Role Summary

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialized plate mill engineering and technological support throughout the project lifecycle, from basic engineering and design development through procurement, construction, cold/hot commissioning, and performance guarantee testing.

• Review plate rolling mill and flat products downstream processing design deliverables, including equipment layouts, process flow descriptions, hydraulic/lubrication schematics, roll pass designs, and technical specifications.

• Support the technical evaluation and integration of core plate mill equipment, including slab re-heating furnaces, high-pressure descaling units, 4-high or specialized heavy roughing and finishing stands, heavy-duty work roll/backup roll changing devices, and heavy plate leveling machines.

• Review electrical drive power sizing, main drive motors, multi-motor synchronization, dynamic control systems, and automation architecture required for high-torque heavy plate rolling.

• Coordinate mechanical, electrical, fluid power, and automation interfaces between the plate mill and upstream steelmaking/continuous casting (CCM) units (such as heavy slab casters) as well as downstream finishing facilities (heat treatment furnaces, quenching and tempering lines, ultrasonic testing, and shearing/trimming lines).

• Review automation and Level 1/Level 2 process control architecture for the plate mill, including mathematical rolling models, automatic gauge control (AGC), flatness control, width/thickness optimization, and tracking systems.

• Review technical specifications, equipment datasheets, requisitions, vendor drawings, and sizing calculations for plate mill mechanical, electrical, and auxiliary packages.

• Participate in technical bid evaluations, vendor assessments, design reviews, and technical clarification meetings with major rolling mill equipment manufacturers and technology providers.

• Coordinate with technology partners, engineering consultants, OEMs, and EPC/EPCM contractors to resolve design issues, technical deviations, and interface bottlenecks.

• Monitor engineering and manufacturing progress of major long-lead plate mill equipment packages and ensure timely review and closure of vendor document submissions and technical queries.

• Identify design gaps, constructability and maintainability concerns (such as heavy roll maintenance shops, scale pit designs, and material handling clearances), and opportunities for yield improvement and value engineering.

• Provide technical support during construction and installation, including review of field changes, resolution of site queries, and verification of mechanical/electrical erection against approved vendor drawings.

• Support inspection, testing, and commissioning activities, including factory acceptance tests (FAT), site acceptance tests (SAT), cold mechanical/hydraulic trials, dummy bar/plate trials, and hot commissioning rolling sequences.

• Coordinate with commissioning and future plant operations teams to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), roll shop management practices, maintenance strategies, spare parts planning, and operator training programs.

• Support initial plant start-up, rolling schedule optimization, dimensional tolerance control, surface quality enhancement, and performance guarantee test runs.

• Ensure plate mill designs and operating procedures comply with applicable US codes, standards, heavy industrial safety regulations, and environmental emission/effluent norms.

• Participate in HAZID, HAZOP, safety-in-design reviews, constructability reviews, and project risk assessments, ensuring all action items are tracked and closed.

• Maintain technical documentation, design review registers, interface logs, technical query trackers, and progress reports for the plate mill and associated finishing packages.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Metallurgical, Production Engineering, or a related discipline.

• 10–20 years of relevant operational, engineering, or project execution experience focused on heavy plate rolling mills or flat product rolling facilities within integrated steel plants or dedicated strip/plate mills.

• Hands-on background in plate rolling operations, thermo-mechanical controlled processing (TMCP), flatness/gauge control, roll shop management, and heavy machinery maintenance.

• Strong understanding of high-capacity hydraulic systems, heavy mill stands, roll bending/shifting mechanisms, accelerated cooling systems, and shearing/finishing lines.

• Working knowledge of modern flat product metallurgy, micro-alloyed structural steels, API linepipe grades, shipbuilding plates, and high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel processing.

• Ability to review and interpret engineering drawings, P&IDs, hydraulic schematics, roll pass/rolling schedules, control narratives, and equipment specifications.

• Experience working with multidisciplinary project teams, engineering consultants, EPC/EPCM contractors, and global technology OEMs.

• Knowledge of relevant North American or international industrial standards, equipment safety codes, and heavy manufacturing safety requirements.

• Strong technical problem-solving, analytical, communication, coordination, and stakeholder-management skills.

Preferred Experience

• Prior experience in a greenfield integrated steel plant project, specifically covering heavy plate production lines linked to a slab caster route.

• Direct plant-floor experience as a Plate Mill Metallurgist, Rolling Mill Superintendent, or Lead Process Engineer prior to transitioning into large-scale project execution roles.

• Familiarity with advanced plate mill technologies, such as heavy-duty direct quenching (DQ) setups, online accelerated cooling (ACC) headers, heavy-capacity cold/hot leveling machines, and automated ultrasonic testing (UT) lines.

• Proven track record in successful cold/hot commissioning, width/thickness yield optimization, and performance ramp-up of new plate mill installations.