Our client is the worlds leading producer of Niobium, a chemical element/mineral resource that primarily improves the strength of steel and has many different applications. The nature of their business involves the extraction, processing, manufacturing, and marketing of this chemical element, developing and providing technology for each application and final product. The task is to add value to the supply chain where the element is used. This element is widely used in structures for buildings, bridges and façades, structures of automotive bodies and in superconducting magnets of MRI scanners and hot parts of aeronautic engines, to name but a few examples. They work closely with a variety of industries involved in steel production, welding, nuclear, and electronics, and dedicate their special attention to their customers, wherever they may be globally.

Due to expansion, they are seeking a Technical Market Development Manager - Automotive Steel to join their Global Automotive Team. Suitable candidates will most likely have backgrounds as dedicated and technically proficient Metallurgical Engineers with at least 10 years of experience in the steelmaking industry. The candidate will work directly with their customers, primarily steel makers, to provide technical assistance in the steelmaking process of automotive steels (HSS, AHSS, UHSS, PHS) and support the development of new solutions and grades containing Niobium (Nb) through R&D projects and industrial trials.

The candidate is also expected to engage in communication and dissemination activities, including the publication of technical articles and participation in conferences to share publicly available information about Niobium Technology in Automotive Steels.

Why: This position is crucial for driving the growth of the global market for Niobium (Nb) in their core business of steelmaking. By leveraging technical expertise and fostering strong customer relationships, the candidate will help them expand their market presence and innovate within the industry to guarantee our technical leadership, not only in the automotive market but in the Niobium market.

Reach: The candidate will operate on a global scale, visiting customers in China, India, Japan, Korea, the US, Mexico, Turkey, and various European countries. This role requires a minimum of 50% travel time, ensuring that their technical support and innovative solutions reach a wide array of international customers.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

TECHNICAL MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AUTOMOTIVE STEEL

Responsibilities

Technical Support: Provide technical assistance to customers during the steelmaking process of automotive steels (HSS, AHSS, UHSS and PHS), addressing any issues and offering solutions to improve efficiency and product quality considering Niobium (Nb) technology as the main driver.

Management of R&D Projects: Lead, manage and participate in research and development projects and activities with our customers aimed at creating new steel grades and solutions containing Nb for the automotive industry. We expect you also to manage part of the budget available within our Program to run these projects.

Training and Workshops: Conduct training sessions and workshops for customers, partners and internal teams to educate them on the benefits and applications of Nb bearing steels for the automotive industry and to disseminate important findings to the industry.

Strong Collaboration with Commercial and other Internal Teams: Work closely with the Commercial Team and other internal teams to accelerate the implementation of the technical concepts and conversion of those into sales. Also, provide technical support to them, to increase the value added on the sales process.

Global Travel to Support the Customers: Travel to customer sites in places like China, India, Japan, Korea, the US, Mexico, Turkey, and various European countries to provide on-site support and foster strong customer relationships.

Conference Participation: Represent the company at international conferences, presenting research findings and networking with industry professionals to promote Nb bearing steels for the automotive industry.

Technical Articles: Write and publish technical articles in industry journals and magazines to disseminate knowledge and advancements related to Nb bearing steels for the automotive industry.

Competencies:

This is a technology focused role which requires a background education and solid experience that enables expertise in the following specific areas.

• Precipitation of Microalloy Elements in Automotive Steels
• Global Steel Industry Landscape - Automotive Industry Dynamics
• Annealing Operations for Automotive steels (HDG, CAL)
• Phase Transformation in Steels - Physical Metallurgy - Automotive Steels Metallurgy
• Project Management - MS Office (Word, Excel E Outlook)
• Steelmaking Routes Technologies (EAF and BOF) and its impacts in Auto Steel Production
• Technical Background in metallurgy, materials or correlated areas. Need: PhD or equivalent practical accumulated knowledge in topics related to technical area (either global expert in one field or regional experience in general topics)
• CRM - Sales Force or other tool experience - Intermediate Finance Knowledge in Project Management
• Metallurgical Knowledge on Stamping Operations
• Metallurgical Knowledge on Welding Operations
• Good knowledge on steel characterization: Metallography and microstructure analysis via optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, good interpretation of steel mechanical tests results

Qualifications:

• Metallurgical Engineering (PhD) (Complete)
• Metallurgical Engineering (Master's) (Complete)

Languages:

• English (Fluent)
• German (Intermediate) will be a plus
• French (Intermediate) will be a plus
• Mandarin will be a plus