Chemical & Process Engineering Recruitment Specialists
Specialist chemical engineering recruitment for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, energy, food and water. We find process, process safety and plant engineers who have run and improved sites like yours – and present only the two or three who genuinely fit. Permanent, contract and temporary roles, UK-wide. Process engineering recruitment by people who understand plants.
Chemical Engineering Recruitment Run by Engineers
High-hazard chemical and process plants leave no room for error. Scaling a process from pilot plant to full production, and keeping it safe and compliant, takes engineers with real plant experience. That is exactly who we look for.
Specialist Chemical Engineering Talent Acquisition
At Bernoullis, we understand that chemical engineering projects—from petrochemical projects to pharmaceutical testing—rely on precision, compliance, and safety. Unlike generalist agencies, our consultants have hands-on engineering backgrounds. We don’t just match keywords; we match technical capability to your project’s specific lifecycle requirements.
Register a Chemical or Process Engineering Vacancy Today
Are you looking to scale up a pilot line, fulfill strict COMAH site requirements, or secure an elite process safety design specialist? Partner with a recruitment team that understands the true gravity of your industry. Fill out our specialized form below to register your vacancy, and our dedicated Chemical & Process division will contact you within 24 hours for an expert technical briefing.
Chemical & Process Engineering Roles We Recruit
From graduate process engineers to technical directors, our chemical engineering recruitment covers permanent, contract and temporary roles across chemicals, pharmaceuticals, energy, food, water and advanced materials. Every role is briefed by a consultant who understands the discipline, so candidates hear an accurate description of the plant, processes and team before they apply. It is chemical engineering recruitment led by people who have done the job.
Process Engineers
Process design, optimisation and troubleshooting engineers for continuous and batch plants.
Process Safety Engineers
HAZOP, LOPA and functional safety specialists who keep high-hazard sites safe and compliant.
Pharmaceutical Engineers
Process, validation and technical transfer engineers for GMP manufacturing sites.
Plant & Production Engineers
Engineers who run day-to-day operations, shifts and improvement projects on process plants.
Water & Wastewater Process
Treatment process engineers for utilities, industrial water and wastewater schemes.
Commissioning Engineers
Engineers who commission new units, lines and upgrades safely and on schedule.
Scale-up & R&D Engineers
Engineers who take new chemistry and biotech processes from lab to pilot and production.
Technical & Site Leaders
Technical managers, site engineering leads and directors who own safety and performance.
The Qualifications & Accreditations We Vet For
In chemical engineering recruitment, safety and competence go hand in hand. We check professional registration, process and functional safety credentials and institution membership before any candidate reaches your shortlist. That protects your people, your permit to operate and your reputation. For regulated sites, our process safety recruitment includes a review of real safety studies and responsibilities.
Professional Registrations
- CEng MIChemE (Chartered Chemical Engineer): Certified via the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and the Engineering Council. These are peer-reviewed professionals verified to handle high-risk systems, manage massive process budgets, and develop breakthrough technical methodologies.
- FIChemE (Fellow of IChemE): Elite industry leaders displaying significant structural accountability and exceptional technical contribution to chemical engineering.
- IEng (Incorporated Process Engineer): Technical experts who excel at optimizing, maintaining, and managing existing process technologies at peak operational efficiency.
Process & Functional Safety
- IChemE Professional Process Safety Registration: Confirming deep expertise in managing process safety risks, major hazards, and asset integrity.
- TÜV Rheinland Functional Safety Engineer (FS Eng): Vital for safety-instrumented systems (SIS) and safety integrity level (SIL) calculations.
- CompEx Certification (Ex01-Ex04 / Ex11-Ex12): Verifying core competency for electrical and mechanical engineers working in potentially explosive atmospheres.
Professional Institutes
- IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers): The global professional hub for chemical, biochemical, and process engineering professionals.
- Chemical Industries Association (CIA): The UK’s leading organization representing chemical and pharmaceutical businesses.
- Energy Institute (EI): Where we network with specialized oil, gas, and hydrogen process transition professionals.
Chemical Engineering Jobs UK: Why Great Engineers Are Hard to Find
Chemical and process engineers are needed across pharmaceuticals, speciality chemicals, energy, food and drink, water and the growing biotech sector. Experienced process and process safety engineers are in short supply, and high-hazard sites cannot afford to compromise on competence.
Many of the best people are not browsing chemical engineering jobs in the UK. They are busy running plants and only move for the right opportunity. With engineering roots, we reach them through institutes such as the IChemE and through personal networks, and we can talk credibly about the work.
For clients, that means fewer, better CVs and less time spent interviewing the wrong people. For engineers, it means honest advice about sites, projects and career progression.
Whether you are scaling up a new process, strengthening process safety or staffing a major shutdown, a clear brief and a fast, respectful process will help you stand out to the engineers you most want to hire.
Why clients choose us for process hires
- Consultants with real engineering backgrounds
- Credentials checked against IChemE and Engineering Council routes
- Process safety recruitment with competence checks
- Shortlists of two or three, not piles of CVs
- Permanent, contract and temporary process engineering recruitment
- Free site visit to understand your plant
- Fixed-fee and subscription pricing options
- Chemical engineering recruitment with honest, technical conversations
- Pharmaceutical engineering recruitment for GMP sites
Chemicals & biotech
Process and scale-up engineers for chemical, biotech and synthetic biology companies. Our chemical engineering recruitment covers R&D through to production.
Pharmaceuticals & life sciences
Pharmaceutical engineering recruitment for GMP manufacturing, validation and technical transfer roles on regulated sites.
Energy & nuclear process
Process and process safety engineers for energy and nuclear projects, where safety culture and experience really matter. Our process engineering recruitment covers design, operations and commissioning.
Permanent, Contract & Temporary Chemical & Process Engineering Recruitment
Every process engineering team hires differently. We support all three routes, and many clients use more than one as their projects change.
Permanent process hires
Long-term engineers who will grow with your business. We assess technical depth, career goals and cultural fit, then present a focused shortlist of two or three vetted candidates.
Contract & interim
Specialist process contractors for projects, peaks and hard-to-fill skills. Every contract role is assessed against the UK off-payroll (IR35) rules before anyone starts.
Temporary cover
Short-term process engineering cover for leave, shutdowns and urgent workloads, drawn from our network of pre-vetted engineers who can start quickly.
How to Hire a Process Engineer: A Practical Guide
Start with the plant and the process, not the job title. A process engineer optimising a continuous chemical unit needs very different skills from one validating a pharmaceutical line or commissioning a water treatment works. Write down the products, the key software, the regulations and the shift or site pattern.
Next, decide which credentials really matter. For senior design and safety roles, chartership with the IChemE and recognised process safety training may be essential; for operations roles, hands-on troubleshooting and leadership often count for more.
Then think about timing. Process engineering recruitment is competitive, and process safety recruitment even more so. Strong engineers rarely stay on the market for long, so keep interview stages tight and give fast feedback.
Finally, choose how you want to pay for chemical engineering recruitment. A single placement suits occasional hires, while a fixed fee or monthly subscription usually works out cheaper if you are building a whole team.
Skills we assess
- Process simulation such as Aspen HYSYS or gPROMS
- HAZOP, LOPA, SIL and functional safety
- COMAH, DSEAR and site safety regulations
- GMP, validation and technical transfer
- Mass and energy balances, P&IDs and PFDs
- Commissioning, start-up and troubleshooting
- Progress towards CEng, IEng or EngTech registration
Chemical Engineering Jobs UK: Build Your Career With Us
Whether you are a graduate looking for your first plant role or a chartered engineer ready to lead a site, we match chemical and process engineers with employers who will invest in their development. Because we understand the work, we can explain exactly what a role involves – the plant, the team, the tools and the route to professional registration – before you apply.
Searching for chemical engineering jobs in the UK? Tell us what you want next and our chemical engineering recruitment team will do the searching for you. We never send your CV to an employer without your permission, and we give honest feedback at every stage.
Graduate & early career
Process and plant roles with structured training that supports progress towards EngTech, IEng or CEng with the IChemE.
Experienced engineers
Step up to senior, lead or process safety roles with employers who value your troubleshooting and project record.
Chartered & leadership
Technical manager, site engineering lead and director roles where you own safety, performance and teams.
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How Our Process Engineering Recruitment Works
Technical briefing
We meet the hiring manager online or on site to understand the process work, the team, the site conditions and the environment – free of charge and with no obligation to proceed.
Targeted search
We approach passive process engineers through our own network and professional institutes, alongside active candidates, and sell your opportunity honestly.
Technical vetting
Engineering-trained consultants check qualifications, registrations, safety records and hands-on project experience before you see a single CV.
Shortlist & aftercare
You meet two or three vetted engineers. We manage the offer and onboarding, then check in at 30, 60 and 90 days after they start.
Explore Our Other Engineering Sectors
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Biomedical Engineering Recruitment
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Environmental Engineering Recruitment
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Computer & Software Engineering Recruitment
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What Bernoullis Is Built On
At our organisation, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity within the workplace, ensuring that every member of our team exemplifies these principles. We accept full accountability for our actions, demonstrate ownership in our responsibilities, and prioritise safety in all our endeavours, acknowledging its vital role in our success. These core values not only guide us in providing exceptional service to our clients but also contribute significantly to fostering and nurturing enduring relationships with our clients and partners. Our adherence to these principles shapes our organisational culture and propels us to continuously enhance and innovate across all facets of our business.
Engineering Specialists. We Solve Your Equations.
Having spent more than 20 years embedded within the planet’s most advanced engineering sectors, we don’t just recruit for your industry – we truly understand it.
We Offer a Free of Charge Online Session & Site Visit
At Bernoullis we truly believe meeting the hiring manager, experiencing the workplace, meeting other team members and getting a feel for the work environment gives us all we need to find the perfect candidate.
How we work, works. We get you results.
Discover Smart Hiring With a Free Consultation
Talk through your next engineering hire with a specialist – no obligation.
Chemical Engineering Recruitment: Your Questions Answered
What does chemical engineering recruitment involve?
Chemical engineering recruitment means finding, screening and introducing chemical and process engineers to employers. At Bernoullis our consultants have engineering backgrounds, so we check technical ability and credentials before you see a CV.
Which process engineering roles do you recruit for?
We recruit process, process safety, pharmaceutical, plant, water, commissioning and scale-up engineers, plus technical leaders, for permanent, contract and temporary roles.
Do you offer process safety recruitment?
Yes. Process safety recruitment covers HAZOP chairs, LOPA and SIL specialists and functional safety engineers for COMAH and other high-hazard sites.
Do you provide pharmaceutical engineering recruitment?
Yes. We recruit process, validation, technical transfer and engineering maintenance roles for GMP pharmaceutical and life sciences manufacturing.
Do you check professional registration such as CEng?
Yes. We verify academic accreditation, Engineering Council registration, IChemE membership and recognised process safety training where the role requires it.
I am looking for chemical engineering jobs in the UK. Can you help?
Yes. Browse our latest vacancies or submit your CV, and we will contact you when a suitable process role comes up.
How much does chemical engineering recruitment cost?
You can choose a traditional placement fee, a fixed fee or a monthly Recruitment as a Service subscription. See our pricing or try our recruitment tools.
How long does it take to hire a process engineer?
It depends on seniority, location and how specialist the role is. Because we start with our own network of process engineers, we can often share a shortlist sooner than a new job advert would produce.
Do you recruit graduate chemical engineers?
Yes. We recruit graduates and apprentices as well as experienced engineers, and we can advise on early-career roles that support professional registration.
Do you supply contract process engineers?
Yes. We supply IR35-assessed contract and interim process engineers for projects, shutdowns, commissioning and peak workloads.
Can you recruit process engineers across the UK?
Yes. Our office is in East Sussex, but we recruit for process employers across the UK and can meet online or at your site.
What makes a good process engineering CV?
Clear plant and project examples, the processes and scale you worked on, safety studies you contributed to, software used and progress towards registration. We give honest feedback before we put you forward.
Can you help us build a whole process team?
Yes. Many clients use our monthly Recruitment as a Service subscription to hire several engineers in a year, with predictable costs and dedicated support.
Do you visit our site before recruiting?
Yes, free of charge. Seeing your plant and meeting the team helps us describe the role accurately and find process engineers who will genuinely fit.
What information do you need to start a search?
A job title, the processes and products involved, safety and GMP requirements, the location and shift pattern, and a salary or day-rate range. We will help you shape the rest during a free consultation.
Do you recruit for COMAH sites?
Yes. We regularly support high-hazard and COMAH sites, and our chemical engineering recruitment process checks process safety experience, competence records and safety culture fit before anyone is shortlisted.
Can you recruit for biotech and scale-up companies?
Yes. We recruit process and scale-up engineers for biotech and synthetic biology companies moving from lab to pilot and commercial production.
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