Case studies: Research and development graduate: Mark

Mark finds that a degree in chemical engineering is a popular route to become a process engineer...

I completed a Masters in chemical engineering at The University of Manchester in 2010. I applied for my current role in my final year of university. I believe it’s important to take a bit of time when applying for jobs while you’re studying, so I set aside a few hours a week to dedicate to looking for jobs.

I’ve now been at Heinz for two months, working in the process development team in Research and Development at the Kitt Green site. So far I've been looking into the rheology of different tomato pastes and how quickly and efficiently they heat up during pasteurisation.

Working in R&D has given me an opportunity to quickly learn about the multitudes of different products Heinz produces and how they're made and distributed over the country and beyond.

My subject of study at university played a big part in securing my job. Working as a process engineer means that there are few alternative degrees you can have other than chemical engineering.

As a process engineer, I use a wide range of core topics taught in my chemical engineering degree. For example, heat transfer and fluid dynamics are areas in which I will commonly work. Additionally, there are subject areas that I have less expertise on; however, the research skills and problem-solving techniques I learnt at university allow me to confidently work on these topics as well.

I really enjoy being given the time and trust to research products in-depth, which then allows innovations and renovations to occur naturally.

There is also a great culture of cooperation within the function. Anybody, regardless of what specific department they're in, will help you with your work because it's understood that we're all working towards the same common goal. This is particularly helpful because the best way to learn about the company is to collaborate with people in different teams.

There are some challenges in the job, however. The time constraints on projects are different to what I experienced at university. For example, if you were a student you would know that a project had to be submitted by a final date, where as working in industry you may be working on a project whose completion date can change in an instant. Being flexible with project deadlines is the biggest challenge I face.

I am about to participate in some training in Malvern about using a sophisticated rheology machine capable of measuring a wide range of different fluids; this will be particularly useful as I can build on the theory I learned at university. In three years, I see myself in a management role in Heinz R&D, coordinating R&D projects and leading a team.

I applied to Heinz because they are a brand I grew up with and trust. I was passionate about working in the food industry and Heinz's graduate scheme was by far the most appealing to me.

AGCAS

Written by AGCAS editors

Date: 

November 2010

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