Principal Chemical Engineer

A principal chemical engineer position is a managerial role in which the major responsibilities involve managing the planning, design and construction-related services on projects like wastewater treatment, plant expansions and operations and process simulations.

The following is a list of possible duties and tasks of a principal chemical engineer:

• use and develop process simulations using commercial software
• supervise and provide technical guidance to engineers, lab technicians and pilot plant operators in fuels and process-related research projects
• communicate with clients to assess ongoing work
• conduct physical, chemical and laboratory testing
• evaluate the impact of upgrades or modifications on existing equipment or future equipment installations
• analyse and interpret chemical and process engineering literature, fuels property data, pilot plant operating data, and chemical analyses for use in client reports

This position is in a higher salary bracket than that of a chemical engineer, and thus would require a minimum 5-8 years of industry experience, including experience with project management, methods and techniques. Principal Chemical Engineers generally find employment within service companies which have a variety of client organisations like oil and gas companies and wastewater plants.