Water Treatment Operator

Job Title: Water Treatment Operator

Location: Gqeberha

Job Type: Full-time

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

· Start up, operate, and shut down wastewater treatment plants and RO water purification systems

· Conduct daily inspections of cooling towers, chillers, heat exchangers, and heating loops following standard operating procedures (SOPs)

· Perform routine water quality tests (e.g., pH, conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, phosphates, bromine, chlorine) and adjust chemical dosing to prevent corrosion, scaling, and microbial growth.

· Inspect and maintain drift eliminators, nozzles, and heat exchange coils; perform basic first-line maintenance and escalate defects as required.

· Monitor system trends (e.g., approach temperature, differential pressure, make-up and bleed rates) and report anomalies promptly.

· Operate and maintain pre-treatment filtration, dosing equipment, RO trains, and permeate tanks.

· Track key RO system KPIs, including permeate conductivity/TDS, SDI/turbidity, differential pressures, and recovery/rejection rates.

· Conduct cleaning-in-place (CIP) procedures and sanitization as scheduled, handling chemicals safely.

· Receive and decant chemicals into dosing tanks; replace cartridges and support membrane change-outs under supervision.

· Collect water samples across treatment areas for internal and external analysis, perform tests, and correct deviations promptly.

· Coordinate with production to ensure flow and water quality align with takt time and product changes.

· Operate and monitor wastewater treatment systems via SCADA, including equalization tanks, coagulation/flocculation tanks, DAF/settling tanks, filter presses, and sludge handling units.

· Perform jar testing to optimize coagulant/flocculant and pH setpoints to meet discharge limits.

· Record flows, tank levels, and effluent quality; respond to alarms and upset conditions in line with SOPs.

· Manage sludge dewatering and dispatch operations.

· Complete operator rounds, log sheets, shift handovers, and electronic records, including work logs, fault logs, and equipment history.

· Adhere to OHS regulations, site permits, LOTO, confined space, chemical handling standards, and municipal/SANS by-laws.

· Support internal and external audits; maintain accurate MSDS and chemical inventory records.

· Ensure preventative maintenance and continuous improvement initiatives are implemented.

· Identify potential equipment failures and raise work requests proactively.

· Assist artisans and technicians during planned maintenance and breakdowns.

· Contribute to 5S, housekeeping, and process improvements to reduce downtime and optimize chemical and energy usage.

· Uphold company philosophies, policies, values, and quality standards; address day-to-day operational issues.

· Assist in other departmental operations and complete tasks assigned by engineers and management in a timely manner

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

· Certificate in Water Process Control

· N3-N6 qualification or related Diploma

· Minimum of 3 years' experience in water and wastewater treatment operations

· Proven experience in operating, monitoring and optimization of water treatment systems to ensure consistent process performance and compliant water quality across all water systems

· Ability to maintain accurate operational and compliance records, support first-line maintenance activities, and adhere to safety and regulatory standards

· Demonstrate ability to collaborate effectively with Maintenance, Production, and EHS teams to reduce incidents, minimize downtime and optimize operational costs.

Join our team and become part of a dynamic and innovative company at the forefront of the automotive industry. Apply now to with your updated resume.

: When submitting your application, please use the job title in the subject heading.

We look forward to welcoming you to our team

We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including those with diverse backgrounds and those with disabilities. Preference will be given to applicants in line with our current employment equity plan and targets.

Please note that should you not receive a response within 2 weeks of applying, you may consider your application as being unsuccessful.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In person

Application Deadline: 2025/11/07