Plant Metallurgist

workplace; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training & leadership development

On-site role

Job summary

workplace in Rockford, IL seeks a full-time metallurgical engineer to own the metallurgy of melt and cast operations, from charge makeup to lab testing and PPAPs. You will reduce scrap, enforce specs, and coach the floor on best practices.

The role covers process window definition, inoculation/Mg treatment, and compliance with ISO 9001 / IATF 16949, with strong emphasis on data-driven root-cause analysis and cross-functional leadership on the shop floor and in the lab.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Metallurgical/Materials Engineering or related field.
• Open to new graduates who are eager to grow and learn.
• Knowledge of inoculation/Mg treatment, thermal analysis, chill control, and microstructure targets.
• Comfortable with SPC/Minitab or similar, PPAP/IATF 16949, and customer specs.
• Strong communicator who thrives on the floor and in the lab; able to influence across shifts.

Responsibilities

• Set and maintain charge calculations for cupola/induction operations.
• Control C, Si, Mn, S, P and carbon equivalents; manage inoculation and Mg treatment to achieve nodularity and chill targets.
• Define process windows for superheat, holding time, ladle/slag practices, and treatment recovery.
• Run/oversee OES spectrometer, C/S analyzer, thermal analysis, hardness, tensile testing, and metallography per ASTM methods.
• Maintain calibrations, procedures, and LIMS/records; ensure material traceability and test coupon compliance.
• Author and maintain melt practice SOPs and control plans; support ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 and customer audits.
• Lead root-cause (8D), PFMEA, and SPC for metallurgical scrap; drive corrective/preventive actions with cross-functional teams.
• Review specs, set acceptance criteria, and complete PPAPs; provide metallurgical feasibility for gating/feeding and heat treatment where applicable.
• Train melt operators and lab staff on sampling, treatment windows, and visual standards; publish daily melt reports.

Skills

Metallurgy

Quality data analysis (SPC/Minitab)

Cross-functional communication

Training & leadership

Education

B.S. in Metallurgical/Materials Engineering

Tools

OES spectrometer

LIMS

Minitab

Job description

Reports to: Foundry Manager (dotted line to Quality)

Type: Full-time, on-site (day shift with occasional off-shift support)

About the role

You’ll own the metallurgy of our melt and cast operations. From charge makeup and inoculation through lab testing and PPAPs, you’ll keep gray/ductile iron within spec, reduce scrap, and coach the floor on best practices.

What you’ll do

• Set and maintain charge calculations (returns, scrap, pig, alloys) for cupola/induction.
• Control C, Si, Mn, S, P and carbon equivalent; manage de‑S, inoculation, and Mg treatment to achieve nodularity and chill targets.
• Define process windows for superheat, holding time, ladle/slag practices, and treatment recovery.

Metallurgy lab & compliance

• Run/oversee OES spectrometer, C/S analyzer, thermal analysis, hardness (HBW), tensile (ASTM A370/E8), and metallography per ASTM A247.
• Maintain calibrations, procedures, and LIMS/records; ensure material traceability and test coupon compliance.
• Author and maintain melt practice SOPs and control plans; support ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 and customer audits.

Quality & problem solving

• Lead root‑cause (8D), PFMEA, and SPC for metallurgical scrap (carbides, shrink, porosity, graphite morphology, pearlite/ferrite balance).
• Drive corrective/preventive actions with Foundry/Pattern/Sand teams; verify effectiveness with data.
• Partner with Maintenance on furnace/ladle reliability and with Sand on metal–mold interactions.

New products & customer support

• Review specs (ASTM A48/A536 and customer‑specific), set acceptance criteria, and complete PPAPs (capability, control plans, MSA).
• Provide metallurgical feasibility for gating/feeding and heat treatment where applicable; support NDT requirements.

Training & leadership

• Train melt operators, pourers, and lab techs on sampling, treatment windows, and visual standards.
• Publish daily melt reports and lead cross‑shift metallurgical review.

What you’ll bring

• B.S. in Metallurgical/Materials Engineering (Mechanical/Chemical considered).
• Open to new graduates who are eager to grow and learn
• Knowledge of inoculation/Mg treatment, thermal analysis, chill control, and microstructure targets.
• Comfortable with SPC/Minitab or similar, PPAP/IATF 16949, and customer specs.
• Strong communicator who thrives on the floor and in the lab; able to influence across shifts.

Nice to have

• MAGMA/SOLIDCast (or similar) exposure

KPIs you’ll own

• Metallurgical scrap rate and cost/ton
• Lab turnaround time & calibration adherence
• Melt yield and alloy consumption variance