Senior Process Chemist: Scale-Up & Process Innovation

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

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Medical aid

Provident fund

Performance-based bonuses

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Placements24 in Pietermaritzburg is seeking a Senior Process Chemist to lead development and optimization of chemical processes within a dynamic R&D team.

The role requires a strong background in reaction engineering, scale-up, and analytical methods, with 5–7 years of industry experience. You will collaborate across research, engineering, and production to deliver robust, safe, and compliant processes for our manufacturing partners.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related field.
• 5–7 years of progressive process development experience.
• Experience in scale-up and manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize chemical processes for new and existing products.
• Conduct laboratory-scale experiments, pilot plant trials, and support full-scale production runs.
• Analyze experimental data, interpret results, and prepare comprehensive reports with recommendations for process improvements.
• Develop and validate analytical methods for monitoring reaction progress and product quality (HPLC, GC, MS, NMR, IR, UV-Vis).
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including R&D, engineers, and production to ensure seamless process transfer.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues during process development, scale-up and manufacturing.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of scientific literature, patents, and industry best practices.
• Ensure all work complies with safety, health, and environmental regulations.
• Mentor junior chemists and provide technical guidance to team members.

Skills

Process development

Scale-up

Analytical methods

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Master's or PhD in Chemical Engineering/Chemistry

Tools

Aspen Plus

HYSYS

HPLC

GC/MS

Job description

Placements24 in Pietermaritzburg is seeking a Senior Process Chemist to lead development and optimization of chemical processes within a dynamic R&D team.

The role requires a strong background in reaction engineering, scale-up, and analytical methods, with 5–7 years of industry experience. You will collaborate across research, engineering, and production to deliver robust, safe, and compliant processes for our manufacturing partners.