Overseeing the quality of processes, maintaining safety standards, and working in the production area are just a few job duties of a process technician. These technicians are employed in many different industries, ranging from food and beverage to oil production, so specific duties may vary according to the industry. The process technician is also often the intermediary between the customers or clients and upper management, and making sure the customer is satisfied may be another part of the job.
Seeing a particular process through from start to finish is one of the job duties. This involves planning in order to start the process, analyzing the quality of the process, and finishing the process. Once the process is completed, the technician is often responsible for performing maintenance on the equipment that was used. This includes preventative maintenance as well as repairing any equipment that may have broken down or needs to be replaced.
Another responsibility of the process technician is safety. There are several different aspects of this. The technician must first know the safety regulations of the industry. More specifically, ensuring that the safety of the equipment is maintained is important. This is done by monitoring the equipment and troubleshooting if there are problems.
Strong communication skills are also important for process technicians because they may train other employees. This training will usually cover how to operate the equipment safely as well as the details of the processes within the industry. In addition to communicating with other employees, the technician must often communicate with clients in both verbal and written forms to keep them aware of the progress of the process as well as keep them informed if there are any problems or changes.
It is important for these technicians to remain up-to-date on the most current technology. This way, they will be more easily adaptable to any technological changes in equipment in the industry. This can usually be done through continuing education classes or seminars. While a high school diploma may be sufficient education, a background in chemistry or engineering may help one become more familiar with the field as well.
A process technician may test materials and check for quality control. Analyzing data and writing reports may also be job duties of the technician. The specific duties of a technician are often dependent on the industry in which the technician works.