Senior Process Engineer

Astron Energy South Africa (Pty) Ltd; Milnerton; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Astron Energy South Africa (Pty) Ltd is seeking a seasoned Process Engineer to optimize refinery units, identify and resolve process issues, and lead small capital projects. You will develop models, balance energy and mass, and prepare technical documents to support decision-making in a safety-focused environment.

With 8–12 years of direct refining experience, you will mentor juniors, ensure SOL/IOW/CPV compliance, and collaborate across Operations, Mechanical, and Control Systems to drive

Qualifications

• BSc / BEng in Chemical Engineering with refinery experience.
• 8–12 years direct refining experience.
• Strong distillation and hydroprocessing knowledge.
• Good communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and optimise refinery process units to maximise production and minimise costs.
• Identify and resolve process, equipment, and operational issues for safe, reliable operation.
• Lead process engineering studies and design packages for small capital projects.
• Develop process models, mass and energy balances for optimisation.
• Prepare technical reports and engineering specifications.
• Manage MOC activities and address SOLs/IOWs/CPVs.
• Support refinery Turnarounds and catalyst regeneration work scopes.
• Mentor junior engineers and trainees toward safety and excellence.
• Collaborate with Operations, Mechanical, Control Systems, Planning, Safety, and Environmental teams.

Skills

Distillation mastery

Hydroprocessing

Process optimization

Stakeholder engagement

Safety compliance

Education

BSc / BEng in Chemical Engineering

Job description

Key responsibilities include:

• Monitoring and optimising the performance of assigned refinery process units to maximise production efficiency and minimise operating costs.
• Identifying, troubleshooting, and resolving process, equipment, and operational issues to ensure safe and reliable plant operation.
• Leading and supporting process engineering studies, conceptual design packages, and evaluations for small capital and improvement projects.
• Applying a strong understanding of refinery economics and process value chains to identify opportunities for value creation and operational improvement.
• Developing equipment sizing calculations and preparing technical documentation, including equipment datasheets and engineering specifications.
• Maintaining and updating process safety information, including P&IDs, operating envelopes, and associated technical documentation.
• Preparing technical reports, engineering studies, performance reviews, and technical memoranda to support decision-making and knowledge sharing.
• Identifying plant constraints and leading investigations and optimisation studies to improve unit performance and capacity.
• Planning, coordinating, and evaluating plant test runs to support process optimisation, LP model updates, and operational improvements.
• Providing technical guidance and responses to deviations from Safe Operating Limits (SOLs), Integrity Operating Windows (IOWs), and Critical Process Variables (CPVs).
• Managing and completing Management of Change (MOC) activities in accordance with company and regulatory requirements.
• Supporting refinery Turnarounds and Catalyst Regeneration activities by delivering process engineering work scopes and achieving key turnaround milestones.
• Coaching, mentoring, and developing junior engineers, graduates, and trainees while promoting strong engineering, safety, and operational excellence standards.
• Developing and maintaining process models, simulations, mass balances, and energy balances to support optimisation and long-term planning activities.
• Ensuring compliance with environmental legislation and company standards through the identification, reporting, mitigation, and elimination of environmental risks and deficiencies.
• Collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including Operations, Mechanical Engineering, Control Systems, Planning, Safety, Environmental, and Project Engineering functions to deliver business objectives.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience required

Work Experience and qualifications: BSc / BEng Degree in Chemical Engineering. 8 to 12 years of direct refining experience. Knowledge and skills: Mastery of distillation, hydro processing including technically astute and fluency in refinery processes Sound communication and good stakeholder engagement. Able to drive for results and manage complex inter-relationships

Application deadline:

15 September 2026

Astron Energy is a leading supplier of petroleum products in South Africa, with a vast network of Caltex-branded service stations that make us one of the country’s top two petroleum brands. We are strongly committed to being a responsible corporate citizen, promoting education, health and economic development in an effort to build stronger communities and drive sustainable economic growth. We own and operate the country’s third-largest crude oil refinery in Cape Town, which has a capacity of 100,000 barrels a day, and a lubricants manufacturing plant in Durban.