Details Report for:
11-9041.01 - Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
Define, plan, or execute biofuels/biodiesel research programs that evaluate alternative feedstock and process technologies with near-term commercial potential.
This title represents an occupation for which data collection is currently underway.
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Education | Wages & Employment | Additional Information
Tasks Save Table (XLS/CSV)
- Conduct research to breed or develop energy crops with improved biomass yield, environmental adaptability, pest resistance, production efficiency, bioprocessing characteristics, or reduced environmental impacts.
- Oversee biodiesel/biofuels prototyping or development projects.
- Propose new biofuels products, processes, technologies or applications based on findings from applied biofuels or biomass research projects.
- Analyze data from biofuels studies, such as fluid dynamics, water treatments, or solvent extraction and recovery processes.
- Conduct experiments on biomass or pretreatment technologies.
- Conduct experiments to test new or alternate feedstock fermentation processes.
- Design chemical conversion processes, such as etherification, esterification, interesterification, transesterification, distillation, hydrogenation, oxidation or reduction of fats and oils, and vegetable oil refining.
- Design or conduct applied biodiesel or biofuels research projects on topics such as transport, thermodynamics, mixing, filtration, distillation, fermentation, extraction, and separation.
- Design or execute solvent or product recovery experiments in laboratory or field settings.
- Develop methods to estimate the efficiency of biomass pretreatments.
- Develop methods to recover ethanol or other fuels from complex bioreactor liquid and gas streams.
- Develop separation processes to recover biofuels.
- Perform protein functional analysis and engineering for processing of feedstock and creation of biofuels.
- Prepare biofuels research and development reports for senior management or technical professionals.
- Prepare, or oversee the preparation of, experimental plans for biofuels research or development.
- Provide technical or scientific guidance to technical staff in the conduct of biofuels research or development.
- Develop carbohydrates arrays and associated methods for screening enzymes involved in biomass conversion.
- Develop computational tools or approaches to improve biofuels research and development activities.
- Develop lab scale models of industrial scale processes, such as fermentation.
Tools & Technology Save Table (XLS/CSV)
Tools used in this occupation:
| Bi distillation units — Distillation equipment |
| Dissolved oxygen meters — Dissolved oxygen monitors |
| Flow sensors — Flow indicators |
| Forced air or mechanical convection general purpose incubators — Forced convection incubators |
| Inverted microscopes — Inverted compound microscopes |
| Mass spectrometers — Gas chromatograph mass spectrometers GC-MS |
| Mixers or agitators — Flocculators |
| Pressure indicators |
| Remote reading thermometers — Temperature probes |
| Safety glasses |
| Standard fermentation units — Fermentation systems |
| Temperature cycling chambers or thermal cyclers — Polymerase chain reaction PCR equipment |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Analytical or scientific software — Agilent ChemStation; Fleet Asset Management and Optimization Solutions FAMOS PEPSE; GE Energy GateCycle |
| Computer aided design CAD software |
| Electronic mail software — Email software |
| Internet browser software — Web browser software |
| Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Project management software — Microsoft Project |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software — Microsoft Word |
Education
This occupation may require a background in the following science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational disciplines:
Wages & Employment Trends
National
Median wages data collected from Architectural and Engineering Managers.
Employment data collected from Engineering Managers.
Industry data collected from Engineering Managers.
| Median wages (2010) | $57.34 hourly, $119,260 annual |
| Employment (2008) | 184,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2008-2018) | 
Slower than average (3% to 6%)
|
| Projected job openings (2008-2018) | 48,700 |
| Top industries (2008) | Manufacturing (41% employed in this sector)
|
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010 wage data
and 2008-2018 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2008-2018). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- Engineering and natural sciences managers
. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition.