Pharmaceutical Engineer Science & Engineering Professionals
SaveWhat Does a Pharmaceutical Engineer Do?
Pharmaceutical engineers design and develop technologies used in pharmaceutical research and drugs manufacture, advising the pharmaceutical manufacturing plants to maintain and operate those technologies and ensuring the customers` and workers` safety requirements are met. They may also be involved in the conception and design of pharmaceutical manufacturing plants and research centers.
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Where Do I Start?
Pharmaceutical Industry
The main stakeholders, companies and procedures in the pharmaceutical industry and the laws and regulations that govern the patenting, testing, safety and marketing of drugs.
Sign up to trackReady to go deeper? Pick up to 3 skills to focus on from the list below.
These are common skills for this role. Real-world experience matters more than ticking every box — use this as a guide, not a checklist.
Skills You Need to Become a Pharmaceutical Engineer
Essential Skills
Essential Skills
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EssentialPharmaceutical Industry knowledge
The main stakeholders, companies and procedures in the pharmaceutical industry and the laws and regulations that govern the patenting, testing, safety and marketing of drugs.
No book recommendations available yet.
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EssentialAnalytical Chemistry knowledge
Instruments and methods used to separate, identify and quanitfy matter - the chemical components of natural and artificial materials and solutions.
Recommended Books
4 books -
EssentialGood Manufacturing Practices knowledge
Regulatory requirements and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) applied in the relevant manufacturing sector.
Recommended Books
3 books -
EssentialEngineering Principles knowledge
The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
Recommended Books
1 book -
EssentialPharmaceutical Manufacturing Quality Systems knowledge
The quality systems model that apply in pharmaceutical manufacturies. The most common system ensures quality in facilities and equipment system, laboratory controls system, materials system, production system and packaging and …
No book recommendations available yet.
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EssentialEngineering Processes knowledge
The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
Recommended Books
1 book -
EssentialHuman Physiology knowledge
The science that studies the human organs and its interactions and mechanisms.
Recommended Books
1 book -
EssentialBiological Chemistry knowledge
Biological chemistry is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
No book recommendations available yet.
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EssentialChemistry knowledge
The composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk factors, and disposal methods.
No book recommendations available yet.
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EssentialDrug Administration Regulations knowledge
The rules and regulations of the European legislations and of the Food and Drugs Administration regarding clinical trials and drug development.
No book recommendations available yet.
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EssentialPharmaceutical Drug Development knowledge
Drug manufacturing phases: pre-clinical phase (research and tests on animals), clinical phase (clinical trials on humans) and the sub-phases required to obtain as an end product a pharmaceutical drug.
No book recommendations available yet.
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EssentialAdjust Engineering Designs skill
Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialApply Health And Safety Standards skill
Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialApprove Engineering Design skill
Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialAssess Environmental Impact skill
Monitor environmental impacts and carry out assessments in order to identify and to reduce the organisation's environmental risks while taking costs into account.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialEnsure Compliance With Environmental Legislation skill
Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are …
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialEnsure Compliance With Safety Legislation skill
Implement safety programmes to comply with national laws and legislation. Ensure that equipment and processes are compliant with safety regulations.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialExamine Engineering Principles skill
Analyse the principles that need to be considered for engineering designs and projects such as functionality, replicability, costs and other principles.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialForecast Organisational Risks skill
Analyse the operations and actions of a company in order to assess their repercussions, possible risks for the company, and to develop suitable strategies to address these.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialPerform Scientific Research skill
Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialThink Analytically skill
Produce thoughts using logic and reasoning in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialUse A Computer skill
Utilise computer equipment or digital devices to facilitate quality control, data management, and communication. Follow instructions given by a computer programme, create computer files or documents.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialUse Technical Drawing Software skill
Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialWork With Chemicals skill
Handle chemicals and select specific ones for certain processes. Be aware of the reactions which arise from combining them.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialWrite Batch Record Documentation skill
Write reports on the manufactured batches history taking into account the raw data, tests performed and compliance to GMP of each batch of product.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialWrite Technical Reports skill
Compose technical customer reports understandable for people without technical background.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialMonitor Plant Production skill
Monitor the plant processes set-up and efficiency to ensure the maximum output production levels.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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EssentialTest Production Input Materials skill
Test the supplied materials prior to their release into processing, ensuring the results are complying with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and to the suppliers` COA (Certificate of Analysis).
Course recommendations coming soon.
Optional Skills (5 of 28 displayed)
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OptionalPharmaceutical Chemistry knowledge
The chemical aspects of identification and synthetic alteration of chemical entities as they relate to therapeutic use. The way various chemicals affect biological systems and how they can be integrated …
Recommended Books
4 books -
OptionalSupply Chain Management knowledge
The flow of goods in the supply chain, movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.
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OptionalIntellectual Property Law knowledge
The regulations that govern the set of rights protecting products of the intellect from unlawful infringement.
Recommended Books
2 books -
OptionalPharmacology knowledge
Pharmacology is a medical specialty mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
Recommended Books
1 book -
OptionalPackaging Engineering knowledge
The processes of packaging or protecting products for distribution, storage and sale.
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalElectrical Instrumentation Engineering knowledge
The way in which electrical and instrumentation engineering (E and I engineering) modernises the production infrastructure from design to preparation of execution phase and the execution phase itself followed by …
Recommended Books
3 books -
OptionalToxicology knowledge
The negative effects of chemicals on living organisms, their dose and exposure.
Recommended Books
2 books -
OptionalChemical Preservation knowledge
Process of adding chemical compounds to a product, such as food or pharmaceutical products, to prevent decay caused by chemical changes or microbial activity.
Recommended Books
1 book -
OptionalIndustrial Software knowledge
The selection of software that aids in estimating, managing and scheduling industrial processes such as design, work flow and production improvement.
Recommended Books
1 book -
OptionalPharmaceutical Legislation knowledge
European and national legal framework for the development, distribution, and use of medicinal products for humans.
Recommended Books
1 book -
OptionalLaboratory Techniques knowledge
Techniques applied in the different fields of natural science in order to obtain experimental data such as gravimetric analysis, gas chromatography, electronic or thermic methods.
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalMechanical Engineering knowledge
Discipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalPharmacovigilance Legislation knowledge
Regulations used to control and monitor adverse drug reactions at EU level.
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalQuality Assurance Methodologies knowledge
Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalTypes Of Packaging Materials knowledge
Properties of materials that make them suitable for packaging. Conversion of raw materials into packaging materials. Different types of labels and materials used which comply with the correct storage criteria …
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalSoftware Architecture Models knowledge
The set of structures and models needed to understand or describe the software system, including the software elements, the relations between them and the properties of both elements and relations.
No book recommendations available yet.
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OptionalConduct Public Presentations skill
Speak in public and interact with those present. Prepare notices, plans, charts, and other information to support the presentation.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalDevelop Pharmaceutical Drugs skill
Develop new therapeutic products according to the potential formulas, studies and indications recorded during the research process which involved also collaboration with physicians, biochemists and pharmacologists.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalManage Chemical Testing Procedures skill
Manage the procedures to be used in chemical testing by designing them and conducting tests accordingly.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalPerform Chemical Experiments skill
Perform chemical experiments with the aim of testing various products and substances in order to draw conclusions in terms of product viability and replicability.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalProvide Technical Expertise skill
Provide expert knowledge in a particular field, especially concerning mechanical or scientific subjects, to decision makers, engineers, technical staff or journalists.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalTest Chemical Samples skill
Perform the testing procedures on the already prepared chemical samples, by using the necessary equipment and materials. Chemical sample testing involves operations such as pipetting or diluting schemes.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalUse Chemical Analysis Equipment skill
Use the laboratory equipment such as Atomic Absorption equimpent, PH and conductivity meters or salt spray chambre.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalApply Validation Engineering skill
Test the systems used to manufacture pharmaceuticals measuring and analysing the processes to ensure that the products are produced according to specifications.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalContribute To Registration Of Pharmaceutical Products skill
Participate in the registration process that allows the sale and distribution of substances that treat or prevent human and animal diseases or enable medical diagnosis.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalDesign Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Systems skill
Design production control systems which involve all processes from pharmaceutical production process to pharmaceutical stocks with the purpose of providing the correct input for the development of pharmaceutica manufacturing plant …
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalEvaluate Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Process skill
Evaluate the ongoing pharmaceutical production process against the latest developments on the market regarding the mixing, compounding and packaging, ensuring the necessary updates are implemented.
Course recommendations coming soon.
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OptionalManage Pharmaceutical Production Facilities Construction skill
Manage the design and construction of pharmaceutical production facilities making sure the facilities and process validation are according to the planning and conform to FDA and GMP.
Course recommendations coming soon.
