What Do Biofuels Development Managers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Biofuels Development Managers define, plan, or execute biofuels/biodiesel research programs that evaluate alternative feedstock and process technologies with near-term commercial potential. They also design or conduct applied biodiesel or biofuels research projects on topics, such as transport, thermodynamics, mixing, filtration, distillation, fermentation, extraction, and separation.

Other tasks include:

• Analyze data from biofuels studies, such as fluid dynamics, water treatments, or solvent extraction and recovery processes.
• 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.
• Propose new biofuels products, processes, technologies or applications based on findings from applied biofuels or biomass research projects.
• Conduct experiments on biomass or pretreatment technologies.
• Prepare biofuels research and development reports for senior management or technical professionals.

We asked Biofuels Development Managers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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75% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 62% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Biofuels Development Managers analyze data from biofuels studies, such as fluid dynamics, water treatments, or solvent extraction and recovery processes. They design or conduct applied biodiesel or biofuels research projects on topics, such as transport, thermodynamics, mixing, filtration, distillation, fermentation, extraction, and separation.

A typical day for a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager will also include:

• Develop lab scale models of industrial scale processes, such as fermentation.
• Conduct experiments on biomass or pretreatment technologies.
• Develop methods to estimate the efficiency of biomass pretreatments.
• Provide technical or scientific guidance to technical staff in the conduct of biofuels research or development.
• Prepare, or oversee the preparation of, experimental plans for biofuels research or development.

We asked some Biofuels Development Managers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	67% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	54% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	89% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	17% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	11% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	51% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Biofuels Development Managers also develop computational tools or approaches to improve biofuels research and development activities. They may also oversee biodiesel/biofuels prototyping or development projects.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Biofuels Development Managers Design or execute solvent or product recovery experiments in laboratory or field settings. They might also Prepare, or oversee the preparation of, experimental plans for biofuels research or development.

In addition, they Conduct experiments to test new or alternate feedstock fermentation processes.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Prepare biofuels research and development reports for senior management or technical professionals.

To some Biofuels Development Managers, it is also their responsibility to Analyze data from biofuels studies, such as fluid dynamics, water treatments, or solvent extraction and recovery processes.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Manager, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/management/architectural-and-engineering-managers.htm

http://www.aia.org/

http://www.abet.org/

http://atmae.org/