POSITION PURPOSE

The primary focus of this position is physical metallurgy with expertise in heat treatment of products. The position will be involved in activities related to alloy development and process optimization to ensure that finished products meet necessary properties for various applications.

In this role, the incumbent will supervise research technicians and/or coop students, and frequently provides technical direction to less experienced Research Engineers. The incumbent will work in the state-of-the-art Research and Development Facility. The position reports to the Director, Research and Development and has a close working relationship with other R&D staff, Technical Services, Applications Engineering, and Operations personnel.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversees the heat treatment lab and mechanical testing related to qualification of heat-treated products. Provides support to the Technical Services group at the production facility by developing practices for optimizing heat treatment and product performance. This includes conducting laboratory experiments and metallographic investigation for process and product developments.
• As an individual researcher, applies innovative technology to resolve processing or product application problems.
• Propose, plan and direct projects. This includes training personnel to prepare laboratory samples, conduct experiments, and record data.
• Recommends capital and expense items related to laboratory or operating facility upgrades.
• Independently interprets data and makes recommendations to management.
• Interacts independently with plant operating and technical services personnel on project or technical service activities (planning, execution, and reporting)
• Prepares clear and concise written and oral reports. Presents technical papers within and outside the company and may be active on professional or industry committees. Prepare technical literature to support company marketing efforts and intellectual property applications.
• Consults interdepartmentally and may serve on corporate task forces or cross-functional project teams, for example, leading project development team.
• Stays abreast of new technologies and competitive products related to the company’s business objectives.
• May serve as a team leader and frequently provides technical direction and supervision to less-experienced research engineers, research technicians and/or coop students.
• Demonstrates a good knowledge of standards and regulation requirements related to steel products.

Position is responsible for providing order-to-cash metallurgical leadership and support related to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of processes and products that safely and cost-effectively meet or exceed customer demands for quality, consistency, and on-time performance.

Essential Job Functions:

Ensure personnel and staff compliance with safety policies and rules. Promote a safety culture.

Cultivate effective employee relations based on mutual respect, a team-based culture, and employee engagement in safety, quality, continuous improvement, and all other business activities.

Prioritize workload for the metallurgical staff based on business demands and available resources.

Communicate performance expectations to assigned employees, including safety, quality, and all documentation.

Initiate, develop, and implement plans that will improve existing process and product quality and consistency.

Initiate, develop, and implement manufacturing plans, processes, and procedures related to new products.

Ensure compliance with established quality systems and procedures.

Lead and manage product development initiatives and projects, ensuring timely and effective results that support cost-effective implementation of customer demands.

Develop capabilities regarding SPC, SQC, Lean, etc.

Define and report meaningful metrics related to development and production to ensure timely and efficient communication.

Oversee the Specific Product Design (SPD) process to provide direction and deliver timely and accurate results in line with customer expectations.

Review test results for compliance with product specifications/customer requirements

Determine root cause and ensure implementation of corrective actions through analysis of rejects and non-conformities in order to resolve customer-generated complaints and ensure satisfaction.

Experience:

Minimum four-year degree in Metallurgy or Material Science and Engineering

Minimum 5 years steel manufacturing with 3 years in a leadership role.