & modelling

Safety mindset

Python data tools

Groundwater treatment knowledge

Driver's licence

HUD/HAZOP awareness

Education

BEng / BSc Chemical Engineering (or related)

ECSA Candidate Engineer path toward Pr Eng

Tools

AutoCAD

Plant 3D

Aspen Plus or similar

Job description

A water resilience consultancy based in Pretoria is seeking a Process Engineer (Chemical): Groundwater & Water Treatment Plant Design.

The role is open to candidates from early career (newly graduated, 1-3 years' work) through mid-senior (8-12 years). Scope, mentoring relationship, and remuneration will be calibrated to level on appointment.

The role

Design treatment systems that delivers the required output quality, reliably, at the right capex and opex, by taking a client's raw water profile (groundwater, surface water, blackwater, process water).

Must have

• Engineering qualification. BEng / BSc Chemical Engineering, or BEng Process Engineering, or equivalent. Other engineering disciplines with strong demonstrable process-design depth in water treatment will be considered.
• Professional registration pathway. ECSA Candidate Engineer (registered or pending) at junior level; clear path toward Pr Eng at mid-level; Pr Eng or imminent at mid-senior level.
• Process design fundamentals. Mass and energy balances, P&IDs and PFDs, equipment sizing and specification, control philosophy.
• Water treatment exposure. Demonstrable academic or work exposure to water or wastewater treatment unit operations. Hands-on internship, vacation work, or project experience counts.
• Drafting and modelling. Competence with AutoCAD or Plant 3D; familiarity with Aspen Plus or comparable process simulation tools.
• Safety mindset. Understands HAZOP methodology and the importance of process safety in chemical handling environments.
• Driver's licence and own transport. Site work is part of the role.

Strongly preferred

• Groundwater treatment depth. Borehole abstraction and raw groundwater treatment design — typically high iron, manganese, hardness, sometimes pathogens, sometimes elevated TDS or nitrates. RO / ion exchange / filtration / disinfection unit operations.
• Regulatory familiarity. SANS 241 (potable water quality), DWS general and special limits, National Water Act Section 21 water use authorisations, fit-for-purpose standards for non-potable reuse.
• Wastewater / package plant exposure. Effluent treatment, package plants, sludge handling, compliance with municipal and DWS effluent standards.
• Data and instrumentation literacy. SCADA, online quality monitoring (turbidity, conductivity, chlorine residual), telemetry, alarm management, performance verification.
• Programming and data tools. Python (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, etc.) for design calculations, optimisation, or data analysis. Advanced Excel including VBA.
• Lean / continuous improvement. Process optimisation, cost reduction, lifecycle thinking.
• Member of WISA or comparable water sector professional body.

Key responsibilities

• Groundwater treatment design
• Characterise raw water from boreholes, surface sources, or blended sources; specify the analytical scope required for design.
• Select and size unit operations: pretreatment (screening, sedimentation, coagulation/flocculation), filtration (multimedia, granular activated carbon, membrane), disinfection (chlorine, UV, ozone), softening, demineralisation (RO, ion exchange), and advanced oxidation as required.
• Produce mass and energy balances, hydraulic profiles, equipment specifications, and operating philosophy for the plant.
• Verify compliance with SANS 241 (potable), DWS general and special limits, and any fit for-purpose standards specific to the client's use case.
• Process documentation across all six ECSA stages
• Safety, compliance, and quality
• Cross-disciplinary coordination
• Productisation & methodology

Process Engineer (Chemical) Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng, ZA