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What do you know about process engineering?
Process engineers are generally required to have a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Engineering. Beyond that the skills required depend on the specific industry and company. The role of a process engineer can be very diverse and many don’t realize that when they are at their first job. There is no one set path for what a process engineer will do over the course of their career.
If we look at the job description of a process engineer we can see that under some skill essential for the job there are very general skills required such as mathematics, problem solving, critical thinking and time management. In other industries the skills required may vary more with which is more critical to the companies operation.
The role of a process engineer is highly interdisciplinary and requires a high level of knowledge in many subspecialties. They must have strong technical skills and excellent communication abilities. Process engineers work on projects that are very large and complex. They are responsible for solving technical problems and create new systems for the company. Process engineers will design, build, test, maintain and optimize production systems.
The position requires high energy and motivation on the part of the individual in order to accomplish their tasks successfully. Process engineer’s skills are in demand across all industries with many jobs at different stages of their career cycle open to them. (read article for more)
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What are the key responsibilities of a process engineer?
A process engineer is a key member of the engineering team and must be prepared to work on all aspects of the project and the processes. The process engineer is the person who translates what the client wants into a workable solution. This includes: searching for potential problems, brainstorming possible solutions, gathering data, analyzing potential solutions and testing solutions. The process engineer will also be responsible for implementing the final solution to ensure it is repeatable and scalable.
What skills and qualities do you think are necessary for success as a process engineer?
The most important quality is a general engineering mindset. Process engineers need to able to look at a problem and think of many possible solutions. They also must be able to accept the final solution no matter what they thought was best. Another beneficial trait is the ability to communicate effectively with people from many different disciplines. Process engineers must be able to understand what other engineers are saying and be able to explain their solutions to non engineering managers. The ability to work on multiple projects is also a great benefit for career advancement. Finally, process engineers need to be good at math and physics. All engineering deals with math and physics, but it becomes even more important for process engineers due to the amount of instrumentation and control systems they will deal with.
The most important skills are a broad knowledge of engineering principles. Process engineers need a good understanding of thermodynamics, fluid flow, heat transfer, pressure-temperature relationships, mass transfer and everything else that is needed to design equipment. They also need an ability to use computer simulation programs such as MATLAB or Excel. In order to be competitive in the job market it is important to have a master’s degree in chemical engineering or a related field and experience working for a company designing equipment. It is helpful if the prospective engineer has interned at that company. Previous process engineering experience is not required because it is available on-the-job training.
How would you describe your experience with designing and executing processes in a manufacturing setting?
I have been in manufacturing for about 10 years. I’ve worked for several different companies on many different products. My experience has given me the ability to adapt to new challenges and situations. I can read a process flow chart and determine exactly what is going on and where the problems may be. I’ve been trained on several different software packages which allows me to quickly learn how to design a new process or modify an existing one.
To give my opinion, I think designers should have a college degree. They have a better understanding of physics and chemistry than most technical engineers do. A designer can use these tools to create a new process or modify an existing one.
My previous experience has given me the ability to adapt to new challenges and situations. I can read a process flow chart and determine exactly what is going on and where the problems may be. I’ve been trained on several different software packages, which allows me to quickly learn how to design a new process or modify an existing one.
My previous experience has given me the ability to adapt to new challenges and situations. I can read a process flow chart and determine exactly what is going on and where the problems may be. I’ve been trained on several different software packages, which allows me to quickly learn how to design a new process or modify an existing one.
Tell us about a time when you had to solve a difficult problem in a timely manner.
The most challenging problem I’ve worked on was for a new product launch in the battery industry. The client had a product that needed to be shipped to the manufacture and sent out to customers. However, there were several process steps in between which would take over one full year before they could start shipping. I had to come up with a process that would meet both the design and production specifications. I spent the first 6 months developing a rudimentary process which the manufacturing company used to determine whether or not they could produce the product . After that, I then had to come up with a targeted process for my client. With limited time and resources, we had to quickly fix issues that would arise at every step of the process in order to meet our goal of shipping out customer products in 6 months. At times, we were working 24/7 until weekends just to meet deadlines. I remember one weekend where we were working until 4:30 AM. When I finally got home, I was so tired that I fell asleep in my clothes. The next morning when I woke up, I couldn’t even manage to shower and get dressed before work because it took me 20 minutes just to do my hair and put on my makeup .
