Chemical engineer

Chemical engineers are concerned with the processes that cause changes in the chemical or physical make-up of substances. They use this knowledge to produce a wide range of everyday products, including plastics, fibres, dyes, drugs and medicines, paints, household cleaners and detergents.

Work activities

Chemical engineers change raw materials into products that we use. They take scientists’ laboratory discoveries and work out how to use their findings to create products in a safe and cost-effective way. They help to create and develop the processes that are used to make a huge range of products, including artificial fibres, detergents, food and drink, fuels, household cleaners, paints, pharmaceuticals and plastics. They often lead teams of other professionals and get involved in every stage of a project. When chemical engineers design a new process, they think carefully about its eventual cost, safety and any impact on the environment that it may have. Research is an important part of their work. To put a process plant into action involves the detailed design of the chemical reactors, heat exchangers, separation systems, storage vessels and all the other types of equipment that are used in the process plant.

Chemical engineers pay a great deal of attention to safety. This includes managing the control systems that are needed for the safe and economic operation of the process. Once a plant has been commissioned, chemical engineers are responsible for its management and operation, and often for leading teams of technicians, plant operators and maintenance staff. They also work on project design, for example, deciding whether a product should be made as a solid, a liquid or a spray. Design work involves the use of computer-aided design (CAD) technology. Chemical engineers work closely with other experts. For example, they may be involved with civil engineers to provide foundations, access roads and structures to support the various plant items. They work with mechanical engineers on the design, development and installation of specialist equipment, and with electrical engineers on the supply of power.

Chemical engineers may also work with scientists in process and product development, or perhaps with accountants and marketing professionals to consider the commercial aspects of production. Chemical engineers have a vital role to play in protecting the environment. They work on ways to sustain natural resources, recycle materials and find new renewable resources. They aim to develop alternative technologies to solve problems, such as climate change and acid rain. Work takes place in offices, factories, laboratories and/or at a construction site or plant.

Personal qualities and skills

As a chemical engineer, you need:

• To enjoy solving problems and have a creative mind to think of new ways to solve them.
• To be committed to keeping up to date with advances in this fast-changing area.
• To work well as part of a team.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to interact with engineers and scientists from other disciplines.
• Management skills, including the ability to lead and motivate others.
• An excellent grasp of modern technology.
• A commitment to protecting the environment and a knowledge of issues like acid rain, lead pollution and climate change.
• A knowledge of health and safety issues.

Pay and opportunities

Salaries for chemical engineers vary, depending on industrial sector, employer, role and responsibilities. The pay rates given are approximate. Chemical engineers earn in the range of £30,000 a year, rising to around £65,000 with experience.

Chemical engineers work around 39-41 hours a week, Monday to Friday. However, early starts, late finishes and some weekend work may be required, especially as deadlines approach.

Employers are firms in every industry in which materials undergo chemical or physical change, from paints, polymers and petroleum to beer and breakfast cereals. Other employers are firms in the chemical and allied products field, oil industry, pharmaceuticals and toiletries, process plants and related equipment, energy and nuclear fuels, materials industries (plastics, metals and ceramics, etc), the water industry, and food and drink manufacture. Opportunities for chemical engineers occur with employers in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local/national newspapers, trade industry publications, and on the Government’s Find a Job service. Vacancies can also be found through specialist engineering recruitment agencies, internet job boards and the websites of professional engineering bodies.

Entry routes and training 

Chemical engineers usually complete a relevant engineering degree, foundation degree or HND, in chemical engineering or a closely related subject such as process engineering or biochemical engineering. If you don’t have the necessary qualifications to gain entry directly onto a chemical engineering degree course, some institutions offer a foundation programme, which should progress onto an accredited degree course. It’s essential to check prospectuses carefully to make sure the course you choose is relevant to the branch of engineering you want to follow.

Alternatively, you could undertake a level 6 degree apprenticeship in science industry process engineering. This way, you will complete most of your training on the job, while working towards a relevant degree on day or block release. Your tuition fees will be paid by your employer.

Some graduates go on to join graduate training schemes, which offer structured training and learning. Depending on their level of entry, chemical engineers can gain chartered engineer (CEng) or incorporated engineer (IEng) professional status. Both are highly regarded by employers throughout industry. To register as a CEng or an IEng, you must join a relevant, professional engineering institution licensed by the Engineering Council, such as the IChemE.

To become a CEng or an IEng, you need to demonstrate the appropriate competence and commitment. The engineering institution you’ve joined can tell you which qualifications are accredited or approved towards CEng or IEng status. Your engineering institution will also advise you on, and process, your application.

Depending on their qualification, chemical engineers can progress by taking on more responsibility for the management of engineering projects and teams of engineers. Some engineers choose to become self-employed or take contract work on a freelance basis.

Qualifications

To enter a degree course in chemical engineering, the usual requirement is:

• Three related A-levels.
• GCSEs in your A-level subjects at grades 9-4.
• A further two to three GCSEs at grades 9-4.

Maths and Chemistry are usually required at A-level and either physics or biology is often preferable, although some universities are flexible with the  third subject

English, maths and a science subject are usually required at GCSE at grades 9-4.

Other qualifications, such as a relevant Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National or the International Baccalaureate Diploma are often accepted.

To get onto a degree apprenticeship programme, you will need two relevant A-levels plus GCSEs in English and maths.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (e.g. Access to Engineering) could be the way in. These courses are designed for people who have not followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

Sponsorship for higher education study in chemical engineering may be available from the larger engineering and manufacturing companies. Funding for postgraduate courses is available through universities from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Related careers

• Biochemical engineer
• Engineer
• Industrial chemist
• Process development technologist
• Systems engineer