Maintenance Planner - Rolling Mill

SSAB•Axis, AL

About The Position

SSAB is one of the largest North American producers of steel plate and coil, serving many industrial markets including energy, construction, agriculture and transportation. SSAB operates five state of the art facilities strategically located in key regions across the U.S. SSAB has nearly 1,200 highly skilled employees in the U.S. Jobs at SSAB range from machine operators and sales people to advanced engineers and corporate professionals in HR, finance and more. SSAB offers challenging careers and comprehensive benefit program designed to keep employees and their families healthy and secure. POSITION PURPOSE The Furnace Maintenance Planner is responsible for planning, scheduling, and coordinating maintenance activities specific to the rolling mill reheat furnace system and ancillary equipment. This role ensures safe, reliable, and efficient furnace operation by developing detailed maintenance plans, coordinating execution with operations, and minimizing downtime. The position also provides technical support during troubleshooting and plays a key role in improving furnace reliability, combustion efficiency, and overall performance. The candidate must be self-motivated, proactive, and capable of working with minimal supervision.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent
Minimum 3 years of industrial maintenance experience with furnace or combustion systems.
Strong knowledge of reheating furnace operation, combustion systems, and refractory materials.
Ability to troubleshoot mechanical equipment and electrical/instrumentation issues.
Ability to read and comprehend drawings, P&IDs, and schematics
Experience with safe rigging practices.
Ability to operate cranes and mobile equipment.
Good computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and Maintenance Connection (or similar CMMS)
Strong communication (verbal and written), interpersonal, and teamwork skills
Problem-solving and analytical skills

Responsibilities

Enforce all safety policies, lockout/tagout procedures, and safe work practices.
Ensure all planned and unplanned maintenance work complies with OSHA, environmental, and company standards.
Lead job safety analyses (JSA) and pre-job briefings for planned work.
Plan and schedule maintenance activities for the reheat furnace, including walking beams, riders, refractory, burners, recuperators, piping, valves, instrumentation, roller tables, charging and discharging machines.
Supervise and coordinate daily activities of mechanical maintenance personnel.
Assign work orders based on priority, available resources, and production requirements.
Provide hands-on technical leadership during breakdowns and complex troubleshooting
Coordinate contractor activities and ensure work is performed safely and to standard
Develop detailed job plans for preventive, corrective, and improvement work.
Plan and schedule maintenance activities in coordination with operations, production planning, and engineering
Prepare schedules for furnace outages, inspections, and major shutdowns.
Support and participate in root cause failure analysis (RCFA)
Identify repeat failures and opportunities for improving furnace reliability and efficiency; implement corrective actions.
Optimize preventive maintenance tasks and frequencies based on equipment history and performance.
Ensure accurate creation, planning, and closure of work orders in Maintenance Connection
Maintain equipment history, job plans, and spare parts data.
Coordinate availability of critical spare parts such as thermocouples, valves, actuators, and burner components and support inventory optimization efforts.
Assist in managing maintenance budgets, including contractor and outage costs.
Provide technical guidance and support to maintenance personnel during furnace maintenance activities
Promote cross-training and skill development within the team.
Support performance evaluations and provide constructive feedback.