Product Application Engineer

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.

Physical Requirements

• 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.