KwaZulu-Natal: Bioprocess/Fermentation Demonstration Plant Operations Team Leader posted by Stellenbosch University – Chemical Engineering

A position is available for a Demonstration Operations Team Leader to oversee and manage day-to-day operations of a mobile fermentation demonstration plant at an industrial site. The position will include participation in normal plant operations where sugar mill residues are fermented to ethanol. A robust and deep understanding of the fermentation process of organic waste to ethanol will be developed, together with the necessary operational experience to develop appropriate fermentation protocols under real industrial conditions. The Team Leader will play a key role in the execution of a process development program for the bioprocess technology, under direction of the management team at the Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University. The incumbent will be responsible for the successful operation of the demonstration plant, which will include adhering to operational directives provided by the management team to ensuring reliable operational results through faithful execution of experimental protocols as directed. These operations will be supported by adequate reporting on a regular basis. As with any fermentation-based process, it is a full-time responsibility for successful execution of the protocols using production technician support. Specific tasks include allocating plant personnel to shifts per operational plan, and manage all administrative tasks associated with plant operations. These include the following. (i) Ensuring fermentation protocols are adhered to as decided on a week-by-week basis and as directed by the management team. (ii) Contribute to and improving upon existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and training materials and identify and contribute to SOPs that might be required for routine operations. (iii) Compiling comprehensive technical reports on process conditions, operational performance and ethanol production achieved for each fermentation and distillation run, for weekly project meeting with research collaborators as well as cumulative quarterly engineering reports or other reports as directed by funders and/or collaborators and/or the steering committee. (iv) Compiling and maintaining all safety documentation and enforcing occupational health and safety directives. (v) Ordering of consumables and other items as required by the plant engineer and maintaining inventories. (vi) Manage samples and other analyses and shipping of materials as required. (vii) Liaising with host sugar mill staff. (viii) Arrange visitor access and safety induction. Activities will further include attendance of weekly online meetings and participate in day-to-day operations of the demonstration plant as part of the operations team, which will include shift cover and feedstock preparation as may be required. The incumbent should have sound verbal and written communication skills, proficient in word and data processing software and can function effectively in a multi-lingual and interdisciplinary environment. The incumbent should also have excellent good interpersonal and organisational skills with proven ability to function in a team environment. A National Diploma, Advanced Diploma, BTech, BEng or BSc Eng in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or a BSc in Biochemistry, Microbiology or Chemistry obtained from a recognised and accredited Higher Education Institution. The candidate should have experience with mono-septic fermentation/bioprocess operations and/or industrial microbiology, ideally with experience in operating bench-scale and larger-scale bioreactors under monoseptic conditions, using aseptic techniques. Candidates with a proven track record in plant operations with minimum two years experience will be given preference. The candidate should exhibit and provide examples of a keen attention to detail in the execution of batch protocols and SOPs, have a strong hands-on approach, and have a knack for problem solving and troubleshooting. Knowledge and skills related to process engineering in a practical/industrial context will be considered a benefit. Only candidates that can demonstrate via examples the requisite expertise in bioreactor operations as per the descriptions above, and that are legally eligible for employment in South Africa, will be considered.