Plant Metallurgist

This position serves as the plant metallurgist responsible for the metallography lab, welding, brazing, compliance with customer specifications, and contact for all other metallurgical related activities and topics. 

Job Roles 

• Systems thinker--sees the business and its operation holistically; understands actions and reactions; considers multiple pathways of potential effect before decisions; thinks strategically about interventions with an eye toward scale
• Optimizer--constantly challenging the organization to work smarter; supports others to ensure they have what they need to do their work successfully
• Anticipation--looks ahead to minimize potential issues and maximize advantages; prepares others for what comes next
• Operational accelerator--drives continuous improvement; understands ramifications of automation and other advances; advocates for safety, ergonomics and scalable solutions
• Organization and structure--works within existing structures while striving to improve and standardize them; provides accurate information; galvanizes others toward common goals
• Influence--leverages knowledge, relationship, data and perspective to persuade, educate and navigate; gains buy in and adoption of ideas and practices at scale; interacts with a variety of stakeholders
• Data informed--focused on things that drive quantifiable business outcomes; evaluates based on quantitative feedback; knows and explains the “why” behind actions
• Prioritized reaction--handles the unexpected without losing sight of important objectives; reacts where greatest leverage points exist
• Relationship--connects individually and with teams across shifts and practices; builds rapport and commonality; creates a “win together” ethic; serves as liaison between shop floor and engineering; keeps the pulse of the floor; helps people feel heard

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Expected to assist in the implementation of Howmet’s EHS value and policy statement and its accompanying principles.
• Comply with all department, facility, Corporate and Regulatory EH&S regulations.
• Wear all required personal protective equipment.
• Report all job related illness and injuries. (Per employee handbook).
• Report all Safety, Health & Environmental concerns to your supervisor in a timely manner.
• Attend all EH&S training.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Job Functions 

• Candidate will be responsible for ensuring that lab processes are performed in compliance with the methods, materials, and equipment specifications as detailed in the corporate manuals and customer requirements. 
• Lead for the conception, evaluation, and implementation of cost reduction, product improvement, and production problem solving and process improvement activities.
• Responsible for brazing, welding, met lab, alloy verification, and other metallurgical processes such as EDM and laser weld.
• Responsible for annual lab calibration and certification, including all Round Robins required, both by Howmet and external customers
• Responsible for determination of the root cause of any metallurgical deviation from critical process specifications and provide technical support to resolve issues.
• Responsible for reporting the critical process status to the Metallurgical Services Manager.
• Responsible for daily interface, audits, and communication of lab issues with manufacturing, maintenance, facilities personnel.
• SPA for responsible department audits (internal, customer, NADCAP). Support of HT NADCAP audit. 
• Responsible for understanding downstream product quality as it relates to HT, HIP, AV, weld, braze, EDM, and react appropriately to observed conditions.
• Write and approve instructions in the met lab, braze, EDM, and welding areas. 
• Oversee lab operator training and certifications.
• Work with facilities and external suppliers for equipment updates and/or repairs.
• Foster continuous improvement utilizing Process management.
• Provide technical guidance to management and peers in metallurgical areas of current or potential needs of the plant.
• Maintain databases for all metallurgical areas at HDC per customer requirements.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• This position entails access to export-controlled items and employment offers are conditioned upon an applicant's ability to lawfully obtain access to such items.
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering  or related field and Engineering.
• Prefer a minimum of two years engineering experience in a casting facility or a minimum of 5 years with metallurgist experience elsewhere.
• Basic lab experience required – microscope usage, chemical safety, fume hood experience.
• Familiarity with characterization equipment: SEM, XRD, XRF, Mass-spec

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prefer to have Heat Treat Experience
• Must possess strong communication and organization skills       
• Must be a self-starter willing and able to initiate and follow up on projects.  Must be able to work in a team environment and possess strong organizational skills.
• Ability to effectively present information to top management.
• Familiarity with major metallurgical/alloy specifications by customer (PWA, RR, GE, etc.)
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Understanding of alloys, particularly the structure of superalloys (eutectics, gamma prime, etc.). 
• Familiarity with characterization of typical superalloy defects: pits, core-metal reaction, alloy depletion, etc.
• Familiarity with superalloy heat treatment, welding, and other thermal processing processes. 
• Familiarity with making mounts with epoxy, bakelite, lucite
• Familiarity with Howmet processes and documentation (BU Manuals, ACR process, LIMS systems)
• Must be proficient in MS Office, have a working knowledge or statistical analysis, and possess strong analytical abilities.