Director, Materials Management

MP Materials; Mountain Pass (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

MP Materials is seeking a Director of Materials Management in Mountain Pass, CA to lead warehouse operations, optimize inventory, and shape the materials strategy across the site. The role focuses on end-to-end material traceability for raw materials, bulk reagents, and maintenance parts.

The position requires deep SAP/ERP expertise, LEAN principles, and cross-functional leadership with sites Operations, Maintenance, EHS, Procurement, and Finance to ensure uptime and inventory integrity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field related to supply chain or operations.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership in materials management or warehouse operations.
• 5+ years in engineered spares and complex materials management with maintenance/operations.
• Expert-level proficiency in SAP ERP/MRP systems.
• Advanced expertise in inventory optimization, ABC classification, safety stock modeling, and demand planning.
• Strong cross-functional communication and ability to present to executives.

Responsibilities

• Establish and implement receiving, inventory, storage, staging, and material delivery policies.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across site leadership, operations, maintenance, procurement, EHS, and finance.
• Ensure uptime and material flow with traceability; coordinate SOX controls and inventory integrity.
• Develop comprehensive materials and inventory strategies; implement spares, asset recovery, and VMI opportunities.
• Lead automation and digital transformation for warehouse processes; evaluate tracking tools and dashboards.
• Develop KPIs to prevent stockouts, optimize space, and shorten receiving cycles; support reservations and work orders.
• Mentor and scale a high-performing materials organization with a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

Skills

Inventory optimization

Cross-functional leadership

Demand planning

LEAN / Six Sigma

SOX/compliance awareness

HazMat safety

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or related field

Master’s/MBA preferred

Tools

SAP ERP / MRP

Job description

Company Overview

MP Materials (NYSE: MP) is rebuilding American industrial capability for a new era of autonomy, robotics, and electrification. We are the only U.S. company with a fully integrated rare earth supply chain-from mining and refining to advanced metal and magnet manufacturing. Our products include both the critical materials used to make permanent magnets and the finished magnets themselves-enabling next-generation technologies in robotics, automation, aerospace, transportation, defense, and energy systems. These materials are the foundation of physical AI-the convergence of computation, movement, and control.

Company Overview

MP Materials (NYSE: MP) is rebuilding American industrial capability for a new era of autonomy, robotics, and electrification. We are the only U.S. company with a fully integrated rare earth supply chain-from mining and refining to advanced metal and magnet manufacturing. Our products include both the critical materials used to make permanent magnets and the finished magnets themselves-enabling next-generation technologies in robotics, automation, aerospace, transportation, defense, and energy systems. These materials are the foundation of physical AI-the convergence of computation, movement, and control.

Position Overview

The Director of Materials Management will be a part of Supply Chain function and will serve as a strategic and operational leader responsible for driving warehouse operations, inventory optimization, and material management strategy. This position is accountable for the end-to-end efficiency, accuracy, and material traceability of raw materials, bulk reagents, and maintenance spare parts required to support MP Materials mission. In addition to day-to-day operational execution, this role leads transformation initiatives-leveraging deep SAP/ERP expertise to implement warehouse automation, eliminate operational bottlenecks, and implement LEAN principles. The Director provides robust cross-functional leadership, aligning supply chain workflows with Site Operations, Maintenance, EHS, Procurement, and Finance to ensure high plant uptime, inventory integrity, traceability, and strict safety and environmental governance.

Position Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Operational Ownership: Establish and implement policy and procedures for receiving, inventory management, storage, staging, and material delivery activities. Uhold strict safety, environmental, and HazMat storage protocols, driving zero-incident culture.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Drive organizational alignment across Site Leadership, Operations, Maintenance, Procurement, EHS, and Finance to resolve material bottlenecks and align supply chain strategies with site production plans.
• Warehouse Operations & Material Reliability: Ensure maximum operational uptime and reliability by establishing continuous, predictable, and traceable material flow to ensure seamless support for plant operations. Coordinate SOX compliance and financial controls activities to insure inventory integrity.
• Materials Management Expertise: Develop comprehensive Materials Management and Inventory Management Strategies, Implementing Spares Programs, Asset Recovery Programs, Material Transfer Programs, as well as Consignment and VMI (vendor managed inventory) opportunities.
• Automation & Digital Transformation: leverage technology to drive operational efficiency and scalability of warehouse operations to support rapid growth. Lead evaluation, selection, deployment of automation/digitization of processes/tracking tools/barcoding/dashboards/etc.
• Develop & Drive Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Prevent stock outs, improve physical space utilization, shorten receiving and processing cycle times, partner with end users to leverage use of reservations and work orders.
• Act as a supportive and inspirational leader who can work independently with a high sense of urgency in a hands-on, active industrial team environment ("boots on the ground" engagement). Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing materials management organization, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related technical field (Master’s/MBA preferred).
• Minimum 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in materials management, warehouse operations, or supply chain execution in a heavy industrial, chemical processing, mining, or complex manufacturing environment
• Minimum 5 years of direct experience with engineered spares and complex materials management programs integrating with plant maintenance and operations.
• Expert-level proficiency and hands-on operational leadership in SAP ERP/MRP systems.
• Advanced expertise in inventory optimization techniques, ABC classification, safety stock modeling, demand planning, and financial valuation metrics.
• Cross-Functional Communication: Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams, driving consensus across engineering, operations, and finance, and presenting strategic roadmaps to executive leadership.

Desired Qualities

• Warehouse Automation & Systems Design: Proven track record of evaluating and implementing automated warehouse solutions within heavy industrial settings.
• Transformation & Project Management: Deep experience managing large-scale supply chain transformation projects utilizing formal project management frameworks, LEAN, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Regulatory & Industrial Safety Standards: Strong working knowledge of OSHA, DOT, EHS, and HazMat regulatory frameworks governing chemical storage, reagent handling, and warehouse operation.
• Governance & Audit Compliance: Demonstrated capability to maintain strict SOX inventory compliance, internal control frameworks, and financial audit readiness across multi-warehouse environments.
• Continuous Improvement & Change Leadership: serve as a Change Champion leveraging ERP and data analytics to optimize supply chain efficiency, manage KPIs, and enhance decision-making.

The expected pay range for this position is $170,000 - $200,000. The actual pay rate offered may vary based on multiple factors including, but not limited to experience, knowledge, skills, and/or education.

MP Materials is Proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Aff...

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.

Safety Provision

Employees are responsible for following all company, industry and regulatory procedures and laws to ensure a safe work environment for themselves and the company. Employees must have a willingness to promote safety among the workforce, participate in Process Hazard Analysis procedures and Pre-Startup Safety Reviews.

Working Conditions

Our facility sits at an elevation of 4,700 feet. Employees may be subject to extreme weather conditions when working in an outdoor setting (heat and cold, wind). Work is at an open pit mine or manufacturing/chemical plant setting, which may include exposure to moving mechanical parts, toxic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, explosives, fumes, or airborne particles.

Physical Demands

manual dexterity; sense of touch; sense of smell; speaking clearly; hearing-speech range; hearing - all ranges; seeing, reading and comprehensions; seeing - distant/near; depth perception; color vision. While performing the job responsibilities, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to stand and use their hands and fingers, to handle or feel and to manipulate laboratory equipment. The employee is occasionally required to walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Employees must pass a full-face respiratory fit test. Employees must be able to lift 50 lbs. Must be able to work in PPE level C. These requirements are representative, but not all-inclusive, of the knowledge, skill, and ability required of the employee.