BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEER

Job Definition:

Job Description:

• Develop usable, tangible products, using knowledge of biology, chemistry, or engineering. Solve problems related to materials, systems, or processes that interact with humans, plants, animals, microorganisms, or biological materials.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Maintain databases of experiment characteristics or results.
• 2) Consult with chemists or biologists to develop or evaluate novel technologies.
• 3) Lead studies to examine or recommend changes in process sequences or operation protocols.
• 4) Develop experiments to determine production methods that minimize pollution or waste.
• 5) Participate in equipment or process validation activities.
• 6) Direct experimental or developmental activities at contracted laboratories.
• 7) Review existing biomanufacturing processes to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
• 8) Read current scientific or trade literature to stay abreast of scientific, industrial, or technological advances.
• 9) Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent applications.
• 10) Collaborate in the development or delivery of biochemical manufacturing training materials.
• 11) Prepare piping or instrumentation diagrams or other schematics for proposed process improvements, using computer-aided design software.
• 12) Modify or control biological systems to replace,
• augment, or sustain chemical or mechanical processes.
  13) Develop statistical models or simulations of biochemical production, using statistical or modeling software.
• 14) Collaborate with manufacturing or quality assurance staff to prepare product specification or safety sheets, standard operating procedures, user manuals, or qualification and validation reports.
• 15) Review existing manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for yield improvement or reduced process variation.
• 16) Devise scalable recovery, purification, or fermentation processes for producing proteins or other biological substances for human or animal therapeutic use, food production or processing, biofuels, or effluent treatment.
• 17) Develop methodologies for transferring procedures or biological processes from laboratories to commercial-scale manufacturing production.
• 18) Design or direct bench or pilot production experiments to determine the scale of production methods that optimize product yield and minimize production costs.
• 19) Design or conduct studies to determine optimal conditions for cell growth, protein production, or protein or virus expression or recovery, using chromatography, separation, or filtration equipment, such as centrifuges or bioreactors.
• 20) Design or conduct follow-up experimentation, based on generated data, to meet established process objectives.
• 21) Develop biocatalytic processes to convert biomass to fuels or fine chemicals, using enzymes of bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms.
• 22) Confer with research and biomanufacturing personnel to ensure the compatibility of design and production.
• 23) Develop recovery processes to separate or purify products from fermentation broths or slurries.
• 24) Advise manufacturing staff regarding problems with fermentation, filtration, or other bioproduction processes.
• 25) Recommend biochemical process formulas, instrumentation, or equipment specifications, based on results of bench or pilot experimentation.
• 26) Communicate with bioregulatory authorities regarding licensing or compliance responsibilities.
• 27) Communicate with suppliers regarding the design or specifications of bioproduction equipment, instrumentation, or materials.
• 28) Design processes to manufacture synthetic molecules for applications such as pharmaceuticals or pesticides.
• 29) Develop bioremediation processes to reduce pollution, protect the environment, or treat waste products.
• 30) Prepare project plans for biochemical equipment or facility improvements, including time lines, budgetary estimates, or capital spending requests.
• 31) Develop alternative processes to produce crude oil, such as extraction from diatoms or thermochemical conversion of manure or other wastes.
• 32) Develop toxicological or environmental testing processes to measure chemical toxicity or environmental impact.
• 33) Develop processes or products, such as natural recovery monitoring, in-situ capping or treatment, or sediment removal, to treat contamination of subaqueous sediment.
• 34) Create simulations or models to predict the impact of environmental factors, such as pollutants, climate change, or environmental remediation efforts.
• 35) Design products to measure or monitor airborne pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, or particulate matter.

Activities:

• 1) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 2) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 3) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 4) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 5) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 6) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 7) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 8) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 9) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 10) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 11) Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• 12) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 13) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 14) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 15) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 16) Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• 17) Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• 18) Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• 19) Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• 20) Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• 21) Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• 22) Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• 23) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 24) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 25) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 26) Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Abilities:

• 1) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 2) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 3) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 4) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 5) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 6) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 7) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 8) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 9) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 10) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 11) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 12) Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• 13) Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
• 14) Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• 15) Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• 16) Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• 17) Visual Color Discrimination — The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
• 18) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 19) Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
• 20) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Knowledge:

• 1) Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• 2) Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 3) Chemistry — Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• 4) Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 5) Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 6) Physics — Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• 7) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 8) Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 9) Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.