Chemical Engineer

Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry and mathematics to develop and design chemical manufacturing processes. They are widely employed in the oil and gas industry, water treatment plants, energy plants, biotechnology field and healthcare industry.

Due to the relatively research nature of the role, chemical engineers spend most of their time in laboratories or industrial plants, either to invent new manufacturing techniques or monitor existing ones, and provide technical support should any issues arise. They must utilise their analytical and problem solving skills to understand the root-causes behind malfunction manufacturing processes.

They work closely with engineers of other disciplines, especially mechanical engineer, as well as technicians that operate the processes. That said, being a team player and having the ability to communicate succinctly is crucial. In the manufacturing industry, any downtime in production may incur some costs to the company. Think about it, there will be no output during downtime, operators who are hired to work the shift may be left with nothing to do and etc. So getting the processes back up and running in the shortest time frame possible is a pressing task. You must be able to work under pressure. Chemical engineers typically work full time, with some overtime commitment occasionally.