Senior Process Engineer

We are hiring!

At Sappi, we are a leading global provider with a reputation for delivering high-quality sustainable Woodfibre products and solutions for the global markets. We lead through our values centred around safety, integrity, courage, making smart decisions which we execute with speed. We are seeking unique people who believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive and safe environment.

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Chemical Engineer responsible for reviewing the end-to-end production process from the wood yard through to the final product for all the types of products produced at the mill.

As a Senior Chemical Engineer, you will be responsible for:

• Collaborate with other Senior Process Engineers in the head office and at other mills, develop the standards for process documentation covering Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams, Process Flow Diagrams, Mass and Energy Balances, and process descriptions. Ensure that  all documentation is shared across the process of the engineering community to minimise rework
• Oversee the development and updating of product specifications and periodically review the quality thereof
• Review recommendations for new process improvement projects and decide which ones are worth pursuing. Periodically review the quality of process audit work and provide guidance to process technicians and process engineers on how it can be improved
• Coordinate root cause analysis for recurring or systemic production failures and comprehensive de-bottlenecking exercises. Provide advice and expertise on the elements that should be considered. Build a knowledge base of root cause analyses to be shared within the mill and with other mills to reduce rework
• Review the quality of high-level designs prepared by process engineers. Prepare high-level designs for large-scale reengineering projects or oversee the design process if there are supporting resources (internal teams or consultants)
• Advise project and production managers on the criteria that drive the decisions to do pre-feasibility studies. Review Process Engineers’ Pre-feasibility Study assumptions and findings
• Review the quality of feasibility studies by determining if the correct parameters have been used and advise on areas for improvement if the feasibility study is not robust enough
• Develop detailed end-to-end process designs for processes that impact multiple machines and production areas in the mill. Review detailed designs prepared by process engineers from a quality point of view. Act as engineering signatory on detailed designs
• Review the results of Design Reviews and guide improvements required in the designs or the review process
• Ensure that environmental standards are taken into account in all process designs. Consider the impact of environmental legislation changes on current processes as well as future changes and contribute to the development of upgrade strategies to address it
• Review the change impacts of the whole portfolio of process changes on at least a quarterly basis. Determine if priorities need to be changed to ensure that changes can be executed successfully. Also, review change impact assessments completed by process engineers from a quality point of view
• Review the success of the process changes implemented for all changes (small and major changes). Determine the lessons learned and ensure that process engineers at other mills gain access to the lessons learned
• Drive the recruitment, recognition, remuneration, development, and discipline of the process engineering teams. Take direct responsibility for the development of the team members
• Participate in demand planning for current and future requirements and determine the need to create additional skill pools for the process engineering function. Take into account the retirement ages of current teams

What are we looking for?

• Degree in Chemical Engineering or B Tech in Chemical Engineering with significant pulp and paper experience
• Post graduate qualification or certificate in management would be advantageous
• 5-8 years of process experience in a heavy manufacturing environment
• Pulp and paper experience would be advantageous

What’s in it for you?

• Opportunity to work within a global organisation that continues to thrive in a rapidly changing world even after 80 years of existence
• Learning and development programmes to fast-track your career within Sappi
• Opportunities to travel (dependent on the role)
• Market-leading leave benefits
• E mployee wellbeing benefits