Typical chemical engineering job functions

Process Design Engineer.  Designs manufacturing facilities and the equipment and material used inside. Process design engineers work with teams of engineers to develop new or improved processes to meet a company’s production needs.

Environmental Engineer. Develops techniques to reduce and recover usable materials from waste created during manufacture of a product. Designs waste storage and treatment facilities, as well as pollution control strategies for plant operations. Environmental engineers may be responsible for monitoring all systems in a facility for compliance with government environmental regulations.

Plant Process Engineer. Provides technical support to staff and troubleshoots processes in a production facility to keep a plant running efficiently. Plant process engineers work closely with equipment operators to get feedback on the operations of each process and determine how to avoid shut-downs. They may also be involved with some design work for improvement projects.

Process Safety Engineer. Designs and maintains plants and processes that are safer for workers and communities. Process safety engineers may conduct safety analyses of new and existing equipment, and train employees on how to safely operate a new piece of equipment.

Project Engineer. Oversees the design and construction of specific processes in a facility. After construction, they may assist in equipment testing, operator training, and plant start-up. Project engineers may be responsible for the design, and start-up, of a specific process in a facility.

Consultant. Works for many different customers and brings specialized knowledge to individual projects. Consultants in a construction company may work with teams of engineers to design and construct an expansion project for a pharmaceutical company.

Product Engineer Follows the production cycle of a particular product to ensure that it is being produced according to specification. Product engineers may work with marketing and R&D to ensure that a product will meet the needs of customers, then see the product through production. They may work on new products or special variations of existing products.

Manufacturing Production Engineer. Responsible for the day-to-day operation of a specific manufacturing process. Manufacturing production engineers work directly with operators to ensure that a particular product is made according to specifications.

Research & Development Engineer. Seeks out new and more efficient ways of using and producing existing products. Explores and develops new processes and products and determines their usefulness and applicability. Chemical engineers working in research and development may work with chemists and other engineers to develop a new process or new product that will better meet customer needs.

Project Manager. Oversees the overall design and construction of a facility, then manages ongoing operations. Project managers may manage a group of project engineers during the design and construction of a new facility.

Attorney. Specializes in intellectual property law, patent law, technology transfer, environmental compliance, and safety issues. Patent attorneys obtain patents for clients and monitor the marketplace for possible patent infringements.

Biomedical Specialist. Works alongside physicians to develop systems that track critical chemical processes in the body. Biomedical specialists may be involved in the design of artificial organs, such as hearts and lungs.

Computer Applications & Technology Engineer. Designs instrumentation and programs systems monitor and control certain processes. Automation engineers may design systems to monitor a series of processes in a chemical, petroleum or biotechnology facility.

Technical Manager. Responsible for the engineering staff and programs at a facility. Manages people, research programs, and daily operations of the engineering functions. Technical managers may oversee the R&D program and work with plant managers to plan and implement the funding programs and expansion necessary to develop a new product.

Business Coordinator. Develops budgets and capital projections for a facility or process. Business coordinators work closely with production and design team members to ascertain the exact needs of a new process, then plans the capital needs necessary to implement the program.

Professor. Instructs students in the field of chemical engineering and conducts research in pertinent areas. Professors may teach several classes in chemical engineering, be members on university committees, and conduct research using funding from government, corporate, or private grants.

Quality Control Engineer. Monitors the manufacture of a product to ensure that it meets specifications. Also, tests materials to determine how they perform over time. Quality control engineers may bring samples of a product in from a field test, or from a normal application, and test them to determine how specific properties, such as strength, color, and weatherability, change over time.

Regulatory Affairs Engineer. Researches, develops, and monitors policies and procedures that companies must follow to ensure the proper handling of chemicals and chemical components. Chemical engineers in regulatory affairs may be government employees, who study the environmental impact of a new chemical, then recommend appropriate guidelines for the chemical’s use.

Technical Services Engineer. Works with customers, usually on-site, to solve production problems caused by a specific process or machine. Chemical engineers working in technical services may represent the manufacturer of a specific machine to determine why it is not performing as designed. They often must understand the other steps in the production process to determine if there is a break-down in another area.

Sales and Marketing Engineer. Assists customers in solving production and process problems by providing products and services to meet their specific needs. Chemical engineers in sales use their technical knowledge to sell chemicals, equipment, and other products, and provide follow-up services and training where needed.

 

 

Source:  AIChE