Job DescriptionU. S. Steel Tubular Products delivers high quality seamless pipe that powers America's energy and industrial backbone. Backed by more than a century of steelmaking and a culture of innovation, our team builds premium connections and partners with customers to tackle their toughest challenges, keeping energy and industry moving forward.
The Projects Operations Lead - Quench & Temper is responsible for providing technical and operational leadership for capital projects supporting Quench & Temper (Q&T) operations at Fairfield Works - Tubular. This role serves as a key connection point between Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, contractors, vendors, and plant leadership to ensure Q&T projects are safely planned, effectively executed, and successfully transitioned into sustainable operations.
This position will lead projects from concept through commissioning, startup, training, and stabilization, with responsibility for translating project scope into operating readiness. The role will support equipment design reviews, construction and outage coordination, process control readiness, commissioning plans, training requirements, and post-startup performance improvement. The successful candidate will bring strong technical judgment, operational discipline, project execution capability, and the ability to build capability in the workforce as new or modified Q&T processes are implemented.
Responsibilities:- Lead capital and operational improvement projects for Quench & Temper operations from concept development through scope definition, execution planning, commissioning, startup, and stabilization.
- Serve as the operations lead for Q&T project execution, ensuring project decisions consider safety, environmental compliance, quality, production continuity, maintainability, training, and long-term operating performance.
- Partner with Engineering to review equipment design, process parameters, utility requirements, equipment specifications, installation plans, and manufacturing requirements for Q&T equipment and supporting systems.
- Support project development activities including front-end loading, cost-benefit evaluation, alternative analysis, project estimates, funding requests, scope development, implementation planning, and operating readiness plans.
- Coordinate cross-functional project activities across Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, vendors, contractors, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment of scope, schedule, resources, and operational needs.
- Develop and support commissioning, startup, and ramp-up plans, including readiness checklists, acceptance criteria, equipment testing, process validation, training requirements, and transition-to-operations plans.
- Lead or support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), construction walkdowns, punch-list resolution, commissioning reviews, and final turnover of equipment or process changes to Operations.
- Oversee training and workforce readiness for Q&T projects, including operating procedures, standard work, qualification requirements, hands-on training, and competency sign-off for management and hourly employees.
- Collaborate with Quality and Product/Technical teams to ensure Q&T process controls, inspection requirements, customer specifications, product qualification needs, and QMS documentation are addressed during project execution.
- Monitor and analyze Q&T process data, equipment performance, downtime drivers, product quality trends, and operating conditions to identify improvement opportunities and corrective actions.
- Lead efforts to identify, implement, and document project-driven improvements in safety, quality, productivity, reliability, cost, throughput, and process consistency.
- Provide technical and operational guidance related to Q&T equipment, heat treatment processes, quenching, tempering, process control, material flow, and operating standards.
- Support contractor and vendor coordination, including bid evaluations, specification reviews, expediting, field execution, work planning, safety expectations, and construction progress management.
- Ensure project risks, scope changes, operating impacts, and readiness gaps are clearly communicated, documented, escalated, and resolved in partnership with the appropriate stakeholders.
- Demonstrate strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills while driving accountability for project safety, quality, schedule, budget, and operational performance targets.
Requirements:- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Technology, Business, or a related field is required. Equivalent relevant experience in steel operations, heavy manufacturing, or industrial project execution may be considered.
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in manufacturing, steel operations, industrial operations, engineering projects, maintenance, or a closely related environment is preferred.
- Experience supporting or leading capital projects, equipment installations, commissioning, operational readiness, process stabilization, or project implementation in an industrial environment is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to work across Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, vendors, contractors, and plant leadership to drive project execution and operational results.
- Strong technical, problem-solving, analytical, communication, and decision-making skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated commitment to safety, environmental compliance, quality, and operational discipline.
- Experience developing training plans, standard work, operating procedures, qualification expectations, or workforce readiness plans for new equipment or process changes is preferred.
- Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing environment, including project work that may require weekend, holiday, off-shift, outage, or extended-hour support as business needs require.
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience in Quench & Temper operations, heat treatment, seamless pipe, OCTG, finishing operations, steelmaking, rolling, thermal processing, or related manufacturing processes.
- Knowledge of Q&T process fundamentals, including controlled heating, quenching, tempering, process parameters, inspection requirements, equipment performance, and product consistency expectations.
- Experience with project delivery systems, scope management, project controls, critical path schedules, cost control, risk management, commissioning plans, or change management processes.
- Hands-on experience managing vendors, contractors, construction activities, equipment installation, Factory Acceptance Testing, Site Acceptance Testing, commissioning, or startup support.
- Experience supporting Quality Management Systems, process control plans, technical specifications, customer requirements, internal audits, or corrective action processes.
- Familiarity with manufacturing data systems, process data analysis, dashboards, Tableau, Minitab, SPC, or other tools used to evaluate process performance and identify improvement opportunities.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams, providing direction to hourly and management employees, and building capability through coaching, training, and knowledge transfer.
- Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, root cause analysis, reliability improvement, continuous improvement, or structured problem-solving methods.
Competency SummaryAt 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 OverviewSince 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 regarding collection of personal information and U. S. Steel's privacy practices.)
