Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Chemical Process Engineer

💰 $ - $

EngineeringChemical EngineeringManufacturingProcess SafetyR&D

🎯 Role Definition

A Chemical Process Engineer is responsible for designing, optimizing, scaling and troubleshooting chemical production processes to safely deliver consistent product quality, improve yields, reduce costs and meet regulatory and environmental requirements. This role bridges R&D and manufacturing, leading process design activities, executing process safety reviews, and collaborating with operations, maintenance, procurement and quality teams to ensure robust, cost-effective, and compliant plant performance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Process/Production Technician or Operator
  • Junior Chemical Engineer
  • R&D Process Development Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Senior Process Engineer
  • Process Engineering Manager / Engineering Lead
  • Principal Engineer or Technical Fellow
  • Plant/Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Project Engineer (capital projects)
  • Quality or Regulatory Affairs Manager
  • Safety/Process Safety Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Lead process design and equipment specification for new units and upgrades, producing mass and energy balances, detailed process flow diagrams (PFDs), piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and preliminary equipment sizing to support CAPEX and OPEX estimates.
  • Perform process simulation and modeling (e.g., Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, PRO/II) to validate design concepts, evaluate steady-state and transient behavior, and support scale-up from pilot to commercial scale.
  • Design and execute scale-up plans and pilot plant testing, translating laboratory process conditions into safe, operable, and controllable manufacturing processes while preserving product quality and yield.
  • Develop, review and execute Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), HAZOPs, LOPA studies and other risk assessments to identify hazards, implement safeguards and ensure compliance with Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements.
  • Drive continuous process improvement initiatives (yield improvement, cycle time reduction, energy efficiency, waste minimization) using structured methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, and Design of Experiments (DOE).
  • Troubleshoot production incidents and performance deviations using root cause analysis (RCA) techniques (5-Why, fishbone) and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence and minimize downtime.
  • Establish and maintain process control strategies in collaboration with automation and instrumentation teams, including DCS/PLC logic review, control loop tuning, alarm rationalization and advanced process control opportunities.
  • Prepare detailed equipment specifications, issue RFQs, evaluate vendor proposals, and support procurement and vendor technical negotiations for reactors, heat exchangers, distillation columns, pumps and other process equipment.
  • Lead or support commissioning, start-up and performance testing activities for new or modified units, ensure safe handover to operations and document start-up procedures and acceptance tests.
  • Create and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, batch records, and operator training materials to ensure consistent execution of processes and compliance with GMP or site-specific standards.
  • Perform chemical and materials compatibility assessments, corrosion analysis and metallurgy selection to ensure long-term equipment integrity and safe handling of process streams.
  • Conduct mass and energy balance reconciliations, monitor KPI dashboards (yield, throughput, energy consumption, cycle time) and provide actionable recommendations to operations to meet production targets.
  • Collaborate with Quality and Analytical teams to define sampling plans, analytical methods, in-process controls and specifications to support product quality, traceability and regulatory submissions.
  • Implement environmental and waste reduction programs including effluent treatment optimization, solvent recovery, emissions control and compliance with EPA/local environmental regulations.
  • Support capital project execution: scope definition, detailed engineering coordination, project schedules, cost control, constructability reviews and punch-list resolution during installation and turnover.
  • Manage process design changes through formal change control or engineering change request (ECR) processes to ensure risk assessment, documentation updates and cross-functional approvals.
  • Lead multidisciplinary teams and represent process engineering during cross-functional meetings, safety committees and change control boards to align technical requirements with business objectives.
  • Apply chemical reaction engineering and kinetics knowledge to optimize reactor design, residence time distribution, heat removal and catalyst performance where applicable.
  • Use statistical process control (SPC), data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Python, MATLAB, Spotfire) to analyze process variability and support data-driven decision making.
  • Ensure compliance with applicable industry codes and standards (ASME, API, NFPA, IEC) and maintain up-to-date documentation for audits, inspections and regulatory compliance.
  • Mentor and coach junior engineers and technicians, plan training activities, and build process engineering capability within the organization.
  • Prepare technical reports, cost–benefit analyses and executive summaries to communicate project status, technical risks and recommended actions to management and stakeholders.
  • Participate in incident investigations, safety reviews and root-cause investigations, and lead corrective action implementation to address immediate and systemic causes.
  • Evaluate and implement new technologies, process intensification strategies and digitalization initiatives (IIoT, predictive maintenance, digital twins) that improve process reliability and competitiveness.

Secondary Functions

  • Support technology transfer between R&D and manufacturing, translating lab-scale recipes and methods into robust production processes.
  • Provide technical input for regulatory filings (e.g., FDA, EPA) and respond to audit findings in collaboration with Quality and Regulatory Affairs.
  • Collaborate with procurement and supply chain to ensure raw material specifications, vendor qualifications and incoming material controls meet process needs.
  • Participate in sustainability and energy-reduction programs, including lifecycle assessments and process carbon footprint reduction projects.
  • Maintain and update process documentation libraries, P&ID markups, and engineering change logs to support knowledge retention and traceability.
  • Support emergency response planning and serve on plant safety or emergency teams as needed.
  • Interface with maintenance to develop preventive maintenance strategies and reliability improvement plans for critical process equipment.
  • Contribute to capital prioritization and long-term asset planning by providing technical assessments and failure mode analyses.
  • Lead or participate in cross-functional pilot projects to evaluate novel chemistries, separation technologies or continuous processing approaches.
  • Represent process engineering during customer or vendor site visits and support technical discussions for troubleshooting or process optimization.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Process simulation and modeling (Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, PRO/II) for steady-state and dynamic studies.
  • Process design fundamentals: mass and energy balances, PFDs, P&IDs, equipment sizing and specification.
  • Process safety expertise: HAZOP, LOPA, PSM compliance, SIL assessments and risk management.
  • Reactor design and reaction engineering (kinetics, residence time distribution, catalyst handling).
  • Heat transfer, mass transfer and separation unit operations (distillation, absorption, extraction, filtration).
  • Control systems and automation awareness (DCS/PLC concepts, control loop tuning, alarm management).
  • Statistical tools and experimental design: DOE, SPC, regression analysis, and root cause analysis techniques.
  • Engineering software and drafting: AutoCAD/PDMS/SmartPlant or equivalent for P&ID and layout review.
  • Strong Excel skills (complex spreadsheets, pivot tables, VBA optional) and data analysis tools (MATLAB, Python, Spotfire).
  • Project and cost estimation skills: CAPEX/OPEX estimation, vendor evaluation, and technical bid review.
  • GMP and regulatory compliance experience for pharmaceutical or specialty chemical manufacturing (when applicable).
  • Materials compatibility, corrosion analysis and metallurgy selection knowledge.
  • Commissioning and start-up planning, performance testing and turnover documentation experience.
  • Familiarity with industry codes and standards (ASME, API, NFPA, OSHA, IEC).

Soft Skills

  • Clear verbal and written communication for cross-functional collaboration and technical reporting.
  • Strong problem-solving and analytical mindset with attention to detail.
  • Project management skills: schedule management, prioritization and delivering results on time and within budget.
  • Leadership and people development: mentoring junior engineers and leading small technical teams.
  • Ability to influence and negotiate with vendors, contractors and internal stakeholders.
  • Adaptability to changing priorities and working in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
  • Collaborative mindset with experience working across operations, quality, maintenance and procurement.
  • Time management and organization to balance multiple concurrent projects and support operations needs.
  • Critical thinking and decision-making under pressure during start-up or upset conditions.
  • Continuous improvement orientation with a practical focus on implementable solutions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering or equivalent engineering degree.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or closely related discipline for advanced or specialized roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Process Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering (with process experience)
  • Industrial Chemistry

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–7 years of process engineering experience for mid-level roles; 0–3 years for entry level; 7+ years for senior/principal roles.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years in chemical manufacturing, specialty chemicals, petrochemical, pharmaceutical or related industries with direct experience in continuous or batch process operations.
  • Demonstrated experience in process design, scale-up, HAZOP/LOPA facilitation, commissioning/start-up and continuous improvement projects.
  • Prior exposure to regulatory environments (GMP, EPA), capital projects and cross-functional project leadership preferred.
Explore More Careers