Product Application Engineer II
United States Steel
The Product Application Engineer partners with customers, suppliers, Sales, Product Management, and technical teams to expand the use of U. S. Steel products in industrial and non-automotive applications. This role supports new product introduction, identifies customer-driven innovation opportunities, and helps shape the product development roadmap through market and application insight.Top Candidate Profile
- Balances technical depth with customer-facing communication skills.
- Understands steel products, material specifications, and industrial application needs.
- Can translate customer problems into practical products or process solutions.
- Build credibility across customers, Sales, Product Management, R&D, and manufacturing teams.
- Shows curiosity, ownership, and a growth mindset in identifying new market opportunities.
- Key Focus Areas
- Customer Application Support: Work with customer engineering teams to match U. S. Steel products to application and specification needs.
- Innovation and Growth: Lead application engineering initiatives in infrastructure, industrial, energy, and adjacent markets.
- Voice of the Customer: Translate customer needs and industry trends into product development opportunities.
- Technical Collaboration: Partner with R&D, joint ventures, Sales, Product Management, and manufacturing teams to refine product offerings.
- Launch and Problem Solving: Support manufacturing start-up, formability assessment, and root cause analysis as needed.
Primary Responsibilities
- Support customer material selection, specification reviews, and new product introduction timing.
- Identify new applications and business cases for U. S. Steel products in volume production.
- Facilitate technical exchanges with customers to promote product understanding and adoption.
- Represent customer requirements in internal product and technology reviews.
- Review customer orders for alignment with qualified material specifications.
- Monitor industry trends and recommend additions to the product development roadmap.
- Serve as a technical resource for Sales and Product Management in customer discussions.
- Complete additional projects as assigned.
Education and Experience Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Metallurgy, Materials Science, or a related technical field required.
- 3-5 years of relevant experience in industrial applications, product application engineering, technical service, manufacturing, infrastructure, OEM, or adjacent markets preferred.
- Knowledge of steel products, material specifications, sheet metal forming, customer applications, and manufacturing processes.
- Experience using CAD tools such as CATIA V5 or UGNX preferred; proficiency with Microsoft Office required.
- Strong analytical, communication, presentation, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to build business cases, prepare technical reports, and work effectively with customers and cross-functional teams.
Work Environment
- Work may be performed in offices, steel mill, processor, and customer manufacturing environments.
- Requires interaction with customers, suppliers, Sales, Product Management, R&D, and manufacturing teams.
- Travel may be required to customer sites, processing locations, and North American steelmaking facilities.
- Must be able to follow all site-specific safety requirements, including required personal protective equipment.
- Ability to sit, stand, walk, and move through office, plant, and customer facility environments.
- Ability to use a computer, phone, and other standard office equipment for extended periods.
- Ability to occasionally climb stairs, walk through production areas, and wear required personal protective equipment.
- Ability to travel as needed for customer visits, technical reviews, plant support, and project meetings.