He has over 30 years of working experience in China's petroleum and petrochemical industry.

Zhang entered the workforce in July 1986, and joined the Chinese Communist Party in August 1994.

In February 2005 he was promoted again to become a party member of the China Petrochemical Corporation.

In October 2016 he was appointed vice-president of the China National Petroleum Corporation and two years later was elevated to the CEO position.

[1] On December 5, 2018, he was appointed director of the National Energy Administration, replacing Nur Bekri.