Production Engineer

SUMMARY:
Our client in the Tulbagh area is looking for a highly motivated Process Engineer to provide hands-on technical support within the production environment to ensure stable, efficient, safe, and compliant manufacturing operations.

POSITION INFO:
Minimum Requirements:

1. Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
2. Postgraduate qualification in Process Engineering and/or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt / Black Belt will be advantageous
3. Minimum 5 years experience in process engineering, preferably in a manufacturing, food processing, or chemical industry environment
4. Proven hands-on experience in process optimization, production line improvement, troubleshooting, and resolving process inefficiencies
5. Demonstrated experience in apply lean manufacturing and cost-saving initiatives in an operational environment
6. Experience working closely with production teams in a fast-paced manufacturing setting
7. Experience in a shift or 24/7 manufacturing environment will be advantageous

Duties and Responsibilities:

Safety and Management

• Always promote and support a safe working environment
• Ensure technical activities comply with safety requirements, safe operating practices, and engineering controls
• Participate in risk identification, hazard reduction, and incident investigation where process conditions contribute to unsafe outcomes
• Escalate serious process, product, equipment, or safety risks immediately

Data Analysis, Reporting and Control

• Monitor and analyse process and production data including downtime, yield, throughput, waste, rejects, OEE, process deviations, and quality losses.
• Maintain accurate records of technical issues, investigations, actions, and process improvements.
• Generate and communicate clear shift-related technical feedback and recommendations.
• Use data to prioritize corrective actions and identify trends requiring escalation or project intervention.
• Support accurate data capture and reporting to improve operational visibility and decision-making

Documentation and Standardization

• Develop, review, and update SOPs, work instructions, process standards, control methods, and troubleshooting guides where required.
• Ensure process knowledge is translated into practical standards for production teams.
• Support validation of revised operating methods and ensure they are properly communicated and implemented.
• Maintain technical documentation relevant to process control and continuous improvement initiatives.

Production Support on Shift

• Support operators, supervisors, and managers with technical decision-making during production.
• Ensure that production processes are operating according to approved parameters, product specifications, running cards, and SOPs.
• Assist production teams with startup, changeovers, process adjustments, product change transitions, and line recovery after breakdowns or deviations.
• Review production constraints affecting schedule attainment, OTIF, capacity, and line performance.
• Help ensure smooth handover of process conditions, unresolved issues, and corrective actions between shifts

Food Safety, Quality, GMP and Compliance

• Ensure all process activities comply with company food safety, quality, GMP, HACCP, hygiene, and legal requirements
• Support compliance with applicable certification standards and internal systems, including food safety audits and operational controls
• Participate in investigations relating to product defects, customer complaints, non-conformances, deviations, hold stock, and rework
• Ensure process changes, trials, and corrective actions do not compromise food safety, legality, or product quality
• Support adherence to departmental SOPs, specifications, running cards, sanitation requirements, and line clearance standards
• Promote a strong culture of compliance, housekeeping, process discipline, and right-first-time execution on shift

Equipment and Process Interface

• Work closely with maintenance and engineering teams to address equipment-related causes of process instability.
• Support fault finding where equipment performance impacts process outcomes.
• Assist with commissioning, trials, modifications, upgrades, and optimization of production equipment.
• Provide process input into maintenance priorities, reliability improvement, and equipment performance reviews.
• Contribute to reducing unscheduled downtime through better understanding of process-equipment interaction

Continuous Improvement and Optimization

• Assist in evaluating new methods, process adjustments, and equipment improvements to improve operational performance
• Identify opportunities to improve process capability, efficiency, quality, and cost once stable operation has been established
• Drive practical improvement projects focused on reducing waste, improving OEE and yield, increasing throughput, and reducing rework
• Use production data to identify bottlenecks, losses, variation, and chronic process problems
• Support implementation of lean manufacturing, kaizen, problem-solving, and world-class manufacturing practices in production
• Standardize successful improvement and ensure they are embedded into daily operations

Process Troubleshooting and Stability

• Act as the first line of engineering support to production during the assigned shift
• Investigate, diagnose, and resolve process-related production problems affecting throughput, yield, quality, waste, downtime, and consistency
• Provide rapid response to technical issues on the plant floor to restore normal operating conditions
• Identify recurring problems and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve process reliability
• Monitor process variables, control points, line conditions, and operating practices to ensure process stability
• Support shift teams in identifying abnormal conditions early and responding effectively
• Lead or facilitate structured root cause analysis on technical production issues

Training and Capability Building

• Coach operators, line leaders, and supervisors on process understanding, control points, troubleshooting, and correct operating practices
• Build shift capability by improving technical understanding at floor level
• Support training initiatives linked to recurring technical problems, new standards, equipment changes, and process improvements
• Encourage disciplined problem-solving and ownership within production teams

PLEASE NOTE: Thank you for your interest in this position, we will review and be in touch if you are suitable.

Due to the amount of applications we receive for each position, we are unable to respond to each one individually. Please accept your application as unsuccessful if you had no feedback within 7 days of applying. Your CV will remain on our database and we will be in touch for other suitable positions.

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