Senior Process Technologist

Type of work: On site

Type of contract: Open-ended/permanent

Full/Part Time: Full time

Location: Brits, ZA

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a "Bridgestone West" strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

You will lead the team optimizing mixing specifications and compounds to achieve the most consistent extrusion and calendaring results and adequate tack levels of components reaching the tyre assembly department with emphasis placed on waste and scrap reduction meeting budgeted objectives.

Optimize mixing processes to increase mixing capacity and minimize waste and scrap

• Analyse mixing conditions statistically
• Formulate improvement actions
• Evaluate formulated improvement actions
• Implement improvement actions
• Monitor improved conditions
• Maintain compound process capability within TCE specified ranks

Introduce new compounds and/or raw materials to satisfy new tyre development strategy

• Analyse current mixing conditions versus experimental conditions
• Implement plant and volume trials
• Monitor volume trial results for 6 months period
• Maintain compound process capabilities within TCE specified ranks

Control viscosity criteria for all compounds

• Monitor all compound viscosities daily
• Analyse trends and implement necessary changes to control within specified limits

Waste reduction in mixing and extrusion areas

• Collaborate with CFTs to identify opportunities for waste reduction
• Formulate agreed actions from processing and/or compound physical property perspective
• Monitor implemented actions and justify waste reduction

TMA reduction in mixing

• Maximize TMA work away potential at the mixers using TCE standards or plant standards approved by Technical Services Manager
• Collaborate with CFT's to identify opportunities for TMA reduction in extrusion areas
• Formulate agreed actions from processing perspective
• Monitor implemented actions and justify TMA reduction

Off specification batch reduction

• Analyse off spec batch trend within CFT
• Identify causes and make recommendations for improvement
• Implement corrective actions
• Monitor implemented actions and justify off spec batch reduction

Specification Optimization

• Implement plant and volume trials
• Monitor volume trial results for 6 months period

CFT activities

• Active involvement in mixer CFT activities aimed at increasing productivity, reducing waste and scrap and maintaining budgeted costs

SHEQ and Risk Management

• Ensure that all SHEQ requirements and Risk Management functions from a Technical Services point of view are implemented and adhered to in mixing department

• BSc in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
• B Tech Chemistry or Chemical Engineering
• Diploma in polymer or rubber technology

• A t least 5 years' experience in rubber mixing and extrusion, preferably in the tyre manufacturing industry.

At Bridgestone, what really matter is to foster co-creation opportunities and empowering you to be creative and curious to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for future generations. Whatever role you fill, when you represent Bridgestone, you are a valued teammate, and part of our larger mission to "Serve Society with Superior Quality", for that, we offer you more than just a competitive payment; we will provide you:

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.
• The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.
• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.
• Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long-term well-being.
• A diverse and inclusive team.

We are committed to create an even more inclusive culture that advances equity, embraces individuality, and helps our increasingly diverse teammates, customers, and communities thrive, by providing equal opportunities in employment. This means that all job applicants and members of staff will receive equal treatment and that we will not discriminate on grounds of gender, marital status, race, ethnicity, color, nationality, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age.