Senior Director - Metallurgical and Process Optimization

United States Steel Corporation; Michigan; On-site; USD 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Steel Corporation is seeking a Senior Manager/Director of Metallurgical Operations & Raw Materials Optimization. You will lead strategy, modeling, and execution of scrap, pig iron, HBI/DRI procurement, and alloy optimization across multiple facilities to reduce cost while maintaining product quality.

You will guide thermodynamics, CFD-based process improvements, and cross-functional teams, reporting to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering is required; MS/PhD preferred.
• MBA or equivalent business training is a plus.
• 15+ years in EAF steelmaking, secondary steelmaking, continuous casting, and/or rolling.
• Proven ability to reduce production costs via modeling, optimization, and process improvement.
• Deep knowledge of thermodynamics, heat/mass transfer, fluid flow, and slag-metal reactions.
• Experience with scrap, pig iron, and HBI/DRI procurement at scale.
• Six Sigma Black Belt or similar improvement credential preferred.
• Experience with green-field/brown-field capital projects a plus.
• Strong communication skills and ability to translate data into business insight.
• Global or multi-site operational experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead raw materials strategy and optimization for scrap, pig iron, and HBI/DRI across facilities.
• Develop online optimization for scrap/alloy selection and EAF control to minimize cost.
• Drive least-cost strategies across steelmaking, casting, rolling, and galvanizing.
• Identify and execute multi-million-dollar annual cost-reduction initiatives.
• Oversee thermodynamics, slag-metal reactions, heat/mass transfer, and CFD analysis.
• Lead development of advisory systems for low-cost alloying and desulfurization.
• Guide yield-enhancement and scheduling initiatives for continuous casting.
• Build and mentor cross-functional metallurgists and engineers; communicate with executives.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Metallurgical/Materials/Chemical Engineering

MS/PhD in Materials Science & Engineering

MBA or business training

Tools

CFD

Process modeling

Job description

Our organization is a leading domestic steel producer and metals recycler, operating advanced Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking, continuous casting, rolling, and galvanizing facilities. We are committed to operational excellence, cost leadership.

Position Summary

The Senior Manager/Director of Metallurgical Operations & Raw Materials Optimization will lead the strategy, modeling, and execution of raw materials procurement and consumption (scrap, pig iron, HBI/DRI, alloys, and flux) across multi-billion-dollar annual spend categories. This role combines deep metallurgical expertise with advanced optimization techniques to reduce the cost of steelmaking and continuous casting while maintaining product quality and supporting the company's profitability roadmap.

Key Responsibilities

Raw Materials & Cost Optimization

• Lead planning, procurement strategy, and consumption modeling for scrap, pig iron, and HBI/DRI across multiple production facilities.
• Develop and deploy online optimization models for scrap and alloy selection, EAF energy/chemical control, and grade transition during continuous casting to minimize production cost.
• Drive least-cost production strategies across steelmaking, casting, rolling, and galvanizing processes.
• Identify and execute cost-reduction initiatives with measurable, multi-million-dollar annual savings.

Process & Product Optimization

• Oversee metallurgical thermodynamics, slag-metal reactions, heat/mass transfer, and fluid flow analysis to improve process performance.
• Apply computational fluid dynamics (CFD), physical modeling, and mathematical/numerical modeling to steelmaking process improvement.
• Develop and implement secondary steelmaking (ladle metallurgy) advisory systems for least-cost alloying, desulfurization, and heating.
• Lead continuous casting yield-enhancement and scheduling initiatives, including grade-transition and secondary reduction modeling.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build, mentor, and lead cross-functional teams of metallurgists and engineers across melting, casting, rolling, and galvanizing units.
• Partner with finance, sales, and operations to develop profit-margin/EBITDA advisory models balancing operational, financial, and commercial priorities.
• Support merger & acquisition due diligence (finance, commercial, operations, IT, HR) and post-acquisition synergy development as needed.
• Communicate technical findings and business recommendations clearly to plant leadership and executive stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering (required); advanced degree (M.S./Ph.D. in Materials Science & Engineering) strongly preferred.
• MBA or equivalent business training a plus.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in EAF steelmaking, secondary steelmaking, continuous casting, and/or rolling operations.
• Demonstrated track record of reducing production costs through modeling, optimization, and process improvement (quantifiable results expected).
• Deep technical knowledge of metallurgical thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, fluid flow, and slag-metal reactions.
• Experience with raw materials strategy for scrap, pig iron, and HBI/DRI at scale (multi-billion-dollar procurement/consumption).
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification or equivalent continuous-improvement credential preferred.
• Experience with green-field and/or brown-field capital project execution a plus.
• Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex technical data into actionable business recommendations.
• Global or multi-site operational experience preferred.

Preferred Attributes

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a hands-on, results-driven leadership style.
• Experience representing technical functions in sustainability/decarbonization initiatives.
• History of industry engagement (conference presentations, publications, technical committee involvement, e.g., AIST, TMS, or equivalent professional bodies).
• Experience mentoring engineers/metallurgists and building high-performing technical teams.

Competency Summary

At U. S. Steel all employees are expected to display the following core competencies every day to advance corporate, team and individual goals.

Think: Think Critically and Drive Change

Lead: Develop Talent and Collaborate

Do: Empower Performance and Deliver Results

Company Overview

Since 1901, U. S. Steel has been a recognized leader in steel production. Today, as the first North American steel company to have declared a 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal, we remain as innovative as ever, leading transformation across our industry while continuing to make products for everyday life - from industries as far ranging as automotive, construction, containers and packaging, appliances, and energy.

Underneath it all is our Culture of Caring, which shows up in our community partnerships, charitable contributions, company-sponsored employee volunteer initiatives, scholarship programs, leadership training, and much more. And of course, it takes shape in a steadfast commitment to safety first in our workplaces and respect for our employees, who are United by Steel.

We are honored to have earned accolades and awards from well-regarded organizations, including the following:

• Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® 2022, ’23, ‘24
• Disability: IN’s Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion 2021, ’22, ’23, ‘24
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Equality 100 Award 2020, ’21, ’22, ’23-24, ‘25
• Military Times’ Best for Vets: Employers 2023, ‘24

Conducting business with integrity and with the highest ethical values has underpinned U. S. Steel’s success for over 100 years, and it remains critical to our company’s success in the future. U. S. Steel is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) according to job qualifications without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, genetics, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, disability status or status as a protected Veteran or any other legally protected group status. (California residents may visit www.ussteel.com/CANotice regarding collection of personal information and U. S. Steel's privacy practices.)