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Solvent Extraction Supervisor
NFT Consult
Nakuru 🇰🇪 Kenya
Posted 12 days ago (24 Aug 2026) Updated 11 days ago
Job Description
The Solvent Extraction Supervisor oversees the entire extraction plant, ensuring stable operations from raw material preparation through oil and meal handling. They monitor key process parameters, enforce strict safety and quality standards, and lead a team of shift operators. Continuous improvement and effective maintenance coordination are central to achieving production and efficiency targets.
Qualifications & Requirements
- • Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Food Science/Technology, Oilseed Technology, Process Technology, Production/Manufacturing Engineering or related field
- • 5–8 years’ relevant experience in solvent extraction, vegetable oil manufacturing, oilseed processing or edible oil production
- • Hands‑on experience with hexane‑based solvent extraction (mandatory)
- • Proven experience supervising operators or production teams in a process plant (preferred)
- • Willingness to work rotating shifts
- • Practical knowledge of oilseed preparation and flaking, cooking and conditioning, extractor operations, miscella systems, de‑solventizing and toasting, evaporation and condensation, solvent recovery, crude oil and meal handling, pumps, heat exchangers, steam systems, instrumentation, basic PLC/DCS operation, process troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, hazardous‑area safety, LOTO and Permit‑to‑Work procedures
Required Skills
Responsibilities
- • Supervise daily solvent extraction operations from preparation and flaking through extraction, de‑solventizing, solvent recovery and oil/meal handling
- • Monitor critical process parameters such as temperature, pressure, flow, level, throughput and equipment performance
- • Maintain stable plant operations to meet production, oil recovery, solvent efficiency and quality targets
- • Identify extraction inefficiencies, troubleshoot abnormalities and implement corrective actions to reduce downtime
- • Support continuous‑improvement initiatives to enhance plant efficiency and process performance
- • Lead shift operators, allocate manpower and ensure effective handovers
- • Ensure operators follow SOPs, safety instructions and approved operating parameters
- • Train and guide operators on plant operations, safety practices and troubleshooting
- • Enforce strict safety compliance for hexane and other flammable solvents, including PPE, Permit‑to‑Work and LOTO procedures
- • Monitor solvent leakage, vapour losses and maintain hazardous‑area safety standards
- • Coordinate with QA/QC to verify that extracted oil and meal meet quality specifications
- • Investigate process, quality and safety deviations and implement corrective actions
- • Monitor equipment condition, coordinate maintenance activities and support shutdowns and preventive maintenance
- • Maintain accurate production, process, breakdown, safety and quality records and prepare shift reports for management