Chemical Process Engineer / Process Development Engineer - R&D to Production

Location: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Working Hours: Days, with some shift cover required during plant trials
Contract: Permanent, full-time

The Opportunity

• Are you a Chemical Engineer with experience in process development, scale-up or industrial manufacturing?
• Are you interested in taking new and developing processes from laboratory and pilot-scale trials through to full-scale industrial production?
• We are recruiting on behalf of our client, a specialist manufacturing business, for a Chemical Process Engineer to play a key role in developing, scaling up and industrialising new manufacturing processes at its Ellesmere Port facility.
• This is an exciting opportunity to work at the interface between Research & Development and Production, translating technical developments into safe, reliable and commercially viable manufacturing processes.
• You will be involved in process development, pilot plant trials, production scale-up, commissioning and continuous improvement, working closely with R&D, Production, Engineering and Quality teams.
• With significant investment in new process capacity and the development of a 24/7 manufacturing operation, this position offers the opportunity to influence the introduction and optimisation of specialist industrial processes.

The Role

Reporting to the R&D Director - Manufacturing, you will take responsibility for progressing new and improved processes from research and development through to full-scale production.

You will ensure processes are properly designed, trialled, optimised and transferred into manufacturing, delivering safe, reliable and efficient production performance.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and supporting the scale-up of chemical and metallurgical processes from laboratory and pilot plant trials into full-scale production.
• Working with specialist processes including molten salt electrolysis, reduction and alloying operations.
• Developing process designs, mass and energy balances, Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) and operating parameters.
• Planning, coordinating and conducting plant trials, analysing results and recommending process improvements.
• Translating trial findings and technical developments into standard operating procedures (SOPs) and manufacturing instructions.
• Working closely with Production, Engineering and Quality teams to commission new equipment and successfully transfer processes into operational manufacturing.
• Identifying opportunities to improve production yield, product quality, energy efficiency and manufacturing costs.
• Leading or supporting HAZOP studies, process risk assessments and Management of Change (MOC) activities.
• Providing technical support and training to production operators and supervisors when introducing new or modified processes.
• Monitoring process performance and using production data to identify opportunities for ongoing optimisation.

About You

• You will be a qualified Chemical Engineer or similar engineering professional with experience in process development, process engineering or manufacturing scale-up.
• Ideally, you will have worked in a chemical, metals, materials or other process manufacturing environment, with experience taking processes from laboratory or pilot scale through to industrial production.
• You will be comfortable working across both technical development and operational manufacturing, combining engineering knowledge with practical problem-solving and data analysis.

Essential experience and qualifications:

• Degree in Chemical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Experience scaling up processes from laboratory or pilot plant environments into full-scale production.
• Background in chemical, metals, materials or other process-based manufacturing.
• Good understanding of process engineering principles, including process design and optimisation.
• Experience with mass and energy balances, process parameters and technical data analysis.
• Knowledge of process safety, including HAZOP studies, risk assessments and Management of Change.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills.

Desirable experience:

• Experience with electrochemical processes, molten salt electrolysis, high-temperature processing or metallurgical operations.
• Exposure to reduction, alloying or specialist metal manufacturing processes.
• Experience commissioning new processes or equipment within a manufacturing environment.
• Chartered Engineer status through IChemE, or actively working towards professional registration.
• Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing or other continuous improvement training.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Join a specialist manufacturing business investing in new production capacity and advanced manufacturing processes.
• Work at the interface between R&D, process development and full-scale industrial production.
• Take ownership of bringing new technologies and processes into operational manufacturing.
• Gain exposure to specialist chemical, electrochemical and metallurgical processes.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary technical and operational teams.
• Play an important role in developing and optimising manufacturing capabilities within a growing business.

If you are a Chemical Engineer, Process Development Engineer or Process Engineer with experience in industrial scale-up and manufacturing, we would