Luke Johnson / Personal portfolio
Chemical Engineer &
Software Development
Leader.
- Oil and Gas
- Process Industry
Industrial Simulation · Digital Twins · 3D / XR · Engineering Leadership
A professional portfolio spanning 16 years of industrial software, simulation and immersive technology development for oil and gas and the process industry – from hands-on engineering to product ownership and technical leadership.
01 / Perspective
Understanding the process. Shaping the experience.
My work sits at the intersection of engineering, software and people. I started by building dynamic process simulations for the oil and gas sector and progressed into leading teams, owning products and delivering industrial training systems.
This is a selection of that work: the engineering behind it, the experiences it enables and my part in bringing it together.
Industrial software & simulation
Chemical Engineering foundations, first-principles modelling and an understanding of real plant behaviour.
3D / XR & digital products
Connecting dynamic simulation with immersive environments, control systems and learning experiences.
Technical & product leadership
Bringing customers, engineers and multidisciplinary teams together around practical solutions.
02 / Career & projects
Engineering roots.
A broader perspective.
My projects, products and the roles behind them, from hands-on simulation to product and engineering leadership.
- 20262026
Next chapter
Available for work
As of 4 Oct 2026
Open to opportunities in engineering software, simulation, product development and technical leadership.
4 Oct 2026
Building My Engineering Portfolio
Designed and built an AI-assisted, self-hosted portfolio that expands my CV into a visual career timeline, project case studies and a growing showcase of engineering and software development capabilities.
As of 4 Oct 2026
Working towards PMP
Working towards Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, building on my experience of project planning and delivery.
As of 4 Oct 2026
Working towards IChemE chartership
An IChemE Associate Member working towards chartership, drawing on my chemical engineering and simulation experience.
- 2026
Career transition
Development Manager
Technical Simulation Consultants Ltd
Apr 2026 — 4 Oct 2026
Led the wider engineering software function across simulation, 3D/XR, cloud and web platforms.
- 2025
Mar 2025 — Nov 2025
Easington As-Built Update
Helped bring the simulator into line with the actual plant through extensive operating-procedure, shutdown and control-system testing, followed by joint delivery and acceptance.
Dec 2021 — May 2025
Halliburton FloConnect
Managed the FloConnect simulation programme, coordinating costings and delivery while providing process-engineering oversight and defining the control-system integration approach.
- 2023
Mar 2023 — Oct 2026
XR Multiplatform and Build Support
Set the goal of customer-appropriate multiplatform deployment and worked with another developer on Jenkins CI/CD improvements.
Mar 2023 — Oct 2026
XR / VR Training
Owned the product requirements and technical direction for four industrial XR experiences covering hazard recognition, wind-turbine maintenance, equipment exploration and process isolation.
- 2022
Approx. Jun 2021 — Jul 2022
Highview Power BLU CRYOBattery
Led 3D development and worked hands-on in Unity to connect Highview Power’s proposed Carrington plant with dynamic simulation and industrial controls.
- Jul 2022 · Highview demonstration deliveredThe integrated demonstration was delivered in late July 2022.
- 2021
May 2021 — Dec 2021
Halliburton Surface Well Testing
Led delivery of a reservoir-to-flare process simulator and shared 3D environment for remote onshore and offshore well-test training.
- Nov 2021–Dec 2021 · Offshore simulator delivered
- Oct 2021–Nov 2021 · Onshore simulator completed
Mar 2020 — Approx. Jul 2021
Liberty Steel Stocksbridge
Led the plant-scanning team and digital-twin delivery, and built a mathematical rolling-mill proof of concept within the InTiFi industrial digitalisation programme.
- Approx. Jul 2021 · Project ended prematurelyThe Stocksbridge project ended early following funding disruption.
- Aug 2020 · Stocksbridge laser scanningScanning took place at the end of August 2020.
- 2020
Approx. Mar 2020 — Approx. Nov 2020
Tolmount Extension and Rough Injection Project
Led the commercial and acceptance work for major Easington simulator changes, implementing hot-flash and distillation modifications for Tolmount and restored Rough injection.
- 2019
From Jun 2019
ABB at Offshore Europe 2019
Led an immersive ABB exhibition project connecting a multiplayer virtual plant, System 800xA and HTC Vive VR, with a live fault-finding competition at Offshore Europe 2019.
- 2018
Sept 2018
BP Oman — Portable System Training Trial
Took TSC’s newly built portable training system to Oman in September 2018 for a successful trial at the TPO Petrofac training centre, spending three weeks training new BP oil and gas recruits as one of two TSC trainers.
From Sept 2018
In-house Unity IVP Development
Helped lead the replacement of our EON-based products with Unity versions after the agreement ended and we could no longer maintain the original products.
From Jul 2018
Establishment and Leadership of TSC’s 3D Studio
Led our move to in-house 3D development, taking responsibility for the workflow, product direction, requirements and roadmap.
- 2018
Career transition
3D Development Manager
Technical Simulation Consultants Ltd
Jul 2018 — Apr 2026
Led the 3D Studio, product direction and multidisciplinary delivery across Virtual Plant, XR and customer projects.
Mar 2018 — Jul 2018
Portable Training System — Design & Build
Turned BP’s portability challenge into a self-contained training system with a folding triple-screen display, networked operator and instructor stations, and custom flight cases; designed and built with Harry Wright at TSC.
- 2017
Jul 2016 — Aug 2017
Easington Full-Site Operator Training Simulator
Led delivery of the full-site operator training simulator, combining hands-on process engineering with DeltaV emulation, customer engagement and project ownership.
- Aug 2017–Sept 2017 · Easington full-site OTS delivered
- 2016
By end of 2016
Centrifugal Compressor
Product ownership across the process and control behaviour of a gas-compression training package, linking the compressor, anti-surge controls and supporting utilities.
- By end of 2016 · First modern EON-based IVP availableThe Centrifugal Compressor was the first modern EON-based IVP, available by the end of 2016, before the later Unity replacement.
Oct 2013 — Oct 2026
TPS200 Three-Phase Separator
Took an early process-training design through to operational machines, global delivery and in-place upgrades, connecting PLC automation, SCADA and hands-on engineering.
- Approx. Apr 2016 · Pump and recycle-control upgrades
- 2015
2015 — 4 Oct 2026
Sales & Marketing Team
Combined technical sales, proposals, account management, marketing and CRM ownership with customer installation, support and training.
From Sept 2015
EON Reality IVP Creation
Owned the engineering and product definition of TSC’s EON-based Virtual Plants: built the process simulator, devised all synchronisation logic and specified the process, learning objectives and 3D behaviour for EON’s technical artists.
Jul 2015 — Sept 2015
South Tyneside College — IPC Training Lines
Delivered two complete IPC training lines with custom Omron HMIs and TSC SCADA, taking responsibility for costing, configuration, logistics, installation, training and long-term support.
Jul 2015
Savannah IPC Installation
Installed a standalone process-training unit at Savannah Technical College in Georgia, USA.
- 2014
By end of 2014
Redcar and Cleveland IPC Restoration
Restored the Siemens training line, including its I/O, PLC code and OPC connectivity. It was working by 2014.
- 2014
Career transition
Senior Simulation Engineer
Technical Simulation Consultants Ltd
Jul 2014 — Jul 2018
Led simulator and hardware training delivery, combining hands-on engineering with project and account ownership.
- 2013
Aug 2012 — Nov 2013
Methanol Recovery Simulator and Associated Updates
Implemented and delivered a methanol–water distillation simulator, from C emulation and thermodynamic code through to procedure-based testing and shift-team delivery.
- 2012
2012 — Oct 2026
Forth Valley College Hardware Support
Maintained Forth Valley College’s three IPC units from 2012 and supported its process-training equipment, including TPS200.
5 Jul 2012
Pipe Friction and Pressure-Drop Modelling
Owned development and simulator testing of a C-based SimEdit pipe-friction item, revisiting modelling assumptions to represent pressure loss and gas flow more accurately.
- 8 Jun 2012 · Flow item ready for simulator testingDeveloped to revisit simplified pressure-loss assumptions, then tested in the simulator against operating data.
Approx. Jun 2012
Wormington — Compressor Operability Study
Modified an existing simulation model and carried out additional compressor start-up studies for AMEC, assessing transient behaviour, temperature response and operating constraints.
- 2011
Approx. Nov 2010 — Approx. Jun 2011
Hole House Phase 3 — Dynamic Simulation Study
Carried out dynamic simulation studies and authored the report for AMEC Darlington, assessing start-up, shutdown, process safety times and compressor-surge behaviour.
- 20102010
Career transition
Simulation Engineer
Technical Simulation Consultants Ltd
Jul 2010 — Jul 2014
Developed dynamic process models, hydraulic capability and operator training simulators.
- 2009
15 Sept 2008 — Approx. Sept 2009
TSC7 Generic Simulation Redevelopment
Rebuilt generic training simulators from the ground up using standardised, reusable process-equipment models, retaining their learning objectives—the start of my product creation and management journey.
- 20 Apr 2009–15 May 2009 · Updated models shipped for customer feedbackPID level control, flash-vessel control, direct/cascade control and pump-operation models were supplied for operator-training feedback.
- 20082008
Career transition
DIS Placement Student
Technical Simulation Consultants Ltd
15 Sept 2008 — Approx. Oct 2009
Rebuilt generic training simulators using reusable equipment-modelling approaches, shared standards and testing—the start of my product creation and management journey.
- 20062006
University degree
BEng Chemical Engineering with DIS
Loughborough University
Sept 2006 — Jul 2010
Chemical Engineering studies covering thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, process control, research and plant design, with an industrial placement at TSC.
- Year 1
- Approx. Sept 2006 — Jul 2007
- Year 2
- Approx. Sept 2007 — Jul 2008
- DIS placement year
- 15 Sept 2008 — Oct 2009
- Year 3
- Approx. Oct 2009 — Jul 2010
- 20042004
A levels
A levels
South Cheshire College
Approx. Sept 2004 — Approx. Jul 2006
Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics.
- 19991999
Secondary education
GCSEs
Clough Hall Technology School
1999 — 2004
Maths, English, Science (Double Award), Metalwork, Electronics, Graphics, History and Geography, plus GCSE Astronomy in Year 10.
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