Amanda N. Wegner

 

Government economists expect the job market tor chemical engineers to grow at a slower rate through 2020 when compared to other jobs, but it’s still a field primed with opportunities tor those willing to put in the time and effort to prepare tor the workforce. While jobs are available across all sectors, young engineers specializing in new and evolving areas, such as energy, biotech, and nanotechnology, are particularly geared for success.

 

Here, four professionals talk about their careers and how their background and experience in chemical engineering is helping them make a difference for their companies through hard work, ingenuity, and innovation.

 

IMPACT BROADENED AT PEPSICO

 

Nine years ago, Robert Lewis brought his love of chemistry, engineering technology, and desire to innovate to PepsiCo, where he is now senior vice president of functional capabilities for global beverages R&D.

 

Leading an array of talented experts within the company, “we work daily to create breakthroughs for meeting the business priorities today while delivering the growth opportunities of tomorrow and, in that way, contribute to top-line growth for PepsiCo,” says Lewis.

 

So what’s that look like in action? As an example, Lewis’ team recently developed and commercialized new packages for many of the company’s leading beverage brands, including Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Lipton Tea, Tropicana, and Gatorade.

 

“This enhanced the consumer experience and delivered a new look and feel for our products. Importantly, this represented a significant initial investment on behalf of PepsiCo and our bottling partners, and it already is leading to growth for the company,” reports Lewis, who earned a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Tennessee- Knoxville.

 

His team also recently completed the development of “Spire,” a new line of foodservice equipment that dispenses a broader array of brand and flavor options via an innovative machine design with a state-ofthe- art digital interface system.

 

To be successful in R&D, engineers must have outstanding problem-solving abilities and superior technical curiosity. “This provides the foundation for taking on and enjoying difficult technical challenges,” comments Lewis. “Then, you must combine this skill set with a very high level of determination. This is because the solution often requires overcoming several unsuccessful attempts before identifying something that delights consumers and delivers top-line growth for the company.”

 

With his previous company for 24 years, Lewis came to PepsiCo because he wanted to broaden his impact and influence on an organization’s innovation agenda.

 

“The interviewing managers for PepsiCo convinced me that I would get an opportunity to advance my career while taking on some very challenging company priorities. This was totally consistent with my desire to work on game-changing technical challenges. It now has been nine years since my move to PepsiCo, and the opportunities to work on game-changing technical challenges are endless.”

 

Working for an employee-centric organization and with great people has also been a big plus.

 

“Our culture is organized around taking personal responsibility for helping the company win in the marketplace. Because of this, great ideas are surfacing from all over the company and from all levels. This empowerment is exciting to see on an everyday basis.”

 

Lewis’ career goal to broaden his impact and influence is well aligned with his job search advice: “One has to take personal ownership and responsibility for one’s career. It requires you to be brutally honest with yourself about what you want to accomplish and if you’re achieving it in your current role or company,” he comments. “If you are achieving your goals and progressing in line with your expectations, then everything is great. If not, then you have a responsibility to take action.”

 

He also challenges minority engineers of all ages to pay it forward for the future of the field.

 

“I think the biggest challenge we face is ensuring there will be a next generation of engineers like us to take our place,” says Lewis. “We have a responsibility to reach back into communities to help build the foundation for excellence in math and science, and then to reach back to our colleges and universities to hold them accountable for nurturing and developing the next generation of minority engineering talent.”

 

For career info: www.pepsicojobs.com/en

 

SOLVING CHALLENGES AT VALERUS

 

When most kids were dreaming of being an athlete or TV star, Dustin Cast was dreaming of a career in engineering.

 

“I had an interest in math and science from a young age,” says Cast. “My father watched me build and design things and was sure I’d be an engineer one day. I even was quoted in my third grade yearbook as wanting to be an engineer when I grew up.”

 

That dream came true. Cast is principal process engineer with Houston, TX-headquartered Valerus, a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group and one of the world's leading providers of oil and gas handling services and equipment.

 

As such, he oversees proposals, budgets, costs, technical contracts, work schedules, plans, and project activities for the company’s oil and gas processing and treating facilities. Responsibilities also include client interaction, technical discussions to optimize current designs, and handling of complex studies.

 

Cast specializes in chemical engineering, which is the “icing on the cake” in regards to capturing science and math in one career.

 

With the company for three years now, he was drawn to Valerus as it provided an avenue to be a major voice within the company right away.

 

“I knew many great colleagues who joined the company before me and had the utmost respect for the company and its goals,” says Cast. “Valerus is not a small company, but everyone knows each other in some way. It’s amazing that a company can keep that environment in an ever-changing oil and gas industry.”

 

He also appreciates Valerus’s energetic family atmosphere, as well as the many opportunities to network and gain additional training. Since the company became part of SNCLavalin, he now has access to more global opportunities than ever before and a host of new markets.

 

Achieving success within the process engineering field requires creativity, critical thinking skills, and the ability to multitask and communicate well, in addition to technical skills, Cast explains.

 

“The world looks to process engineers to solve current challenges relating to energy, sustainability, and safety,” says Cast. “This puts pressure on the work you do daily. Your designs must be safe, energy-efficient, lawabiding, cost-effective, and completed on time. You typically don’t get to control your budget, the local laws, and the expected completion date so you have to read, plan, and manage your time very well.”

 

Cast advises that being proactive is the key to a successful job hunt. In fact, this is how Cast landed his first job out of college.

 

“When I was looking for my first job as a senior in college, I was told to be extremely proactive. It led me into approaching a company that was actually not looking to hire chemical engineers at our school career fair,” recalls Cast. “The representative of the company was so impressed with my drive to research the company’s goals for their process engineers that he personally recommended me to their process manager in a different state. They flew me out for an interview and I was offered a process engineering position the following week.”

 

For career info: www.valerus.com/careers/

 

DRIVING IMPROVEMENT AT AIR LIQUIDE

 

Melding her education in chemical engineering with the business acumen gained from earning an MBA, Sally Cummins, director of operations control for Air Liquide America Specialty Gases LLC, manages complex financial reporting and modeling to drive decision-making, execution, and results.

 

An industrial gas company, Air Liquide touches many markets: oil and gas, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, industrial merchants, semiconductors and photovoltaics, healthcare, construction, and more.

 

“My position allows me to see all aspects of our business, from operational efficiencies to sales and accounting,” says Cummins. “My objective is to provide strategic insight based on the data for tangible operational improvements. Our organization is complex with tens of thousands of parts numbers and customers. Metrics fluctuate daily, and a plethora of data needs to be entered and properly captured throughout the organization. The challenge is being able to sift through several layers of information and identify corrections needed before interpreting the figures for useful business results, often within a very limited amount of time.”

 

Now on the finance side, Cummins’ work in the field as chemical equipment specialist and rotational engineer has allowed her to better understand the day-to-day intricacies of the business.

 

“Our core objective is to go beyond the numbers and key performance indicators to see drivers for improvement and effectively influence change,” she says.

 

With Air Liquide for over 12 years, Cummins was drawn to the company, in part, for the opportunity to begin her career as a participant in the company’s rotational program for recent college graduates. Through the program, recent graduates rotate through four jobs in a two-year period, working in multiple functions and business lines to learn where their talents fit best.

 

The friendliness of the people is another draw.

 

“I have had the opportunity to work with many people throughout the organization around the world and have continually encountered engaged, highly intelligent, and friendly people. People want to help you and the organization to succeed and are willing to go above and beyond to get there together,” she says.

 

Air Liquide is an in ternational company located in 80 countries with over 50,000 em ployees. But even with such diversity and size, reports Cummins, the network is strong and employees are able to connect with many people with different backgrounds and skill sets.

 

“We have a network of experts and opportunities to connect through Air Liquide University training programs, internal social networking communities, and employee resource groups such as the Air Liquide Women’s Initiative Network,” notes Cummins.

 

Success in this field, she adds, comes from a healthy mix of curiosity, self-motivation, and resourcefulness. It also requires analytical and problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to communicate effectively and work cooperatively. Also required are strong organization and time management skills, attention to detail and accuracy, and the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

 

While that is a fairly hefty list, Cummins boils down her best advice for young engineers to a Vince Lombardi quote: “Whatever you do, do it with passion and all your heart.” Another favorite Lombardi quote is: ‘Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.’”

 

For career info: www.us.airliquide.com/en/careers.html

 

EXCELLING AT INTERNATIONAL PAPER

 

Growing up, Julio Delgado was always pushed toward math and science as a career path. But the exact nature of that path wasn’t clear until he landed his first industry job.

 

It’s certainly clear now. “I realized the pulp and paper industry was something I was interested in and was a place I could excel,” says Delgado, a process engineer for In ternational Paper’s Prattville Mill in Alabama. “It's very rewarding to use the skills you've been developing for the past several years.”

 

International Paper is a global leader in packaging and paper with manufacturing operations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Russia, Asia, and North Africa. As a process engineer, Delgado is responsible for reducing the mill's direct variable operating costs. He leads and serves on multiple cross functional teams to brainstorm, develop, and execute cost reduction ideas.

 

For example, he recently worked with subject matter experts and the mill’s pulp department to develop a project that modifies the way the mill cooks its wood chips to make paper products. This modification, he says, has the potential to reduce energy and chemical consumption.

 

“I enjoy implementing solutions that make things safer, easier, or more efficient for the mill. It’s very satisfying to know I made a noticeable difference in how the mill operates,” says Delgado, who initially worked at an Inter national Paper (IP) facility as a co-op student. Upon graduation from Auburn College, he interviewed with IP and was offered a full-time engineering position.

 

One thing Delgado appreciates about IP is the opportunity to get involved and contribute. “Even as a co-op or intern, you will get involved with high-value projects,” he says.

 

Another plus is the company’s investment in technology and training for its people. “IP wants to retain you,” he comments. “They invest in your development and work with you to find new opportunities.”

 

Coming up on four years at IP, Delgado has found that communication is key, especially as it relates to working with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.

 

Once you enter the workforce, “you may not be surrounded by your peers,” he says. “You will have to work with a variety of people. From different personalities to years of experience, you need to be able to effectively communicate.”

 

It’s also important, he notes, to be action-oriented and be trustworthy in all your relationships, top to bottom.

 

As for career advice for fellow engineers, Delgado cites a verse from Proverbs, summarizing it as follows: “Get lots of input from friends or professionals you know. Sometimes you don’t even realize what advice you need until you start talking with someone.”

 

For career info: www.internationalpaper.com/US/EN/Company/Careers/index.html