We are designing tomorrow's world

Are you studying process engineering, chemical or bio-engineering and are looking for an internship or a subject for your thesis?

In research and development you will work on developing new or improving existing production processes. Especially in research, we offer you freedom for your own creative ideas.

In engineering you will support us in plant construction projects. You will get to know the project team and other specialist departments. You will take on independent tasks which depend upon upon your area of activity.

Process Technicians or Process Operators are responsible for all process control within an assigned area. They analyze routine operating and analytical problems and take appropriate steps, including initiating corrective actions, for substandard performance in processes/equipment. Duties include: 

• Ownership, understanding and adherence to BASF and governmental safety regulations and issuance of required work permits.
• Monitoring of distributed control systems (DCS) and related control processes.
• Regular updating of supervisor regarding:
  • Status of assigned area including work requests, lists for overhauls, and shutdowns.
  • Abnormalities observed and corrective actions taken.
• Maintain thorough knowledge of all equipment and operations, particularly procedures for emergency handling, shutdown and start-up.
• Coordination of efforts with operating personnel for related functions, including assisting and training of other operators in their areas.
• Aligning mechanical activities in assigned area including clearing and tagging equipment prior to mechanical work, following job progress, and accepting equipment upon completion of work, as well as satisfactory housekeeping.
• Maintaining control of process. Batch samples for laboratory testing. Receive, interpret, and act upon analytical results to keep process within parameters.
• Update daily log on waste storage areas.  React immediately to any leaks or spills and report to supervisor.
• May be required to work with waste deemed to be hazardous by RCRA or other regulations.

Lab Technicians work with a Chemist to carry out lab and pilot plant scale process development experiments. They are responsible for:

• Operation, care, calibration and maintenance of lab equipment and instruments.
• Authoring and/or updating procedures.
• Independently operate special and routine instruments such as GC, HPLC, auto titrators, colorimeters, BET, XRF, Chemisorptions, PSA.
• Working with SAP QM to manage the Quality Assurance process to fulfill customer requirements.
• Maintain QA and production lab areas “5S” clean, organized and safe.
• Ordering lab supplies as needed to maintain desired working inventories.
• Generating ideas that improve the safety, efficiency and overall effectiveness of the laboratories and team.

Maintenance Equipment Technicians perform condition monitoring and repairs of rotating and stationary equipment. Duties include vibration monitoring, lubrication oil analysis, repairs and alignment, startup support, and rotating equipment troubleshooting. Additional responsibilities include:

• Lead efforts to assure proper lubrication steps are performed for rotating equipment and hydraulic mechanical seals to maintain/increase mean time between failures. This includes, but is not restricted to, lubrication oil sampling and analysis, assisting in maintaining on-site lubrication and hydraulic oil inventories, and greasing bearings.
• Perform and analyze vibration monitoring on preventative maintenance routes during rotating equipment troubleshooting efforts, and startup/shutdown periods of rotating equipment to improve predictive maintenance and minimize reactive maintenance.
• Adhere to high standards of productivity, quality, safe work practices, and environmental responsibility for assigned work.
• Document all routine preventative maintenance tasks, equipment inspections, equipment repairs, and all non-routine tasks.
• Communicate deficiencies in equipment and/or repair information for future corrective actions.
• May be required to work with waste deemed to be hazardous by RCRA or other regulation.
• Possess thorough knowledge of the mechanical equipment and piping systems in Chemical/Refining Industry.

I&E Technicians troubleshoot, test, maintain, calibrate, and properly operate of all instrumentation, control systems, electrical support systems, and electrical equipment 480 V and under in the plant. They use a wide range of test equipment and perform tests to identify problems, maintain systems, and calibrate equipment to an identified performance standard. They support Regulatory compliance by participating in Hazard Analyses and follow-up on appropriate change management activities. Responsibilities include:

• Understanding of federal, state and local codes, and regulations (including company standards).
• Ability to utilize site Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) (e.g., SAP).
• Capable of consulting manufacturer's manuals, circuit diagrams, and blueprints to determine tests and maintenance procedures for instruments and simple analyzers used for measuring and controlling flow, level, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and other variables in manufacturing and processing.
• Production of accurate and complete reports and records.
• A solid safety mindset, ability to perform work independently, and able to examine/analyze equipment for defects. Must also possess the capacity to apply creative solutions to unique I&E problems.
• Operation and use of test equipment such as multimeters, loop calibrators, Hart communicator, frequency devices, and oscilloscopes.
• Capable of reading, interpreting, and updating piping and instrument diagrams, loop diagrams, instrument specification sheets, electrical one-lines, schematics, and logic diagrams.
• Capacity to work with DCS systems, including basic programming and troubleshooting. Able to troubleshoot programmable logic controllers (PLC) and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS).
• Competent in basic mathematics to take measurements and perform computations required for installation and calibration of equipment.

Interns work in the following areas in research and development: technical development, process development or application technology. During the internship you will work on topics highly relevant to currently important projects. You will have the opportunity to apply your theoretical knowledge to practical applications. As a Master's student your work will be a valuable contribution to a larger project and you can gather experience for a possible future career in the industry.

Future chemical engineers mostly complete internships and theses in area of plant construction - here mainly in process technology or plant planning - or, depending on their area of focus, also in the specialist center for automation technology.

As an intern in research and development we support you in the following tasks:

• Scientific work on a research project
• Collaboration in interdisciplinary, often multicultural teams at BASF with chemists, business economists, physicists and biologists
• Registering patents

In engineering you can contribute your knowledge to the following activities:

• Working on an investment project for constructing a chemical plant
• Producing plant concepts for new construction and expansion measures
• Producing process models based on materials and operating data using the most up-to-date simulation tools

Interns also frequently have their own tasks on which they work independently.

BASF offers a wide range of support options, accompanying information events, networking meetings and other events. Take the opportunity to make valuable contacts that will offer you the chance to take part in other internships or write your thesis during the rest of your course. You have the opportunity to get to know different departments at BASF to round off your experience.