Chemical Engineers in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Chemical engineers in the pharmaceutical industry work across a multitude of roles spanning discovery, research and development, manufacturing and operations, data analytics, and supply chain. At the same time, the diversity of molecular therapeutics has expanded beyond the traditional small molecules and proteins to include oligonucleotides, antibody-drug conjugates, cell and gene therapies and vaccines (made through many new platforms: viral vectors, mRNA, protein subunits). The delivery of these therapies occur through many different means (oral, intravenous, subcutaneous, inhalation, nasal, ocular, intramuscular, etc.). Given the range of industries chemical engineers can work in (oil/energy, commodity/specialty chemicals, materials, consumer products), it is highly competitive to attract chemical engineers to fulfill the industry’s need for expertise, innovation, and talent. This talk will discuss some approaches to attract chemical engineers to the industry, to develop their expertise, and to grow them into leaders for the future.