UOP Career Development
Career development program
for mechanical and civil engineers
MAKING OUR WORLD SAFER
AND MORE SECURE,
MORE COMFORTABLE AND
ENERGY EFFICIENT,
AND MORE INNOVATIVE AND
PRODUCTIVE
Our Company
UOP is an international company that has
Many significant advancements, including
also advises its customers on ways to
been a key technology supplier to the
unleaded gasoline, catalytic converters,
continuously improve the operating efficiency
petroleum refining and petrochemical
biodegradable detergents, economical
and performance of these facilities.
industries since 1914. Many of the refining
polymers for clothing, and renewable jet
processes in common use today originated
and diesel fuel can be attributed to
An integral part of many of the solutions
with UOP research and development. With
processes developed using UOP technology.
UOP provides is the supply of catalysts,
adsorbents and other advanced materials.
a focus on customer service, UOP offers
a greater number of proprietary products
To keep our approach fresh, we build
These materials are produced at UOP
and processes – and more engineering
strong alliances and relationships with
manufacturing facilities in several locations,
experience and innovative solutions – than
customers, institutions of higher learning,
including the U.S., Italy, Japan and China,
any other company of its kind.
and companies outside our core industries
using advanced technology. Our experience
in order to apply our technology in new
ranges from the manufacture of spherical
This unique combination has enabled UOP
ways. For example, working with an
alumina catalysts for naphtha reforming to
to stay on top in an increasingly competitive
alliance partner in Norway, UOP developed
the production of xylene isomerization
marketplace. We maintain our leading-edge
combinatorial chemistry methodology and
catalysts, which incorporate proprietary
position by investing in research and
complex data collection and analysis
zeolite formulations. The formula for our
development, which feeds new ideas that
systems for rapid experimentation.
success continues to be very basic – to
fulfill our customers’ needs … and the needs
enable groundbreaking discoveries.
Through the years, UOP employees have
In addition to creating new technologies,
of those we hire … to create an environment
been awarded thousands of patents in the
UOP develops, designs and commissions
for our employees that encourages
U.S. and internationally, nearly 3,000 of
new equipment installations in the majority
individual growth and development and
which are currently active.
of petroleum refineries and petrochemical
provides them with opportunities for
complexes throughout the world. UOP
advancement and promotion.
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Mechanical and Civil Engineering
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
UOP has continued to be innovative
because of the caliber of men and women
What do mechanical & civil
engineers do at UOP?
it employs. There are more than 3,000
UOP engineers are called upon to provide
employees worldwide, many of whom are
many services throughout the life of a
engineers who came to UOP right after
project, including:
college. Building on the academic
knowledge of new graduates, UOP
Developing innovative technology
provides hands-on training and tools for
At the heart of UOP’s technology are
success. A critical part of the Career
chemical reactors where lower value
Development program for Mechanical and
hydrocarbons are transformed into higher
Civil Engineers is the initial training, which
value products such as high-octane
prepares each individual for a career
gasoline or petrochemical feedstock.
applying traditional engineering skills to
These are used in the production of
challenging design work. This intensive
detergents, polyesters, pharmaceuticals,
12- to 18-month program begins with a
plastics, and many other products. UOP
thorough orientation to UOP, our business
engineers develop innovative ways to
model, and key technologies.
make this happen inside pressure vessels
operating under extreme temperature and
pressure, and in corrosive environments.
They find ways to properly distribute
multi-phase flows, support beds of catalysts
that are sometimes moving, select and use
exotic metallurgy, and deal with complicated
thermal expansion issues.
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Using proprietary software
design, supply of assembled equipment,
Much of the design process incorporates
and inspection services to deliver
a variety of proprietary knowledge using
increased value to the customer. Engineers
commercial software for design, analysis,
who work in our equipment business man-
and drawing generation. Beyond computers,
age projects, perform competitive bid
however, are the resources of some of the
reviews, write requisitions, perform detailed
most capable and experienced people in
design, and ensure quality of purchased
the industry, including engineers who
components. This gives them the opportu-
create globally accepted standards and
nity to follow a design from start to finish,
are world-renowned for their expertise.
as well as to interact with customers at
contractor offices, vendor shops and fabri-
Providing answers
After completed designs are submitted to
cation facilities.
Troubleshooting problems
contractors for construction, UOP engineers
answer questions and provide information
After unit startup and throughout the life
to expedite fabrication. This gives them the
of the project, UOP engineers continue to
opportunity to follow a design through its
answer questions, solve problems, and
many phases.
provide assistance to customers. In addition, travel to a refinery is sometimes nec-
In cases where there is a competitive
essary to obtain or verify information or to
value to the customer or a risk of losing
check the installation and operation of a
intellectual property, UOP not only designs
completed project. Because UOP serves
the engineering package, but also supplies
customers around the world, engineers
equipment to the customer. In these
can travel internationally throughout their
projects, UOP combines the detailed
careers.
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How will I be trained?
To expand upon the basic skills learned
in school, newly hired engineers are given
immediate, hands-on experience by
working on actual projects. Training at UOP
involves a mentoring approach in which new
engineers work with experienced technical
experts. Mentors guide the engineers
during new projects and are available for
questions, assistance, and review
Following this initial period, most mechanical
and civil engineers will progress by
undertaking progressively more complex
and challenging assignments associated
with various UOP technologies, learning
advanced mechanical design concepts,
and the practical application of engineering
principles. After that, engineers can
choose their career path. Many engineers
continue to focus on advanced mechanical
design. Others move into detailed design or
of initial work. Early in their careers, new
project management. Still others spend a
engineers become familiar with industry
few years traveling the world in support of
practices and with the UOP engineering
new plant startups. All of these opportunities
design process by creating the equipment
emphasize learning by doing, and entrust
specifications and design drawings required
the engineer with a high level of responsi-
for a complete UOP design package. In
bility and opportunity.
addition to project work with a mentoring
approach, training for new engineers is
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What skills will I use at UOP?
rounded out with a series of weekly
Core engineering courses prepare
seminars. These are designed to teach
Mechanical and Civil engineers to work in a
broad concepts, including pressure vessel
variety of areas at UOP. Engineers apply the
design and metallurgy, as well as more
principles of strength of materials and stress
focused topics, including training in most
analysis courses throughout their careers
of the technologies that UOP offers.
for tasks such as designing vessel internals
and shells, analyzing and predicting the
one UOP process, and some of those
UOP is headquartered in Des Plaines,
remaining operating life of reactor
refineries have been completely designed
Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago,
components, and analyzing piping strength
by UOP.
close to all the cultural and entertainment
and flexibility. Structural design and analysis
activities that a major U.S. city can provide.
is used extensively to design process
UOP seeks engineers who are willing to
UOP employees live in downtown Chicago
equipment modules, analyze vessel
respond to a variety of challenges. The
as well as many suburbs, all of which are
structural support capacities, and establish
wealth of engineering talent at UOP allows
an easy commute.
pipe supports. Finite element analysis and
the company to maintain and build on its
computational fluid dynamics are used to
reputation for providing leading-edge
improve equipment design or to troubleshoot
technology to the petroleum refining and
problems in the field. Other projects
petrochemical industries.
require knowledge of fluid mechanics for
specifying pump sizes, determining hydraulic
The Career Development Program provides
heads, analyzing fluid dynamic forces, and
new engineers with many responsibilities
designing piping layouts. Specification of
at an early stage of their career, helping
heat exchangers requires knowledge of
them to acquire knowledge and experience
thermodynamics and heat transfer.
in design engineering, equipment supply,
UOP products and services, and customer
Is UOP right for me?
relations. This equips them with the tools
UOP's application of science and
and the experience they need to build a
engineering to energy and material-related
successful career at UOP.
problems has helped produce some of
the most significant advances in the
UOP employs more than 3,000 men and
hydrocarbon processing industry. Nearly
women at 11 manufacturing plants and
every refinery in the world relies on at least
more than 20 sales offices worldwide.
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Find out more
If you are interested in learning more,
please contact your UOP representative or
visit us online at www.uop.com.
UOP LLC, A Honeywell Company
25 East Algonquin Road
Des Plaines, IL 60017-5017, U.S.A.
Tel: +1-847-391-2000
www.uop.com
UOP5652
August, 2011
Printed in U.S.A.
© 2011 UOP LLC. All rights reserved.