Manager/Deputy Manager Furnace Operation & Stock House

Role & responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operation of the Blast Furnace and Stock House ensuring consistent and safe performance.
• Maintain and control key process parameters including blast pressure, temperature, oxygen enrichment, top pressure, burden descent rate, and gas flow distribution.
• Support control room for stable furnace operation with desired hot metal output, quality, and temperature.
• Implement measures to prevent furnace irregularities such as hanging, slipping, scaffolding, or channeling.
• Participate in start-up, shutdown, blow-down, and emergency handling operations.
• Supervise and ensure uninterrupted functioning of the Stock House for feeding raw materials to the furnace.
• Manage and optimize burden charging sequences based on process requirements and control room directives.
• Monitor and control distribution and weighing of raw materials such as sinter, pellets, lump ore, coke, and fluxes.
• Maintain batching accuracy and smooth operation of skipping cars.
• Monitor raw material bin levels and stock; coordinate with Raw Material Handling Plant (RMHP) for timely feeding and material availability.
• Ensure proper charging sequence design to maintain uniform burden distribution and gas flow.
• Work closely with the Control Room to adjust burden ratio based on process trends and top gas analysis.
• Ensure preventive maintenance of Stock House equipment including conveyors, bins, weighing systems, and skip hoists.
• Monitor furnace process data: burden composition, coke rate, blast and gas utilization efficiency, productivity, and specific energy consumption.
• Identify improvement opportunities in burden distribution, gas utilization, and raw material efficiency.
• Assist in automation and digital system implementation for process monitoring.
• Analyze deviations in process parameters and support real-time corrective actions.
• Coordinate with Control Room for burden adjustment and furnace condition.
• Liaise with Cast House for hot metal tapping and cast sequencing.
• Coordinate with PCI section for thermal balance and fuel optimization.
• Work with maintenance teams for mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation issue resolution in Stock House and Furnace.
• Coordinate with RMHP for continuous material supply and blending.
• Ensure proper shift handover communication and documentation.
• Enforce strict adherence to safety standards and SOPs in Stock House and Furnace areas.
• Ensure PPE usage, safe operating practices, and Lockout-Tagout (LOTO) procedures.
• Conduct safety toolbox meetings, risk assessments, and near-miss reporting.
• Promote safety culture to ensure zero-incident operation.
• Support compliance with ISO 45001, ISO 14001, and ISO 9001 standards.
• Supervise and guide shift engineers, operators, and field technicians in Stock House and Furnace operations.
• Plan and implement shift rosters ensuring adequate manpower for 24/7 operations.
• Conduct regular training sessions on process control, safety, and equipment handling.
• Foster teamwork, accountability, and process discipline within the department.
• Coordinate with maintenance departments for preventive and predictive maintenance of Stock House equipment.
• Plan downtime during Blast Furnace shutdowns or relines.
• Monitor weighing systems, skip hoists, gates, and valves.
• Maintain logs of breakdowns, root cause analyses, and corrective actions.
• Maintain accurate records of daily hot metal production and furnace performance.
• Track burden distribution, charging pattern, and material consumption.
• Record process deviations and corrective actions taken.
• Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly reports on Furnace and Stock House performance.
• Support management reviews, audits, and KPI evaluations

Preferred candidate profile

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: B.E./B.Tech/Diploma in Metallurgical, Mechanical, Production, or Electrical Engineering from a recognized institution.

• Deputy Manager: 7 to 10 years of experience in Blast Furnace or Stock House operations.
• Manager: 10 to 14 years of experience in iron-making operations, with expertise in burden management and process control.
• Experience in Integrated Steel Plants with 0.5 MTPA Blast Furnace preferred.
• Hands-on exposure to automation systems (PLC/DCS) and process instrumentation desirable.