Senior Process Engineer (Petrochemical) — Hybrid Role & Growth

Placements24; Pietermaritzburg; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical aid

Retirement fund contributions

Professional development support

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Process Engineer in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, to lead the design, optimization, and safe operation of chemical processes. The role blends on-site collaboration with flexible hybrid work, requiring 7+ years in chemical/process engineering and strong simulation skills.

You will mentor junior engineers, manage capital projects, and ensure regulatory and environmental compliance while delivering high-efficiency, high-quality products.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in process engineering within chemical/petrochemical industries.
• Proficiency with process simulation/design software (Aspen Plus, HYSYS, ChemCAD).
• Strong knowledge of kinetics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and separation processes.
• Experience with process safety management (PSM) and hazard analysis (HAZOP/LOPA).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and project-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement new chemical processes; improve existing ones for efficiency and quality.
• Run process simulations and modeling to predict performance and identify optimization opportunities.
• Troubleshoot operational issues across processes, equipment, and plant performance.
• Manage scopes, timelines, and budgets for process-improvement and capital projects.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental standards, and policies.
• Collaborate with R&D, operations, and maintenance teams for seamless integration.

Skills

Process engineering

Project management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Chemical Engineering

Tools

Aspen Plus

HYSYS

ChemCAD

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Process Engineer in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, to lead the design, optimization, and safe operation of chemical processes. The role blends on-site collaboration with flexible hybrid work, requiring 7+ years in chemical/process engineering and strong simulation skills.

You will mentor junior engineers, manage capital projects, and ensure regulatory and environmental compliance while delivering high-efficiency, high-quality products.