What Does A Process Engineer Do?

WHAT DOES A PROCESS ENGINEER DO?

Updated: Dec 04, 2025 - The Process Engineer establishes process engineering methods, principles, and approaches from requirements to final design and verification, ensuring manufacturability and safety of CMSR systems. This role develops and manages comprehensive design documents and calculations, adhering to regulatory standards and design codes like ASME and ANSI. The manager coordinates multidisciplinary collaboration and testing programs to optimize equipment design and qualification.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Process Engineer

1. Process Engineer Duties

EHSS Compliance: Implement all expectations as communicated by chapter owners.
Role Clarity: Ensure the role and responsibility of individuals comply with EHSS expectations.
Meeting Oversight: Ensure EHSS meetings, assessments, and audits in the area.
Training Compliance: Ensure people attend EHSS training as per the plan.
Performance Tracking: Guide area members to understand EHSS expectations and track implementation performance.
Process Analysis: Support value creation efforts by analyzing process performance and developing key metrics to promote process improvement in safety, environmental, production, quality, value, and yield performance.
Quality Monitoring: Monitor product quality and contribute to the overall direction and success of the mill.
Production Supervision: Supervise and coordinate production efforts that result in sustained improvement in all associated work processes, including Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Compliance, Reliability, Quality, Production, and Costs.
Data Analytics: Use data analytics and a structured approach to problem-solving.
Operations Optimization: Develop and apply strategies to optimize ongoing operations using the automation platform in conjunction with the operations, maintenance, and engineering teams at the mill.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with key site and divisional personnel to value and prioritize identified opportunities and outline execution strategies accordingly.

2. Process Engineer Details

Deviation Management: Initiation and completion of deviations, remedial actions, CAPAs, and other quality system documentation.
Change Control: Adhere to the Change Control and Design Control requirements.
Process Validation: Control and direct manufacturing validation efforts for existing and new processes.
Team Collaboration: An active member of the multifunctional process and production improvement team.
Lean Manufacturing: Application of world-class manufacturing tools and techniques (Lean, ME2) within aligned process areas.
Root Cause: Actively drive process improvement projects to achieve site targets, including problem identification and resolution to root cause.
Process Excellence: Leadership and coordination of onsite Process Excellence initiatives and activities, including certification, re-certification, and promotion of Process Excellence awareness on site.
Technology Scouting: Input into machinery purchases, investigating new technologies for existing processes.
HSE Compliance: Follow and promote Company, Health, Safety, and Environmental (HS&E) and Quality standards to enable the site to achieve and maintain excellent results.
Contractor Management: Liaise with outside contractors while leading projects from conception to commissioning and handover.

3. Process Engineer Responsibilities

Project Management: Participate in or manage different improvement (multidisciplinary) projects at all stages.
Specification Writing: Make functional specifications, including related documents.
Test Execution: Carry out tests, including reporting results.
Failure Analysis: Perform data-based failure analyses that result in solutions and improvement actions.
SOP Development: Draw up standard operating procedures.
Risk Analysis: Determine measurement and control systems and draw up associated risk analyses.
Stakeholder Management: Maintain contact with various stakeholders inside and outside the organization.
Project Prioritization: Prioritize, evaluate, and drive proposed cross-functional/regional improvement projects (as champion or core team member) to processes and products based on analysis of environmental, health and safety requirements, product quality needs, and costs.
Process Development: Develop, troubleshoot, and refine manufacturing processes and new equipment.
Statistical Analysis: Design, execute, and analyze experiments/trials and make decisions based on statistical techniques.
Variation Monitoring: Develop a mechanism to understand and monitor process variation.
Validation Planning: Plan and conduct product, process, and/or equipment validation in accordance with validation practices to support new product commercialization.
Technical Documentation: Document work via reports, technology notebooks, quality systems, and design file entries.

4. Process Engineer Job Summary

Process Engineering: Establish methods, principles, and approaches for carrying out process engineering.
System Design: Design reliable and safe process systems and sub-systems from requirements through final design and verification.
Requirements Management: Ensure compliance, manufacturability, and compatibility of CMSR systems, continuously and iteratively revisiting requirements, interfaces, drawing annotations, etc.
Code Compliance: Identify and ensure effective application of appropriate design codes such as ASME, ANSI, etc.
Regulatory Analysis: Analyze and apply regulatory criteria and standards to complex process designs.
Schedule Planning: Participate in planning efforts and maintain a schedule for design activities.
Work Packaging: Create and manage work packages of process system designs.
Technical Documentation: Produce and review technical design documents, such as System Design Descriptions, Equipment Lists, Data Sheets, Technical Reports, Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), etc.
Design Calculations: Produce and review process design calculations, including mass balances and hydraulics.
Cross Discipline: Lead and collaborate with other disciplines such as mechanical design, instrumentation and controls, and neutronics to identify and/or develop equipment design information and specifications.
Test Coordination: Plan and coordinate testing programs for equipment qualification.

5. Process Engineer Accountabilities

Process Engineering: Provide engineering services around process design, engineering analysis, unit modeling, troubleshooting, and optimization.
Engineering Fundamentals: Apply science and engineering fundamentals to provide innovative solutions to CPChem operations and risk management decisions.
CFD Expertise: Provide expertise in plant troubleshooting, EHS, PSM, and Operational Excellence activities with CFD as a core competency.
Technology Evaluation: Evaluate new process technologies to identify opportunities for CPChem.
Team Collaboration: Employ teamwork skills with a demonstrated ability to contribute to cross-functional teams to meet business and technical objectives.
Relationship Building: Build and maintain relationships with peers, clients, and business partners.
Technical Communication: Utilize proficient oral and written communication skills to effectively communicate in technical and nontechnical business environments.
Process Mapping: Determine process steps and flow to move from inputs to expected output.
Method Selection: Determine the method to complete each process step (e.g., machine-based, people-based, or a combination).
Tool Management: Provide and maintain tools to perform each process step (e.g., SOPs, tooling, training).
Continuous Improvement: Monitor and continuously improve processes to ensure expected output targets or implement corrective actions.
Data Analysis: Provide detailed data collection and analysis, including time studies, material flow, and waste analysis.

6. Process Engineer Duties

Design Solutions: Prepares complete multiple solutions to satisfy design requirements.
Technical Drafting: Specifies accurate and complete dimensions, materials, and procedures for new projects.
Cross Collaboration: Proactively collaborates with other Designers, Drafters, and Engineers to ensure effective design effort is maintained.
Project Delivery: Completes project responsibilities within scope, budget, and schedule.
Drawing Review: Reviews drawings for completeness and accuracy promptly.
Drawing Compliance: Ensures engineering drawings are compliant with cited specifications.
Technical Support: Provides timely technical assistance and solutions to the team.
Meeting Participation: Proactively participates in project meetings and conference calls.
Document Preparation: Prepares accurate and complete engineering documents for customer submittal.
Sales Collaboration: Proactively collaborates with sales to develop concepts for projects.
Stakeholder Coordination: Proactively collaborates with customers, assembly team, vendors, and contractors per project.

7. Process Engineer Details

Continuous Improvement: Active participation in continuous improvement and problem-solving activities.
Self Development: Takes responsibility and ownership for own learning and development in the spirit of continuous improvement of both self and the business.
Team Mentoring: Assists in the training, mentoring and assessment of other team members on particular subject matter expertise.
Independent Judgment: Exercises autonomy and judgment subject to overall direction or guidance.
Process Development: Develop, configure and optimize industrial processes from inception through to start-up and certification.
Data Interpretation: Assess processes, take measurements and interpret data.
System Testing: Design, run, test and upgrade systems and processes.
Best Practices: Develop best practices, routines and innovative solutions to improve production rates and quality of output.
Process Documentation: Provide process documentation and operating instructions.

8. Process Engineer Responsibilities

Stakeholder Communication: Ensure that effective and accurate communication is maintained between all relevant parties and ensure that information is fed back to Service Management, Process Management, and the Sales Team so that all files may be updated effectively.
Technical Troubleshooting: Develop an excellent working knowledge of the technology to facilitate fault finding and root cause analysis on processing results or equipment performance to deliver optimised process and hardware performance.
Customer Training: Carry out customer training both at OIPT and at customer sites.
HSE Compliance: Ensure all work is carried out in accordance with the Company’s Health and Safety and ISO9001 Quality procedures.
Sales Alignment: Liaise with the Sales Team to ensure complete alignment with customer expectations and all relevant background information.
Service Tracking: Help to maintain an accurate record of the status of the system, timing of warranty, parts supplied, service contracts and failures so that trends can be analysed.
File Management: Keep up-to-date with all relevant enquiries and project files on any significant information.
Expense Reporting: Provide a detailed and accurate record of expenses incurred on behalf of the Company.

9. Process Engineer Job Summary

Job Aid Design: Partner with program owners and position leaders to develop job aids that may include process maps, decision trees, and other process-oriented documents that guide end users in executing reliably and consistently to achieve outcomes.
SOP Optimization: Develop a deep understanding of the current inventory of standard operating procedures and identify opportunities for improvement.
Process Standardization: Determine how to simplify and streamline learning and operations document types and develop a common nomenclature for other team members to quickly orient around these tools.
Enterprise Improvement: Build plans to optimize processes at the enterprise level and drive changes with relevant business partners.
Feedback Management: Partner with position leaders, field leaders, and center-based team members to gather ongoing feedback on the effectiveness of playbooks, job aids, and tools.
Outcome Monitoring: Establish outcome monitoring to track process optimization effectiveness and the impact of process work on the achievement of care model objectives.
Change Deployment: Support the communication, implementation, standardization and deployment of new tools and processes to the central and field teams.
Process Engineering: Apply industrial engineering/process engineering skills and methodologies to opportunities that improve experience, consistency and efficiency for all roles that support patient care.
Workflow Analysis: Direct studies in center operations to maximize workflow effectiveness.
Business Partnership: Serve as a business partner on various projects within the larger Learning and Operations team such as curriculum design, trainer development, standard operations, and new center activations.

10. Process Engineer Accountabilities

Specification Management: Manage a series of product specifications, manufacturing processes, standards and improvements.
Product Transfer: Implement transfer/new products trial, take part in establishing PFMEA, standards, work instruction, work procedures and processes.
Change Control: Apply ECN, PCN, and horizontal expansion activities.
Standards Training: Deliver training on product and process specifications and standards to related departments.
Process Design: Participate in design and modify products and processes.
Quality Systems: Understand, support and contribute to current Molex Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma, International Standards Organization (ISO) and Environmental, and/or Health and Safety (EH&S) Management Systems by following stated policies and procedures.

11. Process Engineer Functions

Workflow Design: Working with customers and the fulfillment teams to develop tailored workflow charts that will serve as a blueprint for how the process would work on the Wrk platform.
Requirements Analysis: Identifying applications, system needs and requirements for prospects, and in turn, collaborating with fulfillment and engineering to build new Wrk Actions.
Client Advisory: Acting as an advisor to clients, keeping abreast of technical and industry information.
Workflow Improvement: Helping clients who have challenges with their existing workflow to recommend improvements or changes to their workflow.
Stakeholder Communication: Communicating openly and widely with internal stakeholders.
Client Conversion: Achieving pilot to recurring client targets.
GTM Improvement: Collaborating with Leadership to evolve and further improve sales process, client experience and overall go-to-market strategy.

12. Process Engineer Job Description

Production Leadership: Lead both SMT and FSS (Fountain Selective Solder) Production resources at Lutron’s new manufacturing facility.
Equipment Validation: Drive the installation and validation of new equipment.
Root Cause: Find root causes of quality issues and drive their resolutions.
Metrics Ownership: Own the facility metrics of Efficiency, CPH, Utilization, OEE, Uptime, DPMO, AOIFC, PPM, and Execution Effected due to SMT and FSS.
Process Optimization: Process optimization and smooth operations of gas plant/gas supply systems to meet customers’ requirements.
Maintenance Compliance: Ensure the site equipment maintenance regime is fully complied with to maintain and enhance plant availability, for example, do regular checks on the quality of the maintenance done by vendors and the Reliability Centre.
Staff Training: Train and qualify operational staff in accordance with plant procedures and industrial standards.
QHSE Systems: Implement safety and quality management systems and standards by tracking and improving performance to achieve quality products and related outcomes.

13. Process Engineer Overview

Regulatory Compliance: Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, good manufacturing practices and other quality standards.
Process Simulation: Designs and develops process simulations to support process design and development efforts.
Site Digitalization: Supports automation and digitalization efforts across the site.
Process Scaleup: Manages and supports the process scale-up of new chemical processes on-site.
Plant Engineering: Design, production and maintenance of structures, systems and components in MilliporeSigma production plants and facilities.
Technology Transfer: Technology Transfer support including documentation development and implementation.
Protocol Writing: Write protocols and report results of studies conducted.
Equipment Installation: Work with the Project Engineering group to design, specify and install new equipment.
Process Control: Work with Production, Maintenance, Process Development, QC and QA to ensure existing manufacturing processes remain in control.
Process Optimization: Initiate, propose and implement optimization projects to reduce quality incidents, manufacturing costs, cycle times and/or increase product yield.
Project Justification: Develop project justification and capital project proposal.
Technical Advising: Provide advice on issues, including problem-solving and the assessment of new technologies.
Work Accountability: Accountable for the quality of own work.
Senior Guidance: Receives instruction, guidance and direction from more senior-level roles.
Team Collaboration: Internally works with team members across the site.

14. Process Engineer Details and Accountabilities

Project Leadership: Lead and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Client Coordination: Work with the Engineering Department and clients through all phases of the project, from initial design and detailed bid packages through successful startup.
Budget Management: Prepare and manage project budgets.
Schedule Management: Develop and manage project schedules.
Specification Writing: Support and prepare technical specification documents.
Drawing Management: Manage P&ID and mechanical drawing development.

15. Process Engineer Tasks

Project Delivery: Lead engineering projects, ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget, with no impact to quality or customer service.
Validation Strategy: Perform technical assessments and develop validation strategies and understand the impact on the E2E supply chain.
BOM Knowledge: Understand the product and process structure (BOMs, Routes, DMR, etc.).
Business Analysis: Propose project ideas through analysis of existing processes and equipment with the intent of achieving continuous improvement, including the business case assessment.
Team Coaching: Provide coaching to junior engineers, clerks, and technicians.
Project Planning: Develop project objectives and project plans in consultation with management and execute detailed project plans using standard project management tools (charter, Gantt chart, etc.).
Schedule Development: Determines project schedule by studying project plan and specifications, product design, customer requirements and product performance standards.
Cost Estimation: Calculating time requirements, sequencing project elements, completing technical studies and preparing cost estimates.
Schedule Control: Controls and maintains the project plan and schedule by reviewing the design, specifications and monitoring project progress and the project budget.
Change Management: Plans and schedules project changes, coordinating activities, recommending actions and resolving problems.
Expense Control: Approves and plans expenditures, and keeps an accurate record of all elements of the project.
Status Reporting: Prepares and presents project status reports in formats adequate to different organizational levels by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends, recommending actions.

16. Process Engineer Roles

Change Control: Follows the Ethicon change control process for all applicable projects.
Process Validation: Confirms product performance by designing and conducting tests and performing process validation on new, transferred or modified processes.
Cost Forecasting: Prepares/reviews capital and expense forecasts for assigned projects.
CAR Preparation: Prepares capital authorization requests (CAR).
Cost Control: Controls project costs by approving and monitoring expenditures, administering contractor contracts.
Regulatory Compliance: Maintains project integrity and reputation through compliance with state and federal regulations.
Policy Compliance: Responsible for ensuring personal and Company compliance with all Federal, State, local and Company regulations, policies, and procedures.
QSR Adherence: Ensures effective use of engineering and quality systems and adherence to quality system regulations (QSR).
Quality Policy: Ensures compliance with the quality policy in all activities.
NCR CAPA: Manages the NCR and CAPA process by documenting, investigating, conducting root cause analysis, and implementing corrective actions for product non-conformances.
OSHA Compliance: Ensures all OSHA and J&J Machine Guarding requirements are met.
Safety Promotion: Supports and promotes the safety and industrial hygiene objectives of the plant.
Issue Escalation: Responsible for communicating business-related issues or opportunities to the next management level.

17. Process Engineer Additional Details

Engineering Liaison: Acts as liaison between manufacturing and design engineering.
Capacity Assessment: Perform capability and capacity assessments.
Implementation Strategy: Develop a new product implementation strategy.
Lifecycle Management: Create and follow the process engineering product lifecycle.
FAAT Support: Partner with quality engineering to conduct First Article Acceptance Testing.
Work Instructions: Develop and maintain work instructions (including costs).
Throughput Targeting: Establish equipment throughput targets.
Tooling Development: Partner with design engineering to create tooling, fixtures, and process aids.

18. Process Engineer Essential Functions

Throughput Advisory: Leads and strategically advises plant leadership on line throughput, line balance and process improvement opportunities through requirements gathering, data extraction/transformation, organized analysis and effective visualization of information.
Process Adherence: Supports the process owner to ensure adherence to the MCO process.
Document Control: Supports and adheres to the document control system for all controlled documents, which includes processes for notification, tracking and recording of changes in designated control systems (i.e., portal / SharePoint).
Performance Metrics: Collaborates with functional areas to develop and report performance metrics against targets to determine gaps in performance and recommends/executes improvement initiatives.
Lean SixSigma: Uses appropriate Lean, Six Sigma and data analysis tools to analyze quantitative and qualitative data to provide actionable information for data-driven decisions.
System Validation: Champions use and functionality of BPLM, Infinity, and CTT and other related systems and ensure accuracy through a validation strategy that identifies all critical inputs and controls them properly to achieve optimal performance of critical processes and outputs.
Food Safety: Supports the Food Safety Systems per the system requirements and per the direction of the plant's Quality department.
Maintenance Support: Supports the operation of the plant maintenance system and processes per the direction of the Production department.
Audit Analysis: Supports audits and trials through data and process analysis, documenting findings and preparing/delivering reports.
Engineering Training: Conducts training on engineering concepts and tools, including but not limited to process control and capability, root cause analysis, basic quality and problem-solving tools.
Communication Process: Partners with plant departments to establish effective communication processes to equally disseminate critical information across all departments, shifts and crews.
Process Mapping: Assists in mapping and documenting complex business processes to support process improvement efforts.
Best Practice: Assists with the deployment of approved and assigned best practices and confirms/reports local impacts.

19. Process Engineer Role Purpose

Process Management: Maintain and develop processes across the Etch cell, ensuring correct documentation is in place, i.e, operating specifications, OCAPs, etc.
Flow Assurance: Ensure process flows are correct through each owned equipment set.
Project Execution: Implement improvement projects to achieve company and group goals.
Equipment Qualification: Undertake process qualification for new or relocated equipment.
DOE Optimization: Develop robust processes through the use of Design of Experiment, to achieve the above target capability indices (Cp/Cpk) on Etch processes.
Process Control: Ensure process control checks and measurements are in place to sustain process robustness.
Recipe Optimization: Optimise production process recipes in terms of cost and tool capacity and robustness.
FMEA Management: Generate and maintain process FMEAs to drive proactive scrap prevention across the cell.
COSHH Compliance: Ensure COSHH assessments are initiated and updates are maintained.

20. Process Engineer General Responsibilities

Process Development: Customization, development and maintenance of processes of microsystems technology in cooperation with research groups.
Equipment Maintenance: Responsibility for miscellaneous equipment in the cleanroom laboratories, including maintenance work, keeping chemicals and consumables in stock, and equipment cleaning.
Tool Operation: Maintaining and developing processing in the UHR SEM-PFIB system.
User Onboarding: Assign and assist new cleanroom users to the ISTA cleanroom, according to safety regulations regarding the handling of chemicals.
Compliance Verification: Verification of compliance with rules/regulations.
Staff Training: Training of facility staff, scientists and students.

21. Process Engineer Key Accountabilities

Process Improvement: Devising a battery cell manufacturing process improvement for mass production lines, leading to increased production and better quality
Specification Control: Defining and changing cell specifications
Material Integration: Introducing new materials and cell technologies into mass production
Process Development: Conducting research and development work for new and existing production lines to improve cell process on safety, quality and productivity
Team Collaboration: Working closely with other team members to increase understanding of failure modes, performance and life expectancy of cell products
Line Setup: Line setup and performance evaluation of manufacturing equipment
Efficiency Analysis: Analyzing operating procedures and functions of equipment and machinery to reduce the time and cost of assembly manufacturing processes

22. Process Engineer Roles and Details

Safety Compliance: Observe and follow Health and Safety practices and regulations put in place at all times
PPE Management: Wear and maintain proper PPE
Safety Training: Participate in safety programs and training
Safety Awareness: Maintain safety awareness and identify opportunities to be safer
Quality Policy: Participate and promote the company’s Quality Policy and Objectives
Corrective Action: Actively seeks opportunities to improve through the use of the Corrective Action system
Engineering Support: Provide engineering support to all departments

23. Process Engineer Responsibilities and Key Tasks

Client Representation: Assist PCI’s primary client contacts by representing and promoting the group’s capabilities and successes
Relationship Building: Build and maintain successful relationships with clients as an expert
Needs Assessment: Identify and understand the client’s needs and goals as related to the group
Capability Planning: Evaluate current capacities and new technologies, and then plan and develop competencies to meet these needs and goals
Bid Support: Support Bid activities and develop execution plans for projects
Scope Estimation: Develop and approve project scopes and estimates developed by the group supporting the proposal efforts of the Project Managers
Proposal Finalization: Work with the Project Manager and other groups to finalize proposals
Commercial Understanding: Understand commercial terms and technical specs of all projects the group is supporting

24. Junior Process Engineer Duties and Roles

Support Ownership: Serve as the primary owner for support requests to systems underneath the purview of the Operations team (Jira, Jira Service Management, Gainsight, Zapier, and more)
Process Partnership: Partner with Operations and other business units across Redox to assist in the maintenance and enhancement of their processes and systems
Change Enablement: Develop and implement process changes, workflow, or system improvements and be a catalyst for the change to help Redox scale
Requirements Mapping: Capture and translate business requirements into technical solution designs
Process Evaluation: Evaluate business processes, anticipate requirements, uncover areas for improvement, and facilitate solution development and implementation
Integration Design: Work closely with the Business Process Engineer to help design new processes and system integration
Alerting Reporting: Build and maintain alerting and reporting to ensure that sure stay on top of potential failure points
System Documentation: Build and maintain key documentation regarding the processes and system integrations support
Release Management: Stay up to date with system product feature releases, articulate changes to existing processes, and provide recommendations for how to take advantage of new functionality

25. Process Engineer Roles and Responsibilities

Process Definition: Identify processes and related parameters for the manufacturing of leather goods based on material and quality specifications
Machine Setup: Set up the machinery according to the parameters defined
NPI Leadership: Lead new product introductions per schedule and ensure a smooth transition into manufacturing while meeting established operational, quality, cost, service, and safety metrics
Production Support: Provide direct, technical support to production and assist with all manufacturing and quality-related issues
Cross Functional: Work cross-functionally with Product Development, Production and Maintenance and other departments throughout the workshop
Ergonomic Design: Define the right workstation organization, taking into consideration ergonomics and safety, to ensure the highest standards of quality while ensuring a safe work environment
Technology Benchmark: Perform benchmarking to identify the best suitable technologies and systems for equipment, tools, and fixtures for new or existing product or process changes
Capital Planning: Responsible for leading the recommendations and decision-making regarding equipment needs/selection and capital investment, calculating Return on Investment (ROI)
Technology Awareness: Keep abreast of all new processes and technology developments, i.e., tools, machinery and other equipment related to our manufacturing environment
Safety Compliance: Ensure the safety guidelines are followed

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