Assistant Manager, Casting

St Engineering; Independence (KS); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Job summary

St Engineering seeks a seasoned Materials/Metallurgical Engineer to support investment casting for aerospace and industrial components. The role involves developing grain size control for equiaxed superalloys, verifying microstructures with SEM/EDS, and driving process optimization and cost reduction.

You will lead NPI projects, establish casting standards, and collaborate with tooling, design, and production teams to ensure quality, yield, and efficiency. Experience with ASTM/Nadcap is valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or equivalent.
• 5-10 years of engineering experience in investment casting.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize conventional and equiaxed superalloy casting parameters to achieve desired grain structure and defect-free castings.
• Support tooling, mold design, and ceramic shell development for conventional casting applications.
• Perform metallurgical evaluations using SEM, EDS, and optical microscopy.
• Prepare and maintain process documentation and SOPs in compliance with aerospace standards.
• Collaborate with production teams to troubleshoot process issues and improve yield.
• Lead Industry 4.0 automation and ROI analyses for process improvements.
• Train and mentor engineers to support professional development.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and quality standards (ASTM, Nadcap).
• Oversee all casting processes from wax tooling to finishing and machining.
• Identify and implement process and productivity improvements.

Skills

Materials science

Metallurgical engineering

Casting processes

Superalloys

NDT

SEM/EDS/OM

Quality standards (ASTM, Nadcap)

Process optimization

Industry 4.0 automation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science or Metallurgical Engineering

Tools

EDS

SEM

Optical microscopy

Hardness testing

Spectrometers

Job description

Support the overall manufacturing business through engineering process control and the development of both conventional and advanced casting processes, including equiaxed superalloy grain size control, to ensure the production of high-quality components for aerospace and industrial applications.

The primary responsibilities include metallurgical analysis, process improvement, and close collaboration with casting and precision-tooling design teams to drive continuous improvement and profitable growth.

This role also involves establishing casting metallurgy standards, conducting process reviews, overseeing engineering activities, and performing cost analyses related to investment casting to achieve consistent performance and yield improvement. Additionally, the position is responsible for new product development, cost reduction initiatives, and the implementation of automation processes.

Key Job Accountabilities:

• Develop and optimize conventional and equiaxed superalloy casting parameters to achieve the desired grain structure, orientation, and defect-free castings. Define and control key process variables, including withdrawal rate, thermal gradient, mold preheat temperature, and solidification conditions, to ensure consistent casting quality and performance.


• Support tooling, mold design, and ceramic shell development for conventional casting applications.


• Perform metallurgical evaluations, including grain structure analysis, microstructure examination, and phase verification using SEM, EDS, and optical microscopy.


• Prepare and maintain process documentation, work instructions, and standard operating procedures in compliance with aerospace and industry standards.


• Collaborate with production teams to troubleshoot and resolve process issues, improving yield and reducing scrap. Lead investment casting development projects focused on defect reduction, process stabilization, and yield improvement.


• To drive continuous improvement initiatives in process automation, grain size control, and energy efficiency for champion sustainability and lean manufacturing initiatives focused on energy savings and waste reduction.


• Participate in new product introduction (NPI) projects involving advanced superalloy materials and casting technologies.


• Support cost analysis, technical reviews, and quality specification assessments for casting operations. Apply strong knowledge of casting metallurgy, gating systems, and process parameters to optimize production performance.


• Oversee all casting processes, including wax tooling, wax pattern injections, gating assembly, shell production, dewaxing, firing, pouring, finishing, heat treatment, NDT, surface treatment, and machining.


• Identify and implement process and productivity improvements to enhance efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness.


• Lead Industry 4.0 automation and robotics projects, including planning, budgeting, ROI analysis, and resource management.


• Train and mentor engineers to support professional development and promote engineering excellence.


• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and quality standards (e.g., ASTM, AMS, Nadcap).


• Prepare technical and engineering review reports for senior management and other duties as assigned by senior management.


• Experience in single-crystal and advanced casting process development is an added advantage but is not mandatory.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or equivalent.


• Minimum of 5-10 years of engineering experience in investment casting.


• Strong experience in casting processes.


• Solid understanding of superalloy metallurgy, grain boundary control, and solidification theory.


• Proficient in using metallurgical instruments such as EDS, optical and scanning electron microscopes (SEM), hardness testers, and spectrometers, with knowledge of ASTM standards and ASM specifications.


• Familiar with aerospace investment casting of materials such as Aluminum (A356, C355, F357), Stainless Steel (17-4PH, 15-5PH, 347), and Nickel-based superalloys (Equiaxed).


• Knowledge of casting metallurgy, non-destructive testing (NDT), and heat treatment processes is preferred.