Lab Technician
Date: Dec 2, 2025
Location: Fort Smith, Arkansas, US, 72903
Company: Gerdau
ABOUT GERDAU:
At Gerdau, it's all about the people. Our culture thrives by embracing diversity, encouraging innovation and creating products that serve humanity. We value teamwork, safety, and sustainability. We are committed to continuous improvement and believe we can create a better future for our employees and our Global community by investing in people, processes, and technology. We offer Global opportunities, competitive benefits, flexible work schedules, opportunities for career development and more. Join us in our cultural & digital transformation, and helps us build the future at the Gerdau We Are Creating.
Gerdau Special Steel North America is an engineered bar producer headquartered in Jackson, Michigan with world-class steel manufacturing mills in Jackson, Michigan, Monroe Michigan, and Fort Smith, Arkansas, and a metal processing facility in Huntington, Indiana.
With engineered steel bar producing capabilities in North America and Brazil, the Gerdau Special Steel group is one of the largest supplier of SBQ engineered steel bars to the global automotive and heavy truck industries.
BASIC FUNCTION
Help ensure quality product by monitoring all phases of production operations for adherence to standards, taking samples for analysis, making physical inspections, and communicating with Production and other Metallurgical personnel to resolve problems.
The Lab Technician is responsible for daily quality testing requirements, record keeping, reporting, and equipment maintenance. The incumbent will be accountable for acquisition and preparation of test samples, as well as performing the actual tests and reporting of quality results to the appropriate department. Additionally, the Lab Technician may also be responsible for product inspection.
The Lab Technician will be required to review quality data results and compare them to product requirements. The individual is accountable for notifying the routine facilitator or Quality Assurance manager if there are any problems with the data or inspection of the product.
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS
- Monitor Rolling Mill for surface quality, bar size, length, and temperature.
- Observe activities at the Caster, choking, lancing, AC 3 temps, cast speed, and bar counts.
- Observe Melt Shop chemistry specification and degas requirements performed correctly.
- Record and monitor practices to ensure they are being followed. Participate in failure analysis for solutions and improvements.
- Identify and deliver samples for testing to the machine shop, both rolled and cast product.
- Post data and observations to a metallurgical report for disposition.
Specialized or Technical Knowledge and Skills
This position reports to either the Routine Facilitator. This position requires a minimum of two years of steel mill or related experience and a high school diploma. Training for the specific tasks will be provided by the site. An aptitude for working with computers and sensitive technical instruments will be a plus.
The incumbent must be able to work in a controlled laboratory environment, and must be able to work independently.
Incumbent must be capable of calibrating and standardizing vacuum spectrograph and carbon-sulfur determinator, operating saws, abrasive cut wheel and disk grinder. General knowledge of steel processing, principles of the electric arc furnace operation and basic metallurgical components of high carbon and alloy steel.
Salary and Benefits
• Medical and Prescription
• Dental
• Vision
• Health & Dependent Care (Flexible Spending Account)
• 401(k)
• Basic Life/Accidental Life Insurance
• Health Advocate Services
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
Application Process
Gerdau believes in equal employment opportunity related to all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of Gerdau that there will be no discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
If you are vision-impaired or have some other disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or a similar law, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to applying for employment at Gerdau, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at (866) 788-2798 or recruiting@gerdau.com.
Nearest Major Market: Fort Smith