SUMMARY:
Process Utilities & Effluent Production Manager
POSITION INFO:
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.
