Overview

Process engineers studies the production and manufacturing of a product to look at factors like efficiency, quality and safety. These engineers may also help measure sustainability and profitability.

What responsibilities will I have?

• Provide day-to-day observance and support of manufacturing operations
• Oversee and enforce safety, quality, efficiency, and cost reduction throughout the business
• Conduct audits of safety protocol to ensure workers are safe
• Take overall responsibility for the safe design and safe operation of the equipment within the area
• Assist regulatory agencies during audits and assessments of facilities and techniques
• Provide engineering expertise to leadership
• Provide technical ownership of equipment and processes
• Monitor systems to verifying and optimizing performance
• Lead troubleshooting efforts to resolve process and operational problems
• Find ways to implement customer process requests
• Evaluate business functions for impact on qualified state of equipment/processes and utilize appropriate tools/processes as necessary (change control, hold, etc.)
• Responsible for system/component classification and maintenance strategy for equipment
• Find improvement opportunities (procedural changes, upgrades, projects, etc.) associated with processes you oversee
• Compare system performance statistics with other operations to determine areas of opportunity for collaboration and improvement
• Conduct economic analysis of improvement projects

What education and training is required?

A bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, manufacturing or industrial engineering.

To pursue a career as process engineer:

The following high school courses are recommended:  agricultural education, computer courses, mathematics, and physics.

Where can I work?

Process engineers work mostly in plants, but can work in other environments. Any kind of plant from food processing to farm equipment plants have need for a process engineer. 

Future Job Market / Outlook

The future outlook for a process engineer will be good over the next five years. 

Suggested Professional Organizations and Associations

• National Society of Professional Engineers
• Association for Process Safety Research
• Institute of Food Technologist