Senior Process Technician at Sasol

Purpose of Job

• To provide advanced technical and operational support to Tank Farm Operations by applying specialist process knowledge, operational excellence principles, and data-driven optimisation techniques. The incumbent is responsible for identifying and implementing process improvements, ensuring safe and reliable operations, optimising product handling and storage, and supporting operational performance, asset integrity, and business continuity objectives.

Key Accountabilities

Safety, Health, Environment and Risk Management

• Champion Sasol's Goal Zero philosophy and SHE excellence.
• Ensure strict compliance with all legal, statutory and company SHE requirements.
• Participate in risk assessments, HAZOPs, audits, incident investigations and corrective action implementation.
• Drive process safety management and operational discipline within the area of responsibility.
• Identify and mitigate process, environmental and operational risks.
• Support emergency preparedness and response activities.

Operational Excellence

• Monitor and optimise tank farm operational performance.
• Analyse plant performance trends and recommend improvement opportunities.
• Provide technical support for product receipt, storage, blending and dispatch operations.
• Drive root cause analysis of operational problems and implement sustainable solutions.
• Monitor operational KPIs and ensure delivery against production and service targets.
• Support operational readiness and commissioning activities for new projects and modifications.

Process Optimisation

• Gather, analyse and interpret operational data to identify optimisation opportunities.
• Develop technical recommendations to improve operational efficiency, reliability and product quality.
• Facilitate implementation of continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support digitalisation and operational excellence projects.
• Assist with development and optimisation of operating procedures and standards.
• Benchmark operational performance and identify best practices.

Asset Reliability and Integrity

• Support asset integrity and reliability programmes.
• Collaborate with engineering, maintenance and inspection functions to improve equipment performance.
• Provide technical input into maintenance strategies and plans.
• Assist with management of operational and process-related risk registers.
• Participate in defect elimination and reliability improvement initiatives.

Projects and Technical Support

• Provide technical input to multidisciplinary project teams.
• Support project execution, commissioning and start-up activities.
• Evaluate technical proposals and operational impacts of proposed changes.
• Participate in Management of Change (MOC) processes.
• Ensure operational requirements are embedded into project designs and solutions.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with operations, maintenance, engineering, commercial, logistics and SHE stakeholders.
• Provide specialist advice and coaching to operational teams.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and implementation of best practices across operational areas.

Governance and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with Sasol policies, standards, procedures and governance requirements.
• Maintain accurate operational records, reports and technical documentation.
• Support internal and external audits.

Leadership and People Development

• Mentor Process Technicians and other operational personnel.
• Share technical expertise and develop operational capability within the team.
• Support competency development and succession planning initiatives.
• Take ownership of personal development and technical growth.

Minimum Qualifications

Essential

• National Diploma in Chemical Engineering

Advantageous

• Bachelor's Degree (BEng/BSc Engineering)
• BTech Chemical Engineering,

Experience

Minimum

• 7 years relevant operational or process optimisation experience in petrochemical, refining, storage, logistics or bulk liquids operations.

Preferred

Experience in:

• Bulk fuel storage and handling facilities.
• Tank farm operations.
• Product blending operations.
• Pipeline operations.
• Rail and road loading operations.
• Process optimisation and data analytics.
• Major Hazard Installation (MHI) environments.

Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Process optimisation
• Root cause analysis
• Process safety management
• Risk management
• Data analysis and reporting
• Operational excellence
• Asset reliability principles
• Project support and commissioning
• Technical problem solving
• Continuous improvement methodologies

Behavioural Competencies

• Business Acumen
• Collaboration
• Customer Focus
• Drives Results
• Decision Quality
• Planning and Organising
• Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Stakeholder Management
• Learning Agility
• Accountability
• Courage and Integrity

Success Measures

• The incumbent will be measured against:
• SHE performance and compliance.
• Process safety performance.
• Operational efficiency improvements.
• Product quality and service performance.
• Cost optimisation initiatives.
• Technical problem-solving effectiveness.
• Continuous improvement delivery.
• Stakeholder satisfaction.
• Development of operational capability within the team.