Senior Process Chemist - Petrochemical Optimization & Scale-Up

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration package

Medical aid and retirement fund

Professional development opportunities

Relocation assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Process Chemist for a Richards Bay facility in KwaZulu-Natal. The role focuses on optimizing and troubleshooting chemical processes to improve efficiency, safety, and product quality.

You will collaborate with production, R&D, and engineering teams to scale up processes, evaluate catalysts, and ensure regulatory compliance. A strong background in process engineering and DoE is essential.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in process chemistry or chemical engineering within the petrochemical or related chemical industry.
• Strong knowledge of reaction engineering, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and separation processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and scale-up chemical processes for petrochemical products.
• Analyze process data to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and areas for improvement in yield and energy use.
• Troubleshoot operational issues and implement solutions to maintain plant reliability and product quality.
• Conduct laboratory and pilot-scale experiments to evaluate catalysts, reagents, and process conditions.
• Design and execute DoE experiments to optimize process parameters.

Skills

Process optimization

Scale-up expertise

Data analysis

Team mentorship

Problem solving

Education

PhD/MSc in Chemical Engineering or Chemistry

Tools

Aspen Plus

HYSYS

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Senior Process Chemist for a Richards Bay facility in KwaZulu-Natal. The role focuses on optimizing and troubleshooting chemical processes to improve efficiency, safety, and product quality.

You will collaborate with production, R&D, and engineering teams to scale up processes, evaluate catalysts, and ensure regulatory compliance. A strong background in process engineering and DoE is essential.