Description

Position: Senior Officer – Solvent Recovery
Department: Production / Solvent Recovery Plant
Industry: API / Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Qualification: B.E./B.Tech/Diploma – Chemical Engineering preferred
Experience: 3–6 years in Solvent Recovery / API / Pharmaceutical / Chemical Manufacturing
Location: API Manufacturing Plant
Reporting To: Assistant Manager / Manager – Production / SRP

Job Purpose

Responsible for the safe, effective and compliant operation of the Solvent Recovery Plant, ensuring optimum solvent recovery, quality, productivity and plant reliability while maintaining strict adherence to cGMP, EHS, SOPs and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

- Operate and monitor solvent recovery systems, distillation columns, receivers, condensers, reboilers, evaporators, vacuum systems and associated equipment.
- Ensure smooth operation of solvent recovery batches as per approved BMR/SOP and process parameters.
- Monitor critical parameters such as temperature, pressure, vacuum, flow, reflux ratio and solvent purity.
- Ensure maximum recovery of solvents while minimizing solvent losses and energy consumption.
- Conduct start-up, shutdown, line-up and changeover activities as per SOP.
- Monitor solvent collection, storage and transfer activities in coordination with Production, Warehouse and EHS teams.
- Identify process deviations, abnormal operating conditions and equipment issues and take appropriate corrective action.
- Coordinate with Engineering/Maintenance for breakdowns, preventive maintenance and equipment reliability.
- Ensure proper handling of flammable solvents and hazardous chemicals in accordance with EHS procedures.
- Ensure compliance with PTW, LOTO, PPE, fire safety and emergency response procedures.




- Maintain batch records, logbooks, checklists and other required manufacturing documentation.
- Investigate process deviations, solvent losses and recovery efficiency issues and support CAPA/root-cause analysis.
- Coordinate with QC/QA for solvent sampling, testing, release and reconciliation.
- Support process optimization, yield improvement, cycle-time reduction and cost-saving initiatives.
- Ensure proper housekeeping, 5S and GMP standards within the SRP area.
- Guide and supervise operators/technicians working in the shift.
- Ensure adequate manpower deployment and effective shift handover.
- Participate in plant shutdowns, commissioning, qualification and validation activities where applicable.
- Train team members on SOPs, safety practices and equipment operation.
- Escalate critical process, safety and quality issues to the concerned manager without delay.

Technical Competencies

- Strong knowledge of solvent recovery and distillation processes.
- Understanding of batch distillation, vacuum distillation and fractional distillation.
- Knowledge of solvents such as Methanol, IPA, Acetone, Toluene, Ethyl Acetate, MDC/DCM and other process solvents.
- Knowledge of condensers, reboilers, heat exchangers, vacuum pumps and cooling systems.
- Understanding of flammable solvent handling and hazardous-area safety.
- Basic understanding of process instrumentation and DCS/PLC operations.
- Good knowledge of API manufacturing and cGMP requirements.

Key KPIs

- Solvent recovery efficiency %
- Solvent loss reduction
- Batch completion within planned cycle time
- Recovery yield and solvent purity
- Equipment availability
- Reduction in breakdown/repeat deviations
- Batch/documentation compliance
- EHS and permit compliance
- Energy and utility consumption
- Deviation/CAPA closure

📌 Senior Officer (Ankleshwar)
🏢 Cadila Pharmaceuticals
📍 Ankleshwar