Graduate Program - Plant Project Engineer

At Air Products, our purpose is to bring people together to reimagine what’s possible, collaborate and innovate solutions to the world’s most significant energy and environmental sustainability challenges. Grow with us as we embark on building tomorrow together by being the safest, most diverse and most profitable industrial gas company in the world.  

Reimagine What’s Possible 

At Air Products, we invest early in people with the potential to grow, contribute, and shape the future of our business.

The Career Development Program (CDP) is our flagship 3‑year rotational development program designed for high‑potential graduates at the start of their careers.

As a CDP participant, you will complete three 12‑month assignments, gaining hands‑on experience across different roles, teams, and business areas aligned to your chosen track (Engineering, Commercial, Operations, or Functional). Each assignment is designed to build both technical depth and business understanding, while exposing you to how Air Products operates at scale.

From day one, you will be trusted with real responsibilities, supported by structured development, and encouraged to actively shape your career path.

Program highlights

• Three structured 12‑month assignments over 3 years
• Clear development objectives and performance reviews
• On‑the‑job learning supported by formal training and mentoring
• Exposure to senior leaders and cross‑functional teams
• Start date: October 2026 (FY27 intake)

Your First Assignment – Plant Project Engineering

Your first assignment is designed to help you build great projects, understand our business, and start delivering impact quickly.

• Location: Gent

What you will do

• Management of a series (5-6) of IG projects to modify, extend or replace parts of the existing ASU units at site (brownfield projects with a wide variety of scopes in different project phases with budgets ranging from 100k€ till 1MM€).
• Leading the projects with a hands-on approach from early idea phase till construction (supervision), commissioning & startup and eventually closeout in cooperation with various technical disciplines.
• Clear and transparent communication & alignment with engineering, maintenance, operations & business area.
• Key areas of responsibility are scope development, scheduling, cost estimating & control, quality and safety ensuring a smooth project execution within time and on budget.
• Involvement in continuous improvement activities within the NCOET engineering team to keep evolving our way of working and lift quality to a higher level.
• Assist in the scope development & detailed engineering for a BIG side wide Life Time Extension & GAN production expansion project as part of a contract renewal.
  • Coordination of procurement activities to order equipment & materials with vendors and construction works by contractors .

Responsibilities:

•  Grow into an independent (junior) project engineer who can execute projects from start to closeout.

You will be supported by an Assignment Manager, a Program Sponsor, and the wider CDP network.

What’s Next: Second & Third Assignments

In your second and third years, you will rotate into new assignments that:

• Broaden your experience across functions, businesses, or environments
• Increase your level of responsibility and autonomy
• Build on your strengths while developing new skills

Assignments are planned based on:

• Business needs
• Your performance and development progress
• Your interests and career aspirations

By the end of the program, you will be well‑positioned to transition into a permanent role within Air Products.

Why You’ll Love the CDP

We believe development happens best through stretch, support, and exposure. As a CDP, you will:

• Actively shape your career path rather than follow a fixed track
• Gain broad, hands‑on experience through multiple assignments
• Develop technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills through targeted learning
• Work on relevant, high‑impact projects from early in your career
• Build a strong professional network across regions, functions, and leadership levels
• Be supported by mentors, sponsors, and a close‑knit CDP community

Benefits

• A collegial team and an open corporate culture
• The option to lease a JobRad (company bike)
• Flexible working hours – because we know life is about more than just work
• A sustainable working environment with clear environmental goals

What we are looking for

We are looking for motivated graduates who are curious, adaptable, and ready to take ownership.

Essential requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or Science
• Graduation between Summer 2025 and August 2026
• Strong academic performance
• Very good command English, both written and spoken
• Highly motivated individual with a proper work ethic & positive/proactive attitude who takes initiative.
• Not afraid to ask questions!
• A generalist who is interested to learn both technical & non-technical aspects related to the projects engineering (from civil to electrical, PICS, piping, machinery, process, …)
• Desire to make a measurable positive impact to plant performance and AP’s profitability : most of the projects that you initiate during the assignment will be completed during the assignment (or at least till a certain phase).
• Desire to obtain hands-on experience in a plant operating environment.
• Teamplayer with a transparent communication style: interacting with a wide variety of stakeholders from operators, technician & engineers to contractor workers.

Desirable

• Internship, co‑op, or industrial placement experience
• Evidence of leadership, collaboration, or campus involvement
• Strong communication skills and a willingness to learn
• Bluebeam & MS projects software knowledge is helpful, but not required.

The Recruitment Process

Our selection process is standardized across Europe to ensure fairness and consistency.

Steps

1. Application review by the Talent Acquisition team

2. Screening call with a Talent Acquisition Specialist

3. Recorded video interview (Cammio) with predefined questions

4. In-person or online Assessment Centre

5. Final interview with the Program Sponsor and HR Business Partner

Timeline

Recruitment runs from now through Summer 2026, with a program start date of 1 October 2026.

We are the world’s largest hydrogen producer with over 80 years of industrial gas experience. We are hydrogen and industrial gas experts delivering safe, end-to-end solutions, investing in real, clean energy projects at scale, and driving the industry forward to generate a cleaner future. 

At Air Products, we work in an environment where we put safety first, diversity is essential, inclusion is our culture, and each person knows they belong and matter. To learn more, visit About Air Products.