A process engineer is responsible for supporting daily manufacturing operations and leading process improvement efforts to ensure company products meet customer specifications and quality standards.

They evaluate industrial processes and identify areas of improvement to optimize the manufacture of raw materials into finished products. For example, a process engineer might find ways of accelerating production or reducing byproduct waste.

Are you often curious about how everyday items are manufactured? Do you enjoy solving problems and thinking creatively about how to make things better? If so, you might consider pursuing a career as a process engineer.

A process engineer is a professional responsible for driving innovation to improve process efficiency within factory operations. However, when necessary, process engineers may also support tactical day-to-day operations to help move output through the production module.

Production and manufacturing engineers work in discrete manufacturing, which involves tasks like machining, assembling and riveting components into complete products, typically in an assembly line. For instance, manufacturing engineers may work in plants that produce anything from cellphones to airplanes to robotic equipment. 

In contrast, process engineers work in continuous flow manufacturing facilities that operate 24/7, supporting around-the-clock factory operations. Process manufacturing can encompass working with companies across a wide range of industry sectors to develop and produce products. Examples include working in a wafer fabrication unit to produce microprocessors (i.e., TSMC, Intel, etc.), supporting the production and storage of chemicals (i.e. Air Products), optimizing processes for producing baby formula or personal care products (i.e. Johnson & Johnson), or assisting with refinery operations at a petroleum company (i.e. ExxonMobil). Responsibilities for a process engineer can include combining various chemical elements and ingredients in accordance with a technology specific recipe to produce a final product that is typically a solid, liquid, gas or in powder form. For instance, process engineers produce items like baby formula, paint, alcohol and vaccines.

In effect, process engineers are similar to chemical engineers. Their work involves analyzing the chemical makeup of various ingredients and determining how they might react with one another. 

A process engineer can specialize in a number of areas, including the following:

• Agriculture processing
• Food and dairy production
• Beer and whiskey production
• Cosmetics production
• Pharmaceutical production
• Petrochemical manufacturing
• Mineral processing
• Printed circuit board production
• Semiconductor Manufacturing
• Automotive Manufacturing

Process engineers can be tasked with the responsibility of designing, developing and implementing the chemical and biochemical processes that are necessary to produce various goods. With a background in chemical engineering,^{(See disclaimer 1)} process engineers may also evaluate existing chemical and biochemical manufacturing processes to identify ways to improve or enhance them.

How a process engineer spends their days depends largely on their particular specialty and the needs of their employer.

In general, however, these professionals may do any of the following tasks on a daily basis:

• Undertake research to design and develop new chemical and biochemical manufacturing processes or to optimize existing processes
• Develop safe, effective processes for separating components, such as liquids and gases, or for generating electrical currents
• Design manufacturing equipment and determine the ideal equipment layout for a manufacturing plant
• Conduct safety and quality control tests and continually monitor manufacturing processes
• Identify process and equipment problems and develop solutions
• Ensure that all manufacturing processes and equipment comply fully with all applicable regulations, such as safety and environmental regulations

Process engineers with a chemical engineering degree may choose to specialize in a subarea within their industries. For instance, a process engineer with a chemical engineering background may specialize in oxidation, which refers to the way in which oxygen interacts with chemicals. Other professionals might specialize in biological engineering or nanomaterials.

Alternative Job Titles for Process Engineers

If you’re scanning a job board looking for process engineer positions, you might find many similar-sounding roles. Indeed, there are multiple alternative job titles for process engineers.

These can include:^{(See disclaimer 2)}

• Lead process engineer
• Chemical process engineer
• Process engineering manager
• Principal process engineer
• Materials and process engineer

You may also find some positions aimed at aspiring engineering interns, such as process engineering intern or engineering co-op/intern. Internships provide opportunities to gain practical experience in the field.

If you’re a high school student interested in pursuing a career in chemical or process engineering, you should speak with your school counselor as soon as possible. A school counselor can recommend courses that suit your career interests. In particular, courses in chemistry, biochemistry and mathematics are important for these professionals.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

All aspiring chemical engineers will need at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Though master’s degrees are not generally required for entry-level process engineering positions, graduate-level academic credentials may help professionals position themselves to potentially pursue higher-level or specialized job opportunities.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

Earn a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

After completing high school, the first step to becoming a process engineer is earning a bachelor’s degree. There is limited flexibility regarding the type of degree that an aspiring process engineer can earn; it’s quite common for these experts to have an academic background in chemical engineering. However, it’s also possible to become a process engineer with a degree in manufacturing or industrial engineering.^{(See disclaimer 1 )}

Curricula vary depending on the school and specific program. In general, however, students working toward a general engineering degree can expect to study the following topics:

• Calculus concepts and methods and their application to developing solutions to practical problems
• Fundamental chemistry principles, including chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, electrochemistry and chemical reactions
• Concepts in fluid mechanics, including fluid statics, laminar flow and turbulent flow
• Principles of heat transfer, including conduction, convection and radiation

Students may also explore key workplace skills such as production and operations management, organizational behavior and organizational management. At some schools, students take one or more capstone courses during their senior year. A capstone course typically involves completing an intensive research project that draws on everything taught during the previous years.

While working toward a degree, it’s helpful for students to take advantage of any relevant internships or cooperative engineering programs available. An internship can allow students to practice using the equipment necessary for the job.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

Do Process Engineers Need a Master’s Degree?

It isn’t necessary to earn a master’s degree in order to pursue an entry-level job in process engineering.^{(See disclaimer 1)} However, some employers may prefer to hire or promote individuals who hold a master’s or doctoral degree in chemical engineering.^{(See disclaimer 3)} At some point during their careers, process engineers may decide to return to school to earn a graduate-level degree to enhance their qualifications and position themselves to potentially pursue promotions or specialized positions.^{(See disclaimer 1)}

Essential Skills and Characteristics for Process Engineers

Engineers are problem-solvers at heart; they work to improve how the world works and how products are designed and made. In order to carry out this vision, a sense of curiosity and a love of learning are essential.

Other essential skills that complement the process engineer education requirements include:^{(See disclaimer 3)}

• Analytical skills
• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Mathematics and engineering knowledge
• Data analysis
• Familiarity with relevant industry technology

You can begin working toward a career as a process engineer by applying for enrollment at Grand Canyon University. The College of Engineering and Technology at GCU offers numerous engineering degree options, including the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree and the Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering program. Alternatively, you can apply to enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Engineering with an Emphasis in Project Management degree program.

Our engineering students are taught foundational principles in engineering, as well as chemistry, materials science, engineering programming and mathematics. Through a combination of didactic education and hands-on experiential instruction, the curriculum is designed to effectively prepare students to pursue a future in the engineering field.