Process Utilities & Effluent Production Manager

Job Specification: Process Utilities & Effluent Production Manager

Location:Ballito, KZN
Reports To:** Plant Director / Operations Executive
Department:** Utilities & Environmental Engineering

Fluent in Afrikaans

Job Summary

The Process Utilities & Effluent Production Manager is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations, process optimization, and legal compliance of large-scale industrial utility networks and wastewater treatment facilities. This role ensures the continuous, safe production of plant utilities (such as high-pressure steam, power, cooling water, and fuel gas systems) while maintaining strict environmental compliance over high-volume industrial effluent treatment and solid waste handling processes.

## **Key Responsibilities**

**1. Plant Operations & Utility Production Management**

* Direct the day-to-day operations of continuous process utility plants, including cooling water systems, steam generation, fuel gas, and power distribution systems.

* Manage process plant assets, including Lubes Base Oil blending, oil movements tank farms, LPG storage, and terminal product transfers.

* Optimize chemical and process flows using Distributed Control Systems (DCS) to enhance workflow efficiency and minimize downtime.

* Track inventory, chemical feed stocks, and tank levels to proactively mitigate stock-out risks.

**2. Wastewater & Industrial Effluent Treatment**

* Oversee the technical operation of multi-stage wastewater treatment facilities and solid waste handling systems.

* Ensure absolute environmental sustainability and compliance with national waste management protocols and emissions standards.

* Develop, evaluate, and conduct Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies to identify process safety vulnerabilities.

* Manage chemical optimization programs and evaluate wastewater quality parameters to ensure safe discharge metrics.

**3. Engineering Projects & Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)**

* Lead the planning, development, and execution of major and minor CAPEX projects (e.g., cellroom upgrades, vent gas scrubbers, and industrial piping installations).

* Coordinate the integrated refinery/plant shutdown, turnaround (TAR), and start-up sequencing, ensuring safe decontamination and plant handover to maintenance.

* Design and execute long-term asset management strategies to improve equipment reliability and overall plant operational excellence.

**4. Statutory Compliance, Safety & Leadership**

* Serve as the legally responsible appointee under the OHS Act (e.g., 16.2 appointment) to ensure safe work execution across all process zones.

* Cultivate a stringent safety culture using advanced incident investigation methodologies, including Root Cause Analysis (RCA), 5-Why, and Apollo frameworks.

* Formulate annual operational budgets (OPEX), drive cost-saving initiatives, and manage supplier account contracts.

* Lead, mentor, and track performance metrics for a multi-disciplinary team of production technicians, engineers, and control room operators.

## **Qualifications & Experience (Non-Negotiable)**

* **Education:** A Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng) or B.Tech in Chemical Engineering, Process Control Engineering, or a closely related industrial discipline.

* **Experience:** 5 to 10+ years of direct operational experience inside a petrochemical refinery, chemical processing plant, or pulp and paper manufacturing facility.

* **Specific Process Exposure:**
* Proven management tracking over industrial wastewater/effluent plants.

* Hands-on experience with automated control systems (Honeywell DCS, Yokogawa DCS, or PI Process Book software).

* Demonstrated experience handling complex chemical processes (e.g., Chlor-Alkali, gas scrubbing, or industrial acid handling).

## **Required Skills & Competencies**

* **Technical Softwares:** Proficient in industrial systems like SAP Planning, PI-Vision, Aspen Hysys, and process-specific DCS operating consoles.

* **Methodologies:** Practical knowledge of Lean Six Sigma principles (Continuous Improvement) and process safety fundamentals.

* **Compliance:** Registered Technical Membership with recognized occupational health and safety or engineering bodies (e.g., SAIOSH, IFE).

* **Language:** Professional fluency in English and Afrikaans is highly beneficial for local multi-disciplinary stakeholder engagement.