STEM OPT Metallurgist Jobs
Metallurgist roles in materials testing, alloy development, and failure analysis qualify for STEM OPT's 24-month extension, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and your degree in metallurgical, materials, or chemical engineering must align with an approved STEM CIP code.
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Division: Nucor Steel Arkansas
Location: Blytheville, AR, United States
Other Available Locations: N/A
Welcome to Nucor, where our unique culture sets us apart. Joining Nucor means becoming part of North America's largest steel and steel products manufacturer, offering unmatched career opportunities and stability. We are known for our innovative sustainability practices and are the continent's largest recycler. Our vibrant culture, built on personal connections and teamwork, empowers every team member with the freedom to innovate and contribute to our collective success. Experience a workplace where safety, efficiency, and meaningful personal connections define every day, enriching both our teammates and the communities we serve.
Nucor supports its teammates with top-tier benefits like Medical, Dental, Vision, and Disability Insurance, 401K and Roth accounts, Profit sharing, Pay-for-performance bonuses, Paid parental leave, Tuition reimbursement, Stock program, Scholarships and more.
Basic Job Functions:
- Develop and maintain process flowcharts, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), and control plans for steel manufacturing operations.
- Manage material disposition related to surface defects, weight and coating variations, mechanical property deviations, and customer referrals.
- Run trials to improve product quality and supply new products.
- Monitor and improve product quality performance.
- Lead process optimization activities, involving both quality and cost.
- Evaluate product and production feasibility for customer inquiries.
- Review and approve production orders.
- Work closely with operations and maintenance teams to ensure continuous improvement.
- Maintain nomenclatures to comply with industry, customer and OEM standards.
- Provide Technical Support to Sales, Scheduling, Quality and Customers by offering expertise on steel grades, processing capabilities, and product specifications.
- Provide technical support for customers and training for all operational activities, including on-site support.
- Responsible for Product routing, raw material selection and process parameters definition for coated and uncoated products.
- Responsible for analysis, interpretation, and compliance with international standards: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), European Norm (EN), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), German Institute for Standardization (DIN), and International Automotive Task Force (IATF).
- Participate in safety and housekeeping efforts.
- Position requires 15% Domestic and International Travel for customer visits, technical service and visiting other Nucor facilities (Including Mexico).
Safety is the most important part of all jobs within Nucor; therefore, candidates must be able to demonstrate the ability to initiate, lead, and uphold safety policies, practices, procedures, and housekeeping standards at all times.
Minimum Qualifications:
Must have a Bachelor’s or foreign equivalent degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, Metallurgical Engineering or related field and three (3) years of experience in steel making, focused on cold rolling and annealing processes. Experience must include: Developing and maintaining process flowcharts, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), and control plans for steel manufacturing operations. Analysis, interpretation, and compliance with international standards: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), European Norm (EN), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), German Institute for Standardization (DIN), and International Automotive Task Force (IATF). Providing Technical Support to Sales, Scheduling, Quality and Customers applying expertise in steel grades, processing capabilities, and product specifications. Product routing, raw material selection and process parameters definition for coated and uncoated products. Managing material disposition related to surface defects, weight and coating variations, mechanical property deviations, and customer referrals. Position requires 15% Domestic and International Travel for customer visits, technical service and visiting other Nucor facilities (Including Mexico).
Preferred Qualifications:
Must be able to perform all essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Nucor is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a drug-free workplace.
Job Details
Division: Nucor Steel Arkansas
Location: Blytheville, AR, United States
Other Available Locations: N/A
Welcome to Nucor, where our unique culture sets us apart. Joining Nucor means becoming part of North America's largest steel and steel products manufacturer, offering unmatched career opportunities and stability. We are known for our innovative sustainability practices and are the continent's largest recycler. Our vibrant culture, built on personal connections and teamwork, empowers every team member with the freedom to innovate and contribute to our collective success. Experience a workplace where safety, efficiency, and meaningful personal connections define every day, enriching both our teammates and the communities we serve.
Nucor supports its teammates with top-tier benefits like Medical, Dental, Vision, and Disability Insurance, 401K and Roth accounts, Profit sharing, Pay-for-performance bonuses, Paid parental leave, Tuition reimbursement, Stock program, Scholarships and more.
Basic Job Functions:
- Develop and maintain process flowcharts, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), and control plans for steel manufacturing operations.
- Manage material disposition related to surface defects, weight and coating variations, mechanical property deviations, and customer referrals.
- Run trials to improve product quality and supply new products.
- Monitor and improve product quality performance.
- Lead process optimization activities, involving both quality and cost.
- Evaluate product and production feasibility for customer inquiries.
- Review and approve production orders.
- Work closely with operations and maintenance teams to ensure continuous improvement.
- Maintain nomenclatures to comply with industry, customer and OEM standards.
- Provide Technical Support to Sales, Scheduling, Quality and Customers by offering expertise on steel grades, processing capabilities, and product specifications.
- Provide technical support for customers and training for all operational activities, including on-site support.
- Responsible for Product routing, raw material selection and process parameters definition for coated and uncoated products.
- Responsible for analysis, interpretation, and compliance with international standards: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), European Norm (EN), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), German Institute for Standardization (DIN), and International Automotive Task Force (IATF).
- Participate in safety and housekeeping efforts.
- Position requires 15% Domestic and International Travel for customer visits, technical service and visiting other Nucor facilities (Including Mexico).
Safety is the most important part of all jobs within Nucor; therefore, candidates must be able to demonstrate the ability to initiate, lead, and uphold safety policies, practices, procedures, and housekeeping standards at all times.
Minimum Qualifications:
Must have a Bachelor’s or foreign equivalent degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, Metallurgical Engineering or related field and three (3) years of experience in steel making, focused on cold rolling and annealing processes. Experience must include: Developing and maintaining process flowcharts, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), and control plans for steel manufacturing operations. Analysis, interpretation, and compliance with international standards: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), European Norm (EN), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), German Institute for Standardization (DIN), and International Automotive Task Force (IATF). Providing Technical Support to Sales, Scheduling, Quality and Customers applying expertise in steel grades, processing capabilities, and product specifications. Product routing, raw material selection and process parameters definition for coated and uncoated products. Managing material disposition related to surface defects, weight and coating variations, mechanical property deviations, and customer referrals. Position requires 15% Domestic and International Travel for customer visits, technical service and visiting other Nucor facilities (Including Mexico).
Preferred Qualifications:
Must be able to perform all essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Nucor is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a drug-free workplace.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Metallurgist
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's CIP code appears on the official STEM Designated Degree Program List maintained by USCIS. Metallurgical engineering (14.2101) and materials science (14.1801) both qualify, but your transcript must match the listed field exactly.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Before signing an offer, search the E-Verify employer database to confirm active enrollment. Metallurgy roles are concentrated in defense contractors and mining firms, many of which are enrolled, but smaller materials labs often are not.
Target employers with active LCA filings for materials roles
Use Migrate Mate to filter employers by DOL Labor Condition Application filing history for metallurgist and materials engineer roles, so you're applying only to companies that have already sponsored STEM workers in comparable positions.
Build your I-983 training plan around specific metallurgical tasks
Your I-983 must map training objectives to concrete role activities like phase diagram analysis, SEM-EDS characterization, or weld qualification testing. Generic descriptions of 'materials work' will not satisfy DSO review or an ICE audit.
Look up prevailing wage before negotiating your offer
Use the OFLC Wage Search to find the Level I through Level IV prevailing wage for your SOC code (17-2131, Materials Engineers) in the employer's metro area. Your offered salary must meet or exceed the certified LCA wage for your STEM OPT to remain valid.
Plan your H-1B transition timeline around OPT end dates
If your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT expires, cap-gap protection extends your authorization through September 30. Coordinate your 36-month OPT end date with your employer's HR team early so the petition is submitted in the March registration window.
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Find Metallurgist JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does a materials science or metallurgical engineering degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, provided your degree's CIP code appears on the STEM Designated Degree Program List. Metallurgical engineering (CIP 14.2101), materials science and engineering (CIP 14.1801), and related fields like ceramic sciences (CIP 14.0401) all qualify. Your DSO verifies the match in SEVIS before recommending the extension, so confirm the CIP code on your transcript before starting the application.
What E-Verify requirement applies to employers hiring STEM OPT metallurgists?
Any employer hiring you on STEM OPT must be actively enrolled in E-Verify and must remain enrolled for the full duration of your extension. This applies even if the company already employs U.S. workers without E-Verify in other departments. You can verify an employer's enrollment status through the E-Verify employer search tool before accepting an offer.
What should the I-983 training plan include for a metallurgist role?
Your I-983 must describe how the position provides practical training directly related to your STEM degree. For metallurgist roles, that means specifying tasks like corrosion analysis, mechanical testing, microstructure characterization, or failure investigation, along with learning objectives tied to each. Both you and your employer supervisor must sign the form, and your DSO must receive a copy before the extension is approved.
How does cap-gap protection work if my STEM OPT expires before October 1?
If your employer files a timely H-1B cap-subject petition before your STEM OPT authorization expires, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization and status through September 30 of that year. You can continue working as a metallurgist without interruption during that period. USCIS issues an updated I-20 reflecting the cap-gap extension, which serves as your work authorization documentation alongside your EAD.
Where can I find metallurgist jobs with employers verified for STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate filters job listings by employers with confirmed E-Verify enrollment and DOL LCA filing history for materials and metallurgical engineering roles, so you're not wasting applications on companies that can't legally employ STEM OPT students. You can search by role type, location, and industry sector to target defense, aerospace, mining, or manufacturing employers that regularly hire in this field.
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