Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
Define, plan, or execute biofuels/biodiesel research programs that evaluate alternative feedstock and process technologies with near-term commercial potential.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Systems Analysis
- Active Listening
Key knowledge
- English Language
- Chemistry
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Computers and Electronics
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- Develop lab scale models of industrial scale processes, such as fermentation.
- Provide technical or scientific guidance to technical staff in the conduct of biofuels research or development.
- Prepare, or oversee the preparation of, experimental plans for biofuels research or development.
- Prepare biofuels research and development reports for senior management or technical professionals.
- Design or conduct applied biodiesel or biofuels research projects on topics, such as transport, thermodynamics, mixing, filtration, distillation, fermentation, extraction, and separation.
- Conduct experiments on biomass or pretreatment technologies.
- Conduct experiments to test new or alternate feedstock fermentation processes.
- Analyze data from biofuels studies, such as fluid dynamics, water treatments, or solvent extraction and recovery processes.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Enterprising, Realistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (55.4% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (54%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (32.9%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
- Projection education uses SOC 11-9041 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 71% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 76% of occupations compared | 29% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 73% of occupations compared | 54% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 78% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Low | Lower on time pressure than 77% of occupations compared | 46% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Lower on conflict situations than 56% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 64% of occupations compared | 56% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Lower on consequence of error than 58% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: low
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 0.87%
- Contact with others about half the time: 27.87%
- Contact with others most of the time: 34.05%
- Constant contact with others: 37.21%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2014
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 29.4%
- Fairly important: 18.64%
- Important: 22.37%
- Very important: 12.45%
- Extremely important: 17.14%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2014
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0.87%
- Important: 0.87%
- Very important: 43.91%
- Extremely important: 54.35%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2014
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 3.94%
- Some freedom: 46.13%
- A lot of freedom: 49.93%
n = 35, Incumbent 07/2014
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 13.97%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 31.53%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 46.33%
- Every day: 8.17%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2014
Conflict situations
- Never: 10.54%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 42.19%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 9.95%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 36.38%
- Every day: 0.94%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2014
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 7.49%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 56.31%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 20.6%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 5.05%
- Every day: 10.54%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2014
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 14.58%
- Fairly serious: 38.81%
- Serious: 15.22%
- Very serious: 12.74%
- Extremely serious: 18.65%
n = 34, Incumbent 07/2014
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O*NET-SOC 11-9041.01 · SOC 11-9041 (detailed_parent, medium confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8