Biofuel or Biodiesel Technology & Product Development Manager

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

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Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Biofuel or Biodiesel Technology & Product Development Manager Jobs Grow by 2034?

Projected % Growth

Rapid growth
(10% or higher)

Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)

Faster than average
(5% - 7%)

About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)

Slower than average
(0% - 3%)

Decreasing

Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)

Biofuel or Biodiesel Technology & Product Development Manager jobs (3.80%)

Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Biofuel or Biodiesel Technology & Product Development Manager

High School Subjects to Study

Career Pathway Listen to this section

It is common for biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers to spend a period of time working as a postdoctoral (after receiving a PhD) student in the laboratory of a senior researcher, especially for those who want to conduct research or teach at the university level.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Bachelor's degree ?

The minimum degree required for a position as a biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development manager is a bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, chemical engineering, or related field. With a bachelor's degree, employers will require that candidates have five to ten years of extensive experience in the biofuels or biodiesels area. With a master's degree, candidates are expected to have two to five years of experience. In many cases, entry-level positions are open to candidates with PhDs with minimal work experience. Candidates with PhDs can teach and perform cutting-edge research at the university level.

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

We don't have any activities for this career. Check out the Project Ideas below.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

 

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Create Flammable Gas with Biomass

Long (2-4 weeks) 

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Turn Plants into Biofuel with the Power of Enzymes

Long (2-4 weeks) 

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How to Extract Energy from Grass

Very Long (1+ months) 

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Biodiesels: Converting Oil into Clean Fuel

Long (2-4 weeks) 

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Burning Biofuels: Comparing Nonrenewable and Renewable Fuels

Average (6-10 days) 

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Renewable Energy Resources

Very Long (1+ months) 

 

6 Science Project Idea Results

On the Job

Nature of the Work

Much of the energy that we use today comes from fossil fuels like coal and oil. But because fossil fuels come from the Earth, they are a limited resource. Scientists are looking at alternative sources of fuel, like the sun, wind, and water, to someday replace fossil fuels as our primary source of energy. These alternative sources of energy are renewable. This means that they are naturally replenished. Biofuel is an alternative source of renewable energy. Biofuels, like ethanol, biodiesel, and vegetable oil, are derived from plants and plant materials. Algae, switchgrass, and used vegetable oil from fast-food restaurants are examples of what can be used to create biofuel. Sources like these are called feedstocks.

Biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers are responsible for all aspects of converting raw plants and plant material into biofuel, including finding methods for growing feedstocks. They discover new ways to efficiently produce and use that energy. It takes energy to fertilize, cultivate, and process plants into biofuel. Biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers strive to make sure that the energy from using biofuels is greater than the energy used to create it. An early feedstock for ethanol biofuel was corn. However, the amount of energy required to create ethanol from corn is too great. Thus, biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers work on creating ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstock, like the byproducts from paper mills as well as stems and stalks from crops. These managers must understand the principles of microbial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels. They must be familiar with genetic engineering of microorganisms and hydrocarbon synthesis pathways.

Another feedstock for biofuel (biodiesel) is algae. Two advantages of algae are that it can be grown in contaminated water or land that is not suitable for food production and that it generates 15 times more oil per acre than other kinds of feedstock. Some biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers work on creating new strains of algae, characterizing them using different kinds of analytical tools and comparing them to natural strains. They investigate different methods of growing algae, in open ponds or in photobioreactors, and evaluate the various strains under different growth conditions.

Because wide-scale use of biofuels relies on making them plentiful, biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers work on converting lab processes into a commercial, low-cost, and high-performance process. They troubleshoot process abnormalities and investigate the root cause of failures.

Work Environment

Biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers work for universities, government, and oil and gas companies. Biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers work indoors, and they must perform their jobs accurately and with a lot of attention to detail in order to complete every task. Usually, they work regular hours in offices or laboratories and are not exposed to unsafe or unhealthy conditions. Biofuel or biodiesel technology and product development managers who work with dangerous organisms or toxic substances in the laboratory must follow strict safety procedures to avoid contamination. Some biochemists depend on grant money to support their research. They may be under pressure to meet deadlines and conform to rigid grant-writing specifications when preparing proposals to seek new or extended funding.

More Information

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Biofuel or Biodiesel Technology & Product Development Manager that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Additional Resources

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Biomass Research
• U.S. Department of Energy Biomass Program

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS (2024). Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2024 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
• National Center for O*NET Development O*Net Online (2024). National Center for O*Net Development. Retrieved August 25, 2025
• Washington State University. (2011, March 29). Growing a clean energy future: the power of renewable biofuels takes flight . Retrieved June 23, 2011.
• ExxonMobil. (2018, September 17). Research & innovation: Advanced biofuels and algae research. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
• University of Virginia. (2008, August 19). Algae: biofuel of the future?. ScienceDaily.com. Retrieved June 23, 2011.