The role of a process engineer
A process engineering job covers both existing processes and identifying new processes to support business expansion or the development of new products. Though your role will change depending on the industry, your overall goal is to improve yields, productivity and ensure that production targets are met throughout the product lifecycle. Junior process engineers are responsible for assisting in optimising the manufacturing process and ensuring technical excellence.
If you choose to work in pharma, you'll provide technical support for the
commissioning and qualification of the drug substance manufacturing process and work alongside
automation engineers to troubleshoot manufacturing issues and lead investigations through scientific problem-solving approaches.
As you develop your knowledge, you’ll begin to explore ways to improve the
manufacturing process. This may include research into new technologies such
as robots, which can
improve the conservation of energy
during medication manufacturing by up to 95%. Process engineering is a
stimulating job, and those who work within pharmaceutical manufacturing
have the opportunity to find solutions that will cut costs and reduce
carbon emissions, like the
Certa Plus pump.
Duties and responsibilities
Since process engineering encompasses many stages of the manufacturing
process, there is the option to specialise in many niche areas. But the
typical duties include:
- Analysing processes to identify improvements that will minimise waste and
maximise production and profits
- Supporting the process lead, assisting them with implementing the process
design and developing process flow diagrams
- Coordinating with project engineers to drive projects and deliver results
- Monitoring the progress of the process suite team to ensure key
milestones are met
- Authoring, reviewing and approving manufacturing documentation
Why become a process engineer?
Process engineers have the opportunity to work at state-of-the-art
facilities, and those working in pharmaceutical manufacturing get to
support the development of life-changing medicines. Process engineers
working within global pharmaceutical companies - as a part of the wider
life sciences industry
- will often play a vital role in large-scale biotech operations.
The European pharmaceutical market alone
employs 765,000 people, and that does not account for the emerging markets in Brazil, China and
India. This, coupled with the growing medicine and
vaccine market, is boosting the demand for production capacity and, in turn, the need for
process engineers. The industry is at an inflexion point, and the digital
transformation is just one example of the top
trends shaping the life sciences industry
and creating exciting job opportunities.
What skills do you need?
So it’s a prime time to look for a job in the pharmaceutical market, but
have you got the skills you need? Commercial understanding is one of the
top life sciences skills you need in 2021
and will prove essential if you want to become a successful process
engineer. You also need to be IT literate, have an eye for detail and a
mind for numbers.
Find a process engineering job with Quanta
With new life sciences hubs appearing around the globe, there are many
interesting locations that you can take your career. If you’re exploring
process engineering jobs in the life sciences industry, you’re opening
yourself up to a realm of opportunities to improve and save lives. At
Quanta, it’s our vision to unite people with life changing industries.
We’re confident in our candidate care and industry knowledge. So if you’re
looking to take the next step in your process engineering career, why not
view our
life sciences jobs
or
contact us
to hear more about how we can help you?
View here to see the latest technical support jobs.
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