Materials Characterization Manager

MP Materials is on a mission to restore the full rare earth supply chain to the United States of America. From electric cars to wind turbines and drones, rare earths are essential to the low-carbon, electrified technologies that power modern life. We hire ambitious, mission-driven people motivated to solve problems and affect change. Our values are grounded in teamwork, resiliency, and integrity, with an enduring commitment to our employees, community, and the environment. In the coming years, MP Materials will grow from a core materials and chemical processing company into a large industrial manufacturer. Our employees will lead this exciting transformation and grow professionally with us.

MP Materials is seeking an experienced Materials Characterization Manager for our New Product Introduction (NPI) analytical laboratories. This position will be focused on managing the people and equipment in our unique magnetics facility. The ideal candidate has experience working in a flexible research laboratory environment including some combination of magnetometry, optical and electron microscopy, metallography, X-ray fluorescence and diffraction, chemical, and thermal analysis. This position is responsible for development, automation and continuous improvement of analytical methods, and for providing training and scheduling services for approved users. The position will also be expected to ensure the safe and proper operation of all the equipment in the laboratory, including scheduling routine maintenance, troubleshooting as needed, and identifying critical spares and maintaining an appropriate on-site inventory of the same. To be successful in this role, you will need to have a diverse technical background with the ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of engineers and technicians.

Essential Duties:

• Develop and document test methods and analytical techniques for instrumentation such as SEM, optical microscopy, metallography, dimensional inspection, DSC, TGA, XRF, XRD, closed-loop magnetometry, pulse field magnetometry.
• Develop and maintain equipment and sample scheduling procedures to support a blended user lab and analytical support services facility.
• Recruit, hire, and manage a team of technicians, chemists and engineers to develop methods, train users, and analyze critical development and production samples.
• Design and conduct experiments, document and interpret results to produce actionable plans to evaluate process quality, safety, both for existing and new products.
• Develop automated methods for collecting, analyzing, and reporting out data.
• Execute and maintain instrumentation gage repeatability and reproducibility studies and equipment calibrations.
• Work closely with EHS to ensure that all work is done according to industry-leading health and safety standards, and in full compliance with relevant environmental regulations.
• Work closely with broader engineering design and manufacturing teams to assist with design, sourcing, and installation of analytical equipment in our Fort Worth facility.
• Troubleshoot and maintain all analytical equipment in NPI labs.
• Oversee temporary installations and setup of equipment to support specific customer and development projects.

Basic Qualifications:

• Degree in Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or Materials Science & Engineering or another relevant field.
• Familiarity with a variety of analytical methods and equipment, including some combination of materials structure analysis, chemical analysis, thermal analysis, and magnetometry.
• Deep experience with developing and using chemical and materials analysis methods.
• Experience maintaining and troubleshooting analytical equipment.
• Experience with developing and performing user trainings.
• Experience managing sample queues and delivering analytical results on a predicable timeline.
• Familiarity with managing a shared user facility, including scheduling of equipment time and maintaining equipment functionality and calibrations.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Effectively communicate with a range of personnel, from senior leaders to manufacturing operators.
• Familiarity with computers, laboratory/equipment software, and laboratory data management.

Desired Qualities:

• Familiarity with the analysis of rare earth materials, permanent magnets, or metal powders.
• Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience with programming/modeling, and the ability to apply those skills to automate routine analysis, data management, and process control operations.

MP Materials is Proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer - EEO is The Law. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Underrepresented groups/Women/Disabled/Veterans are encouraged to apply. Candidates whose disabilities make them unable to meet the position's requirements will still be considered qualified if they can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation.

Your Right To Work - In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment verification document form upon hire.

For Assistance with Application - Alternative methods of applying for employment are available to individuals unable to submit an application through this site because of a disability. Contact Human Resources Department at [redacted]; 6720 Via Austi Parkway, Suite 450, Las Vegas, NV 89119 to discuss reasonable accommodations.