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Biofuels Processing Technicians

$57.47K Median Salary 1.6K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 3.4% Job Growth

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About This Career

Calculate, measure, load, mix, and process refined feedstock with additives in fermentation or reaction process vessels and monitor production process. Perform, and keep records of, plant maintenance, repairs, and safety inspections.

Reported Job Titles

Biofuels Processing Technician, Board Operator, Chemical Operator, Ethanol Operator, Kettle Operator, Mash Preparatory Operator, Process Operator, Process Technician, Production Operator

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Control Precision

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Speech Recognition

Written Comprehension

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Manual Dexterity

Near Vision

Perceptual Speed

Problem Sensitivity

Reaction Time

Selective Attention

Speech Clarity

Visual Color Discrimination

Finger Dexterity

Multilimb Coordination

Written Expression

Auditory Attention

Category Flexibility

Flexibility of Closure

Rate Control

Time Sharing

Extent Flexibility

Far Vision

Hearing Sensitivity

Trunk Strength

Visualization

Knowledge

Production and Processing

Mechanical

English Language

Public Safety and Security

Chemistry

Computers and Electronics

Skills

Operations Monitoring

Operation and Control

Reading Comprehension

Monitoring

Quality Control Analysis

Active Listening

Equipment Maintenance

Speaking

Coordination

Critical Thinking

Social Perceptiveness

Writing

Instructing

Repairing

Service Orientation

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Object or component oriented development software

Analytical or scientific software

Industrial control software

Spreadsheet software

Facilities management software

Word processing software

Business intelligence and data analysis software

Inventory management software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Tools

Screwdrivers

Titration equipment

Distillation pipings or columns or fittings

Air samplers or collectors

Control valves

Pressure transmitters

Two way radios

Standard fermentation units

Front end loaders

Laboratory mechanical convection ovens

Laboratory mixers

Globe valves

Infrared imagers

Water tube boiler

Respirators

Laboratory sifting equipment

Air dryers

Deionization or demineralization equipment

Hoists

Viscosimeters

Mixers or agitators

Belt conveyors

Test sieves

Clock timers

pH meters

Evaporative coolers

Gas chromatographs

Laboratory evaporators

Handheld refractometers or polarimeters

Moisture balances

Gate valves

Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories

Moisture meters

Digestion systems

Protective gloves

Alarm systems

Laboratory flasks

Air conveyors

Hydrometers

Grinding mills

Temperature transmitters

Pallet trucks

Laboratory crushers or pulverizers

Laboratory graduated cylinders

Spill kits

Ear plugs

Plant samples analysis equipment

Safety harnesses or belts

Hand pumps

Filtering machinery

Vacuum or mercury vapour equipment

Adjustable wrenches

High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography

Level sensors or transmitters

Air compressors

Heat exchangers

Forklifts

Benchtop centrifuges

Reverse osmosis equipment

Flow transmitters

Water samplers

Adjustable widemouth pliers

Desktop computers

Ball valves

Personal computers

Binocular light compound microscopes

Skid steer loaders

Abilities

Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Auditory Attention: The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Rate Control: The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Extent Flexibility: The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Hearing Sensitivity: The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Knowledge

Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills

Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Repairing: Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java
Analytical or scientific software: Statistical analysis software; TapRooT
Industrial control software: Industrial Scientific iNET; QuestSuite Professional
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Facilities management software: Maintenance management software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Business intelligence and data analysis software: BrightEdge; Conductor Searchlight; IBM Digital Analytics; Searchmetrics Suite
Inventory management software: Assisi Software Assisi Inventory
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software

Tools

Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Titration equipment: Automatic titrators
Distillation pipings or columns or fittings: Airfree/waterfree solvent purification systems
Air samplers or collectors: Aerosol meters; Air quality dataloggers; Microbial samplers; Thermal desorption tubes
Control valves: Flow control valves FCV; Throttle control valves TCV
Pressure transmitters: Pressure gauges
Two way radios:
Standard fermentation units: Fermenters
Front end loaders: Wheeled front end loaders
Laboratory mechanical convection ovens: Environmental ovens
Laboratory mixers: Mixer mills
Globe valves: Stop valves
Infrared imagers: Infrared analyzers
Water tube boiler: Steam boilers
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Laboratory sifting equipment: Sieve shakers
Air dryers: Hopper dryers
Deionization or demineralization equipment: Demineralizers
Hoists: Hoisting equipment
Viscosimeters: Viscometers
Mixers or agitators: Water agitators
Belt conveyors: Conveyer belt systems
Test sieves: Mesh sieves; Sieve buckets
Clock timers: Dive timing devices
pH meters: pH monitors
Evaporative coolers: Cooling towers
Gas chromatographs: Gas chromatographs GC
Laboratory evaporators: Thermal evaporators
Handheld refractometers or polarimeters: Portable refractometers
Moisture balances: Laboratory moisture balances
Gate valves: Gate butterfly valves
Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories: Self-contained breathing apparatus
Moisture meters:
Digestion systems: Digestion units
Protective gloves: Safety gloves
Alarm systems: Engine room alarm systems; Ship alarm systems
Laboratory flasks: Volumetric flasks
Air conveyors: Pneumatic conveyor systems
Hydrometers: Urometers
Grinding mills: Grinders; Tub grinders
Temperature transmitters: Electronic temperature sensors
Pallet trucks: Pallet jacks
Laboratory crushers or pulverizers: Sample crushers
Laboratory graduated cylinders: Graduated glass laboratory cylinders
Spill kits: Chemotherapy spill kits
Ear plugs: Protective ear plugs
Plant samples analysis equipment: Quadrat frames
Safety harnesses or belts: Climbing belts
Hand pumps:
Filtering machinery: Filter presses
Vacuum or mercury vapour equipment: Vacuum systems
Adjustable wrenches: Adjustable hand wrenches
High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography: High pressure liquid chromatograph HPLC with ultraviolet/visible UV/Vis absorbance detectors
Level sensors or transmitters: Level transmitters
Air compressors:
Heat exchangers: Heat exchanging units
Forklifts:
Benchtop centrifuges:
Reverse osmosis equipment: Low pressure reverse osmosis water treatment systems
Flow transmitters: Subsonic wind tunnels; Supersonic wind tunnels
Water samplers: Mechanical sampling buckets; Sample jars
Adjustable widemouth pliers: Oil filter pliers
Desktop computers:
Ball valves:
Personal computers:
Binocular light compound microscopes:
Skid steer loaders: Bobcats

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