What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Mechanical Project Engineer position at Worthington Steel?
Senior Mechanical Project Engineer
Location: Taylor, Michigan (Onsite)
Important: This position requires regular on-site work in Taylor, Michigan. Applicants must be able to reliably commute to the work location. Relocation assistance is not provided.
Who This Role Is For
This role is ideal for a hands-on engineer with 5–8 years of experience leading capital or process improvement projects in a manufacturing or heavy industrial environment. This is a plant-based, operations-focused role, not a design-only position.
About Worthington Steel
Founded on The Golden Rule and driven by innovation, Worthington Steel is North America’s premier value-added steel processor. We lead through integrity, continuous improvement, and putting people first—our customers, our communities, and our employees.
Position Summary
The Senior Mechanical Project Engineer will own and lead capital improvement and reliability projects across slitting, shipping, receiving, and maintenance operations. This role is responsible for driving measurable improvements in safety, equipment reliability, product quality, and throughput.
This is a highly visible, hands-on role requiring strong collaboration with Maintenance, Production, and leadership teams.
What You’ll Own
- Own capital projects from concept through execution, including scope development, vendor selection, installation, commissioning, and training
- Lead structured problem-solving initiatives (A3, 8D, PDCA, SMED) to address downtime, scrap, and process inefficiencies
- Analyze maintenance and production data to identify root causes and implement preventive actions
- Partner with Maintenance and Production to improve equipment reliability and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
- Drive Lean manufacturing initiatives to improve flow, reduce waste, and increase throughput
- Ensure compliance with ISO/IATF standards, OSHA regulations, and EH&S policies
- Participate in Gemba walks, audits, and process validations
Example Projects
- Upgrading slitting line equipment to improve uptime and throughput
- Leading root cause analysis on recurring downtime or quality issues
- Implementing SMED initiatives to reduce changeover times
- Supporting installation and startup of new capital equipment
Minimum Required Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
- 5 years of experience in a manufacturing or heavy industrial environment
- Demonstrated experience leading capital or equipment-related projects from concept through implementation
- Hands-on experience with mechanical systems (hydraulics, pneumatics, automated equipment)
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in steel processing, coil handling, slitting, blanking, or similar continuous manufacturing processes
- Knowledge of ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 standards
- Familiarity with SAP, CMMS systems, or OEE dashboards
- Experience working in Lean manufacturing environments
Why You’ll Love This Role
- Make a direct impact on safety, quality, and production performance
- Own meaningful, visible projects with real operational impact
- Work in a collaborative, people-first culture grounded in strong values
- Be part of a company committed to continuous improvement and employee development
Note: Candidates without prior manufacturing or industrial experience are unlikely to be a fit for this role.