Management Associate - Engineering

About U. S. Steel Fairfield Works U. S. Steel Fairfield Works is an industrial manufacturing facility located in Fairfield, Alabama.

Position Summary

The Mechanical Engineering Management Associate in the Hot Mill Operations in our Fairfield, Alabama plant will gain hands-on experience supporting daily operations, equipment performance, reliability, process improvement, and leadership development within the Hot Mill. The program is designed to prepare the Management Associate for a future mechanical engineering or operations role in a manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

Follow all safety requirements and develop a strong understanding of safe work practices in Hot Mill operations. Complete planned rotations to build working knowledge of Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and Safety. Learn the Hot Mill production process, major mechanical equipment, material flow, operating standards, and key performance measures.

Support troubleshooting and root cause analysis for equipment, process, quality, and production issues. Partner with operations and maintenance teams to improve equipment reliability, uptime, throughput, and product quality. Assist with preventive and predictive maintenance, outage planning, equipment inspections, and corrective actions.

Analyze production and equipment data to identify trends, bottlenecks, losses, and practical improvement opportunities. Lead a department-sponsored project focused on safety, reliability, quality, production efficiency, cost reduction, or process optimization. Develop recommendations and measurable business results, then present project findings to facility leadership in a final report-out.

Work schedule is typically based on an 8-hour day; however, flexibility may be required to support extended hours based on project needs, operational demands, or rotational assignments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering field. Willingness to participate in rotations and work onsite in a Hot Mill manufacturing environment. Strong analytical, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Demonstrated leadership potential and ability to work effectively with hourly and salaried teams.

Interest in manufacturing operations, mechanical equipment, maintenance, reliability, and continuous improvement. Ability to work onsite at Fairfield Works in Fairfield, Alabama.

Preferred Qualifications

Coursework, project experience, or prior internship experience involving mechanical systems, manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, or process improvement. Interest in building a long-term engineering or operations career in steel manufacturing. Previous leadership, technical project, hands-on troubleshooting, or industrial experience preferred.