What Is a Process Development Engineer and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

A process development engineer designs and plans production systems to be cost-effective, safe, and meet quality requirements for their industry. These professionals often work as part of a quality assurance team or a production management department for industrial companies, such as manufacturing or mining businesses. As a process development engineer, your job duties include reviewing the company's current production processes and designing modifications to the current system or creating new systems to increase productivity. Once you have installed or implemented the system, you make sure to test and troubleshoot it to ensure they run properly.

To become a process development engineer, you need a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or a related field. Employers seek candidates who have several years of work experience, especially those who have worked in production or quality management. Many process development engineers start as junior engineers; they work alongside industry professionals and learn how to develop efficient and safe mechanisms. Once you have worked for several years and have built a substantial portfolio of successful designs, seek process development engineer positions. Additional qualifications include excellent communication and analytical skills, experience with computer-aided design software, and the ability to create and present your design ideas to upper management.