Junior Process Engineer – Manufacturing

About the role

A Junior Process Engineer position is available at an international chemical manufacturing company in Hammarsdale, KZN. The role provides technical process engineering support to enable safe, reliable, efficient and sustainable manufacturing operations, working under the guidance of the Process Safety Engineer.

Key responsibilities

• Support Safety, Health, Environment and Process Safety Management programmes.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC), Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) and incident investigations.
• Maintain engineering documentation such as P&IDs, SOPs, BOPs, work instructions and Process Safety Information.
• Monitor manufacturing performance and identify opportunities for process optimisation and improved plant reliability.
• Provide technical support during routine production, start‑ups, shutdowns and process trials.
• Support engineering projects from concept through implementation and commissioning.
• Assist with automation, process control and Distributed Control System (DCS) improvement initiatives.
• Conduct engineering gap analyses, plant verifications and compliance reviews.
• Coordinate engineering, process safety and improvement action items to closure.
• Prepare technical reports, engineering studies, dashboards and performance metrics.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, productivity and operational excellence.
• Assist with training, knowledge management and engineering competency development activities.

Required profile

• Strong understanding of chemical engineering principles and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to analyse process data and troubleshoot operational, quality and process safety issues.
• Working knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM) principles and risk management methodologies.
• Ability to interpret engineering documentation including P&IDs, PFDs and technical specifications.
• Knowledge of process control, instrumentation and Distributed Control Systems (DCS).
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving and root cause analysis skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to prepare technical reports and present findings effectively.
• Strong planning, organisational and project coordination skills.
• Effective teamwork and communication with stakeholders at all levels.
• Knowledge of SHE legislation, engineering standards and regulatory requirements is advantageous.
• Initiative, attention to detail and a strong commitment to safety and continuous improvement.

Required skills

• Process Safety Management (PSM)
• Management of Change (MOC)
• Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)
• Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
• P&IDs
• SOPs
• BOPs
• Distributed Control System (DCS)
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint