Process Engineer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a process engineer job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a process engineer. Feel free to use our process engineer job description template to produce your own process engineer job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a process engineer.
Who is a Process Engineer?
A Process Engineer is an individual who designs, supervises, assesses, and executes processes that efficiently make products or provide services. A process engineer is someone who designs, executes, and optimizes industrial processes for large-scale manufacturing companies.
Process engineers are professionals who are saddled with the responsibility of changing raw materials into finished products. They play a crucial role in manufacturing divisions peculiar to most industries such as lifestyle, agriculture, infrastructure, and healthcare. Engineers also maximize their knowledge of science to create materials that people utilize every day.
The demand for products is not static and it keeps on increasing daily; a process engineer gives room for a company to optimize the production process. The processes that are dually followed are: designing equipment, monitoring vital indices, controlling processes, and analyzing a large volume of data that is related to manufacturing. Process engineers collaborate with experts like industrial manufacturers and designers to create competitive products and materials at a good cost.
A process engineer has a goal which is to create systems that are the best of machines, materials, energy, and information. Process engineers design processes in diverse sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and petroleum. They evaluate product schedules, design specifications, workflows, and other information to comprehend and make adjustments to their company’s processes to be more efficient.
A process engineer cannot work in isolation because other employees are also part of the system a process engineer designs; it is highly requisite of the engineer to possess a high level of interpersonal communication to have a successful career. Planning and analytical thinking are also very paramount to a product engineer. This position is highly exceptional in that it utilizes skills from other jobs such as project management, supply chain management, and quality assurance.
The process engineer is also responsible for building and maintaining a strong culture of continuous improvement. He or she will deliver continuous improvement training and actions throughout the facility while he is the expert or professional of continuous improvement. They will also guide the Production Team Members, Engineers, and functional Leaders throughout the facility. They will also ensure that they deliver efficient leadership and cost-effective integration of Continuous Improvement, creating operational excellence.
Process engineering is a reputable field to enroll in because most companies depend on engineers to maintain, develop and optimize their industrial processes. Process engineers play a very crucial role in metal, cement, oil, utility, and steel. They play the dual role of specialists and generalists; their services are highly demanded by most organizations. This is a very lucrative and promising career that most job candidates should enroll in if they possess the necessary criteria.
Process Engineer Job Description
What is a process engineer job description? A process engineer job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a process engineer in an organization. Below are the process engineer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a process engineer job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The following are the duties and responsibilities of a process engineer and they are:
- Meet with production managers to assess existing processes
- Formulate process ideas or concepts to reduce costs and improve production rates
- Accomplish risk assessments
- Design and testing process upgrades and new process systems
- Ensure processes matches with safety and quality standards
- Perform process simulations and troubleshooting issues
- Perform test optimization
- Research, pricing, and assisting in the purchase of new equipment
- Supervise the safety of employees
- Write, maintain and collect the required paperwork to show compliance with safety protocols
- Assess every detail and step of the production process to cut costs, increase productivity and optimize the production lines
- Design new equipment as required or redesign the flow of the process in the factory or plant
- Improve routines and best practices to ensure product quality
- Deliver the Product Manager with process documents and standard operating procedure
- Develop standardized operating instructions for the upgrades process
- Monitor upgrades systems
- Operate the concept of continuous improvement and cost reduction in the execution of the job
- Provide project management and technical support for capital projects
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Material Engineering,or any related field
- Past proven work experience as a Process Engineer
- Experience with process simulations and standard operating procedure
- Advanced knowledge of process engineering software systems
- Experience working with AutoCAD
- High-level of technical skills
- Analytical thinker
- Familiarity with state health and safety regulations
- Project Management Skills
- Proficient in the use of personal computers and Microsoft programs (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
- Ability to collaborate across organizational boundaries to achieve company results
- Adaptable/ flexibility
- Innovative Skills
Essential Skills
A Process Engineer must possess the following skills and expertise to succeed in his career and they are:
- Flexibility: A Process Engineer must be highly flexible to fit into the role perfectly. He or she must be able to easily make adjustments to multiple demands from every side when they come. He must be able to multi-task and also work under shifts; the work of a process engineer can be very tedious and no wonder most organization demands that they work under shifts so that they will not carry out their tasks haphazardly. They must also be able to adapt to change and adversity in the course of discharging their responsibilities. Above all, they must possess a professional attitude and a calm spirit.
- Analytical Skills: A Process Engineer must possess analytical skills to brainstorm creative ideas and execute them in the process of discharging his or her He or she must be able to think outside the box and motivate other employees to take risks. An analytical thinker will make an exceptional process engineer because making good analyses will bring about problem-solving in a work setting. A good process engineer will learn from his success and failures and look for better ways to make improvements.
- Mathematical Skills: most aspect of engineering with mathematics and process engineering is inclusive. A Process Engineer must possess mathematical abilities to be able to invest most of his time in gathering data and calculating optimal outputs for the They usually utilize mathematical skills like calculations to make minor adjustments that can result in significant changes. These abilities room for them to maximize outputs and improve general functions.
- Software Literacy
A Process Engineer must have extensive knowledge of how to utilize software programs such as AutoCAD (design and drafting software), MATLAB (mathematical software that analyzes data, develops algorithms, and creates models and applications), and SOLIDWORKS. Most of the optimization processes are carried out through software programs; it is highly requisite that product engineers are proficient in working with different kinds of software programs to accomplish their job responsibilities effectively. Having an in-depth comprehension of these programs can allow process engineers to perform their jobs as optimally.
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills
A process engineer needs to possess both verbal and written communication to be able to carry out his responsibilities. Process engineers do not work in isolation because they interact with technicians, management, clients, and other engineers. They need to possess excellent communication skills to be able to pass across a message vividly to people who are not in the engineering field. They may also be demanded to explain some engineering terminologies that are difficult to understand when communicating. They may also give room for other employees or coworkers to make their suggestions; if the suggestion is a viable one they can go ahead to implement it.
- Collaboration Skills
A project engineer works with another team of experts to achieve a common goal in an organization. He or she may be required to inspire confidence and motivate others in the team he or she is working with. It is therefore highly important for him or her to work closely with a team of manufacturers, technicians, and other engineers. Possessing good collaboration skills can ensure that you can channel all your energy together to build and develop the company. A process engineer must always remember that working with w team brings about success.
How to Become a Process Engineer
- Acquire a Bachelor’s Degree
The first step to becoming a process engineer is to acquire a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or any other related field. This degree takes five years to complete and during this degree, you will be exposed to all the rudiments of engineering that will help you become successful once you start your career. One good aspect of the engineering course is that it is more of a practical course than a theoretical and so during this degree’ you may be mandated to go for an industrial attachment which usually takes one year or six months. While enrolling for the industrial attachment; you will get to comprehend the practical aspect of the course and how engineers work in the field. The degree will also help you harness some salient skills that an engineer is expected to have and examples of such skills are analytical, innovative, and technological skills.
- Obtain a Master’s Degree
A Master’s degree may not be mandatory but it is very good for the role of a process engineer because it will broaden your mind about the rudiments of the course. You can acquire a master’s degree in a relevant or related field. This master’s degree will also distinguish you from other job candidates when you apply for a job. The master’s degree or advanced degree will give you the free opportunity to conduct research that will help the engineering world. This research will also broaden your mindset about your career as a process engineer.
- Earn Certification
This may not be compulsory but it will increase your chances in the job market. You can earn a certification in an important manufacturing process or a Six Sigma designation. Certifications can distinguish you from other job candidates and they will also prove to your potential employer that you are competent for the job. Make sure you keep updating your certification in correlation with the advancement in the industry.
- Get Experience by Enrolling in Internship
Job recruiters hire an experienced candidate, not an amateur and so acquiring the right experience as a process engineer is very important. To acquire experience, you can start by working as a quality manager assistant, supply chain manager, or even as a junior engineer. This experience will help you harness some salient skills a process engineer suppose.
- Search for Jobs
Once you have the requisite qualification, the next step to take is to apply for open potions around you. Before you apply for jobs, you should carefully study the job description of the organization and the requirement to ascertain if your skills and expertise match the description. Draft your resume and cover letter and then proceed to apply. To increase your chances of getting the job, ensure your application meets the hiring manager’s requirements. Once the job recruiter finds you competent enough, the next thing is to invite you for an interview.
Where can a Process Engineer Work?
- Pharmaceutical Companies: A process engineer can work in the pharmaceutical sector as a quality control manager ensuring that all the drugs produced to meet the acceptable standard around the globe. He or she can also ensure that all the procedures involved in the production of drugs are up to standard.
- Agricultural Sector: he or she can work in this sector ensuring that chemicals or fertilizer for agricultural production passes through the acceptable method of production. He or she also ensures that plants and animal production are highly maximized.
- Food Industry: they ensure that the right procedures are followed in the production of food and the food produced has the correct nutrients that will nourish the body. This is a sensitive industry the process engineer employed in this industry must be a professional.
- Oil and Gas Sector
- Chemical Industry
- Biotechnology Industry
Process Engineer Salary
- In the United States, the average salary of a process engineer is $87,930 per year and $45.09 per hour. Entry-level process engineer start their careers by earning $74,100 per year while the experienced ones up to $115,000 per year
- In Nigeria, the salary of a process engineer is NGN 203,500 per year. The salary varies based on the geographical location and experience of the process engineer. The salary includes other benefits such as transportation, medical and other benefits.