Process Engineer (Chemical)
- Engineering qualification. BEng / BSc Chemical Engineering, or BEng Process Engineering, or equivalent. Other engineering disciplines with strong demonstrable process-design depth in water treatment will be considered.
- Professional registration pathway. ECSA Candidate Engineer (registered or pending) at junior level; clear path toward Pr Eng at mid-level; Pr Eng or imminent at mid-senior level.
- Process design fundamentals. Mass and energy balances, P&IDs and PFDs, equipment sizing and specification, control philosophy.
- Water treatment exposure. Demonstrable academic or work exposure to water or wastewater treatment unit operations. Hands-on internship, vacation work, or project experience counts.
- Drafting and modelling. Competence with AutoCAD or Plant 3D; familiarity with Aspen Plus or comparable process simulation tools.
- Safety mindset. Understands HAZOP methodology and the importance of process safety in chemical handling environments.
- Driver's licence and own transport. Site work is part of the role.
Strongly preferred:
- Groundwater treatment depth. Borehole abstraction and raw groundwater treatment design - typically high iron, manganese, hardness, sometimes pathogens, sometimes elevated TDS or nitrates. RO / ion exchange / filtration / disinfection unit operations.
- Regulatory familiarity. SANS 241 (potable water quality), DWS general and special limits, National Water Act Section 21 water use authorisations, fit-for-purpose standards for non-potable reuse.
- Wastewater / package plant exposure. Effluent treatment, package plants, sludge handling, compliance with municipal and DWS effluent standards.
- Data and instrumentation literacy. SCADA, online quality monitoring (turbidity, conductivity, chlorine residual), telemetry, alarm management, performance verification.
- Programming and data tools. Python (Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, etc.) for design calculations, optimisation, or data analysis. Advanced Excel including VBA.
- Lean / continuous improvement. Process optimisation, cost reduction, lifecycle thinking.
- Member of WISA or comparable water sector professional body.
Key responsibilities:
*Groundwater treatment design
- Characterise raw water from boreholes, surface sources, or blended sources; specify the analytical scope required for design.
- Select and size unit operations: pretreatment (screening, sedimentation, coagulation/flocculation), filtration (multimedia, granular activated carbon, membrane), disinfection (chlorine, UV, ozone), softening, demineralisation (RO, ion exchange), and advanced oxidation as required.
- Produce mass and energy balances, hydraulic profiles, equipment specifications, and operating philosophy for the plant.
- Verify compliance with SANS 241 (potable), DWS general and special limits, and any fit for-purpose standards specific to the client's use case.
*Process documentation across all six ECSA stages
*Safety, compliance, and quality
*Cross-disciplinary coordination
*Productisation & methodology