Biofuels Processing Technicians

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Assess the quality of biofuels additives for reprocessing.
• Operate valves, pumps, engines, or generators to control and adjust biofuels production.
• Operate valves, pumps, engines, or generators to control and adjust biofuels production.
• Calculate, measure, load, or mix refined feedstock used in biofuels production.
• Perform routine maintenance on mechanical, electrical, or electronic equipment or instruments used in the processing of biofuels.
• Inspect biofuels plant or processing equipment regularly, recording or reporting damage and mechanical problems.
• Monitor and record biofuels processing data.
• Calculate, measure, load, or mix refined feedstock used in biofuels production.
• Rebuild, repair, or replace biofuels processing equipment components.
• Operate chemical processing equipment for the production of biofuels.
• Preprocess feedstock in preparation for physical, chemical, or biological fuel production processes.
• Rebuild, repair, or replace biofuels processing equipment components.
• Collect biofuels samples and perform routine laboratory tests or analyses to assess biofuels quality.
• Monitor and record flow meter performance.
• Calculate, measure, load, or mix refined feedstock used in biofuels production.
• Calibrate liquid flow devices and meters, including fuel, chemical, and water meters.
• Monitor and record biofuels processing data.
• Inspect biofuels plant or processing equipment regularly, recording or reporting damage and mechanical problems.
• Coordinate raw product sourcing or collection.
• Collect biofuels samples and perform routine laboratory tests or analyses to assess biofuels quality.
• Operate equipment, such as a centrifuge, to extract biofuels products and secondary by-products or reusable fractions.
• Inspect biofuels plant or processing equipment regularly, recording or reporting damage and mechanical problems.
• Process refined feedstock with additives in fermentation or reaction process vessels.
• Measure and monitor raw biofuels feedstock.
• Clean biofuels processing work area, ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
• Monitor batch, continuous flow, or hybrid biofuels production processes.
• Monitor and record flow meter performance.
• Monitor stored biofuels products or secondary by-products until reused or transferred to users.

Skills

• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.

Abilities

• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.

Knowledge

• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• 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.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• 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.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

82040/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

39.44/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

210

Yearly Projected Openings

20

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Integrity
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Concern for Others

Tools

• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Air compressors
• Air conveyors
• Air dryers
• Air samplers or collectors
• Alarm systems
• Ball valves
• Belt conveyors
• Benchtop centrifuges
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Clock timers
• Control valves
• Deionization or demineralization equipment
• Desktop computers
• Digestion systems
• Distillation pipings or columns or fittings
• Ear plugs
• Evaporative coolers
• Filtering machinery
• Flow transmitters
• Forklifts
• Front end loaders
• Gas chromatographs
• Gate valves
• Globe valves
• Grinding mills
• Hand pumps
• Handheld refractometers or polarimeters
• Heat exchangers
• High pressure liquid chromatograph chromatography
• Hoists
• Hydrometers
• Infrared imagers
• Laboratory crushers or pulverizers
• Laboratory evaporators
• Laboratory flasks
• Laboratory graduated cylinders
• Laboratory mechanical convection ovens
• Laboratory mixers
• Laboratory sifting equipment
• Level sensors or transmitters
• Mixers or agitators
• Moisture balances
• Moisture meters
• Pallet trucks
• Personal computers
• Plant samples analysis equipment
• Pressure transmitters
• Protective gloves
• Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
• Respirators
• Reverse osmosis equipment
• Safety harnesses or belts
• Screwdrivers
• Skid steer loaders
• Spill kits
• Standard fermentation units
• Temperature transmitters
• Test sieves
• Titration equipment
• Two way radios
• Vacuum or mercury vapour equipment
• Viscosimeters
• Water samplers
• Water tube boiler
• pH meters

Technology

• Analytical or scientific software
• Business intelligence and data analysis software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Facilities management software
• Industrial control software
• Inventory management software
• Object or component oriented development software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software