My ChemEng Career Path: Ahmad Ameer Mohamad

Executive (technology delivery), Petronas

I GRADUATED from the University of Sheffield in chemical engineering in 2020. Right now, I am with Petronas working in R&D sector.

What attracted you to your role?

What really drew me to this role was the chance to take something that works in the lab and scale it up to something that actually runs in the real world. It’s super hands-on and I love that challenge because something as simple as mixing or heating up your reaction can behave totally differently when you scale up. So, you need to think really carefully on how to replicate the lab-scale results while ensuring safety and cost-effectiveness. That mix of constant learning, problem solving and seeing ideas come to life is what makes this role so fun for me.

Which skills or knowledge from your degree do you use most often?

I mostly use what I learned in process design and reaction engineering, especially since I spent a lot of time at a pilot plant. Understanding how reactions behave at scale, choosing the right pump and knowing the pressure and temperature rating for pipeline are all super important. In the lab, organic chemistry is very useful, especially when working with synthesis or reaction centres. If I could go back to my uni life, I would definitely spend more time reading research papers. Not just in chemical engineering but in other areas too. There is so much innovation happening and having that broader view really helps in R&D.

What does your typical day or week involve?

My week usually starts by getting a reaction recipe from the lab, then I scale it up and run it at pilot-plant level. After the run, I analyse both the product and byproduct sample and review the data we logged during the reaction process. From there, I look into any challenges we faced during the run, and spot any opportunity for improvement or optimisation. I will discuss it with our subject matter expert, test the idea at the lab scale and if it looks promising I test it again at pilot scale. If it works, we move in production mode for market setting based on business needs. This is a cycle of testing, learning and improving.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Definitely the hands-on part. Taking something that works in the lab and making it work at a bigger scale. It is super satisfying to see a reaction go from a small lab-scale to a full pilot-plant run and eventually into production. I also love the problem-solving side of things. Every run comes with its own challenge and working with the team to figure out things to improve and testing new ideas keeps things exciting. Plus, no two days are the same which makes the job even more exciting.

What was the biggest challenge you faced entering the world of work? And how have you overcome that?

When I first started, the biggest challenge was just trying to understand half the terms people were using. I wasn’t sure if I really fit in or was even qualified for the job, but I learned that no one knows everything from day one, and it’s totally OK to ask questions.

What's the most exciting development or opportunity in your field that you wish more people knew about?

One of the most exciting things happening in our field right now is the development of bio-based speciality chemicals. There is a lot of room for innovation. It is not just about making chemicals, it’s about tailoring them for a very specific application that meets industrial standard while reducing environmental impact. They are also opening up new markets and applications for bio-based speciality chemicals, especially in sectors like personal care and agriculture.

What IChemE resources do you recommend students use to help them take the first steps in their career?

If you’ve just started out, IChemE has some great stuff that’s really helpful [including] free training available on the IChemE Sustainability Hub – very useful for building up your skills and knowledge. As a member you also get free access to The Chemical Engineer magazine, Loss Prevention Bulletin and a bunch of journals. They have a lot of real-world case studies, latest research and industry updates. Perfect if you are aiming for a career in R&D or want to stay in the loop with what is happening in industry

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