Metallurgist Lab Manager

The Blueprint (Role Profile)

Reporting to the Director of Quality, the Metallurgist Lab Manager leads the corporate Metallurgy Lab and provides metallurgical expertise across the Hand Tools (HT) and Global Power Tools (GPT) divisions. This role is responsible for managing day-to-day lab operations, conducting material and failure analyses, supporting new product development, and driving global quality initiatives. The Sr. Metallurgist and Lab Manager plays a critical role in establishing best practices in materials engineering and ensuring alignment with ATG’s product performance and safety standards. This position will be based onsite, in our Apex, NC facility.

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The Build (Responsibilities)

• Serve as the primary metallurgical advisor to the HT and GPT engineering, quality, and R&D teams.Perform material analysis such as hardness and metallurgy to evaluate material properties and performance.
• Perform material analyses, including hardness testing, microstructural evaluation, and metallographic investigation.
• Lead root cause analysis of material- or manufacturing-related failures and provide engineering recommendations for corrective actions.
• Develop and implement metallurgical processes to improve quality and performance.
• Maintain and improve key Metallurgy Lab performance metrics, such as service lead time and equipment utilization rate.
• Participate in new product and material research projects, and make recommendations on material selection.
• Leads ATG’s Metallurgical Steering Committee to set up best practice throughout the company and provide technical expertise to all the facilities.
• Serve as designated Accident Investigation Coordinator.  Assist ATG legal department as required.
• Lead product failure analysis and improvement projects.
• Support global quality systems and initiatives such as APQP, PPAP, and FMEA.

The Toolbox (Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy or Materials Science required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of metallurgical or materials engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical investigations and mentor others in metallurgical testing methods.
• Strong working knowledge of material properties, heat treatment, failure modes, and test methods.
• Experience with PPAP, APQP, DOE, and quality system requirements.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate with teams across regions and cultures.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; familiarity with metallurgical lab tools and analysis software.
• Willingness to travel (up to 15% internationally / Asia).