Hestia Heat Treat · 1 day ago
Metallurgical / Materials Engineer
Racine, WI
Full-time
Onsite
Mid Level
3+ years expHestia Heat Treat is creating a new Metallurgical / Materials Engineer role to establish and lead technical metallurgical excellence across its commercial heat-treating operations in Racine, Wisconsin. The successful candidate will establish metallurgical ownership and process capability, translating advanced metallurgical knowledge into measurable improvements in quality consistency and production throughput.
Mining
Hiring Manager
Dave Steele, MBA
Responsibilities
Develop, validate, and maintain heat treat recipes and process windows for major product families (batch, induction, vacuum, nitriding) to meet customer specifications for hardness, case depth, microstructure, and distortion
Lead troubleshooting of furnace and process issues, including nonconformances, distortion, and variability, using metallurgical principles to drive corrective and preventive actions
Collaborate with operations and maintenance to optimize load configuration, cycle design, quenching practice, and furnace utilization
Support and enhance Hestia’s ISO 9001 quality system, including procedures, work instructions, and metallurgical documentation
Lead metallurgical aspects of industry certifications including procedure development, qualification runs, and ongoing compliance
Provide direct technical support to customers: review prints and specifications, recommend appropriate heat treat processes, and participate in APQP / PPAP or equivalent customer approval activities as needed
Use furnace and lab data (scrap/rework, energy per pound, dollars per furnace-hour, yields) to prioritize and execute improvement projects aligned with company objectives
Partner with Glenn to quantify the economic impact of process changes (energy, insurance, scrap, rework, throughput) and support monthly performance reviews
Support cost reduction and optimization initiatives
Oversee day-to-day metallurgical lab work: hardness testing, microstructural evaluation, sample preparation, and basic failure analysis
Maintain calibration and basic maintenance of lab equipment; coordinate external services when required
Create and maintain metallurgical standards, guidelines, and troubleshooting guides that capture Glenn’s experience and reduce key-person risk over time
Provide technical input for sales quotations by reviewing customer drawings, material specifications, and performance requirements to ensure accurate process selection, pricing assumptions, and risk assessment
Partner with sales and operations to evaluate the technical feasibility of new work, including alloy suitability, process capability, capacity constraints, and potential qualification requirements
Participate in customer discussions as the technical subject-matter expert when needed, supporting new business development, process alignment, and long-term customer relationships
Assist in defining scope, assumptions, and technical boundaries for new programs to reduce downstream quality, rework, and margin risk
Support trial runs, first-article approvals, and customer qualifications associated with new or expanded business
Deliver practical training for supervisors, operators, and quality staff on heat treat fundamentals, metallurgical behavior, and interpretation of customer specifications
Document best practices and lessons learned in clear, operator-friendly formats to ensure consistency across shifts
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering, Metallurgy, Materials Science & Engineering, or closely related engineering discipline (required)
Strong working knowledge of ferrous metallurgy, phase transformations, case hardening (carburizing, carbonitriding, nitriding), quench media/equipment, and microstructural interpretation
Demonstrated ability to interpret engineering drawings and customer specifications, including heat treat callouts, material standards, hardness and case depth requirements
Experience working within an audited quality management system (e.g., ISO 9001); familiarity with customer audits and corrective action processes
Proficiency with common metallurgical test and analysis tools (hardness testers, metallographic sample preparation, optical microscopy, and basic data analysis in Excel or similar tools)
Strong analytical, hands-on problem-solving skills and the ability to communicate effectively with shop personnel, customers, and leadership
Ability to work full-time on-site in Racine, WI, with occasional flexibility for off-shift support during trials, customer emergencies, or critical furnace events
Preferred
Minimum 3+ years of hands-on experience in commercial heat treating (job-shop or captive), including atmosphere and/or vacuum processes; nitriding or induction experience strongly preferred
Company
Hestia Heat Treat
Racine Heat Treating had been offering heat treat services to the Southeast Wisconsin/Northern Illinois area for over 50 years, under a few different owners.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase