| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Engineering |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Plant Head |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in process plant operations or design |
Chemical Engineer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Chemical Engineer
Department: Engineering
Reports to: Plant Head
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Chemical Engineer designs and runs the processes that turn raw materials into products in plants such as chemicals, pharma, food and fertilizer. They work on reactions, separation, heat and mass transfer, and keep the process safe, efficient and within spec. The role spans design, production support and troubleshooting. A good Chemical Engineer improves yield and energy use, prevents unsafe conditions and keeps the plant within its operating envelope.
Key responsibilities
- Prepare process flow diagrams, mass and energy balances and equipment sizing for the process.
- Write and update operating procedures and safe operating limits for each unit.
- Support production to keep the process on spec for yield, quality and throughput.
- Troubleshoot process upsets and drive corrective actions to stable running.
- Run trials for new products, catalysts or process changes and analyse results.
- Work on energy, water and raw material efficiency projects.
- Take part in HAZOP and process safety studies and close actions.
- Support commissioning of new units and process modifications on the plant.
- Maintain process data, logs and material balances for reporting.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering (BE or BTech)
- Knowledge of process safety practice
- Master's in chemical engineering is an advantage
- 3 to 6 years in process plant operations or design
KRAs and KPIs for a Chemical Engineer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Yield | Process yield held at or above the target for each product |
| Quality | On spec production above 98 percent of batches or output |
| Energy use | Specific energy consumption reduced against the baseline each year |
| Process safety | All HAZOP actions closed by the agreed date |
| Uptime | Process related unplanned downtime kept below target |
| Trials | Planned process trials completed and reported on schedule |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Aspen or CHEMCAD, DCS and SCADA, MS Excel, P&ID software, Lab and analyser data.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Process Engineer, Plant Manager, Process Design Lead
Interview questions for a Chemical Engineer
- How do you build a mass and energy balance for a new process?
- A reactor is losing yield over a shift. How do you troubleshoot it?
- How do you set safe operating limits for a unit?
- Walk me through your role in a HAZOP study.
- How do you run a trial for a process change without upsetting production?
- How do you cut specific energy consumption on an existing unit?
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What does a Chemical Engineer do?
A Chemical Engineer designs and runs the processes that convert raw materials into products. They prepare flow diagrams and balances, size equipment, write operating limits, support production, troubleshoot upsets and run trials. They also drive yield, energy and safety improvements. The job is a safe, efficient process that stays on spec.
What industries hire Chemical Engineers in India?
Chemical, petrochemical, fertilizer, pharmaceutical, food processing, paint, specialty chemical and refinery plants all hire Chemical Engineers. They work in process design, production, quality, safety and R&D. Roles range from plant shift engineers to process design and technical services, across both public sector and private manufacturers.
What qualifications does a Chemical Engineer need?
A BE or BTech in chemical engineering is the standard entry qualification, sometimes followed by a master's. Employers value knowledge of process safety, hands on plant experience and comfort with process simulation and DCS systems. Strong fundamentals in reactions, separation and heat transfer matter most.