Director of Technology

GrafTech International is the leader in the graphite electrode industry focused on maximizing customers' bottom lines and providing unparalleled service, while developing cutting-edge technology that sets the standard in the steel industry.

GrafTech International has a challenging opportunity for a Director of Technology, a senior technical leader responsible for providing authoritative guidance on materials, processes, and manufacturing best practices for graphite electrodes and related products. This role ensures that changes in raw materials, processing conditions, and upstream inputs are fully evaluated for their impact on microstructure, physical and chemical properties, and ultimate performance in Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) applications. This individual serves as the company's final technical authority on material and process changes and plays a critical role in strategic planning, mentoring, and maintaining manufacturing best practices. This position will report to the corporate office in Brooklyn Heights, OH, with a flexible work/live location, preferrably in Europe.

Responsibilities:

Technical Leadership

• Provide expert evaluation of how changes in coke, pitch, or other raw materials affect graphite properties and electrode performance.
• Assess the impact of processing condition changes in electrode production plants on structure, properties, and EAF performance.
• Understand and anticipate how variations in EAF operating conditions (e.g., heavy scrap loads, short heat cycles, high current density, FeO slags, oxygen use) influence electrode requirements.
• Oversee and maintain the company's Best Practices for Manufacturing, delegating updates and revisions to subject matter experts.

Production Expertise

• Maintain a deep understanding of needle coke production via delayed coking and the raw materials required for the production of needle cokes.
• Oversee technical considerations across all graphite electrode manufacturing steps:
  
  
  
  • Mill/Mix and Form
  • Baking
  • Pitch Impregnation
  • Graphitization
  • Machining
  
  
  
  

Cross-Functional Impact:

• Anticipate how upstream changes in raw materials or processes affect downstream manufacturability and quality.
• Collaborate with R&D, operations, and commercial teams to ensure technical decisions align with business objectives.

Strategic Contribution

• Contribute to long-term technical strategy and business planning.
• Ensure alignment of material and process decisions with overall company objectives.

Mentorship and Collaboration

• Act as a mentor to engineers in R&D, Quality, and Plant Operations.
• Collaborate closely with plant teams and technical staff to implement changes effectively.

Authority and Governance

• Serve as the final technical authority on material and process changes, ensuring decisions are data-driven and customer-focused.
• Evaluate upstream changes for downstream manufacturability and customer performance impact.
• Has ultimate responsibility for corporate manufacturing best practices, leaning on experienced subject matter experts to create and maintain the best practices database.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 10-15 years of experience in graphite electrode manufacturing or carbon materials.
• Deep understanding of microstructure-property-performance relationships in carbon/graphite systems.
• Proven ability to analyze complex technical variables and make high-impact decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong business acumen and ability to contribute to strategic planning.
• Excellent communication and mentoring skills.
• Familiarity with EAF operations and customer performance requirements.
• Ability to lead cross-functional technical initiatives without direct authority.

Travel: Occassional global travel to production plants, vendors and customer sites.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience and the opportunity to join a well-established organization. If you thrive in a challenging environment and have a proven track record in achieving results, come join our worldwide organization. For immediate consideration, please apply to the GrafTech International Career portal.

To learn additional company information, please visit our website at www.graftech.com.

GrafTech International is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, or veteran status.