Maintenance Planner

MP Materials; Mountain Pass (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the rare earth supply chain is seeking a Maintenance Planner. The role involves complex planning and management of maintenance activities, including scheduling, inventory management, and collaboration with various teams. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in industrial settings, particularly in maintenance planning and operations. This position offers the chance to contribute to a significant transformation in the industry while fostering a positive team environment.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years as a maintenance planner in a mining/industrial facility.
• Skilled in SAP and Microsoft Office tools.

Responsibilities

• Determine job scope, materials, and equipment for maintenance tasks.
• Drive weekly scheduling meetings for maintenance jobs.
• Coordinate all maintenance shutdown activities.

Skills

Communication

Problem Solving

Time Management

Organization

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Company Overview:

MP Materials (NYSE: MP) 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.

Position Overview:

The Maintenance Planner, under direction, will be responsible for performing complex planning, analysis, record keeping, and other management reporting as it relates to the preventive and scheduled corrective maintenance, overhaul, and modifications. The Senior planner makes recommendations for action and assists in policy and procedure implementation; may direct the work of the office, technical support staff, or professionals, and performs related work as assigned.

Position Responsibilities:

• Determine and create new inventory requests and monitor existing inventories in conjunction with the warehouse; order required items to satisfy upcoming jobs.
• Obtain “work requests” and determine the job scope, materials, equipment, permits, craft, safety precautions, vendor/contractor support, and procedural steps would be necessary to complete the work in a timely and efficient manner. Determine cost and time estimate for planned work.
• Drive the Weekly Scheduling meeting by preparing a weekly forecast of all maintenance jobs to be executed the following week and gaining alignment with Operations and Supply Chain partners.
• Investigate mechanical problems that arise to determine the root cause of equipment failures; work with maintenance to establish countermeasures.
• Work with maintenance to write job plans in the maintenance, repair, modification, and troubleshooting of plant mechanical equipment.
• Assist with the development of post-work critiques. Facilitate interface between workgroups. Identify deficiencies, analyze alternatives, and recommend solutions to schedule conflicts. Communicate technical information, concepts, and ideas verbally and in writing.
• Provide daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly schedules of preventative maintenance and planned component replacement on all processing equipment.
• Support and manage the procurement of needed parts, vendor support, and any additional tooling/supplies on scheduled repairs.
• Responsible for coordinating all maintenance shutdown activities from the conceptual stage through to the start of work execution.
• Create and manage MS Project files for each shutdown. Populate the MS Project file with all shutdown work orders, required resources, and scheduling logic.
• Organize all resources required to execute the shutdown plan, including in-house labor, contractors if needed, tech support, rental equipment, specialty tools, consumables, etc.
• Work closely with planners to optimize MS Project Gantt charts prior to shut down and work with supervisors on work order scheduling and resource assignments.
• Collaborate and contribute to work progress meetings during shutdowns to capture actual versus baseline information. Collaborate and contribute to post shutdown review meetings to collect and analyze input from all parties to improve future shutdown planning.
• Audit SAP work order status and works with supervisors to ensure that all work orders are properly closed, and work requests are submitted for future shutdowns.
• Understand and comply with all company policies and procedures.
• Help to develop and train planners and supervisors to execute plans and track compliance to schedules.
• Coordinate with the RCM group to provide data to planners and supervisors to extend component life while reducing risk for high-cost repairs and downtime.
• Work with procurement to ensure Total Cost of Ownership is looked at in effort to lower costs and maximize efficiency of equipment.

Basic Qualifications:

• At least 5 years of experience as a maintenance planner required for a mining/industrial facility.
• 2 years of professional level experience management, systems, operations, budgetary, or similar plant position.
• Skilled in the use of SAP or other related CMMS and the Microsoft Office Suite of tools at a high proficiency level.
• Knowledge of electrical, instrumentation, and mechanical theories and principles required.
• Experience with rotating equipment, blueprints and drawings required.
• Must foster a positive team environment with engineers, management, craftspeople, and suppliers and contractors.
• Excellent technical, engineering, writing, time management, problem solving, organization and communication skills (both written and verbal) required. May occasionally lead E&I/Mechanical or safety team meetings and training.
• Prior outage experience and vendor management required.
• A Valid Driver’s License to drive company vehicles on and off property.

Desired Qualities:

• Writing job plans and campaigns.
• Develop reports.
• Utilize a variety of software.
• Strong communication, writing, and verbal skills.
• Ability to read and understand GA drawings, mechanical detailed drawings, P&ID's, technical instructions manuals, parts books.
• Ability to work in adverse conditions and manage change/priorities daily.
• Knowledge of a wide range of equipment and machinery operations is required.
• Ability to make semi-technical calculations involved in the plant maintenance area.
• Ability to use required tools and equipment and possess the capability to write complex repair plans and adjustments on plant equipment.
• Ability to read prints and the ability to write troubleshooting and repair plans on plant equipment.

MP Materials is Proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

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 702-844-6111; dial 7; 1700 South Pavilion Center Dr. 8th Floor, Las Vegas, NV 89135 to discuss reasonable accommodation.

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.

(PPE) Personal Protective Equipment is required when performing work in a mine, manufacturing, outdoor, or plant environment. Required PPE may include, but is not limited to, hard hat, hearing protection, safety glasses, safety footwear, respirator, rubber steel-toe boots, protective clothing, gloves, and any other protective equipment as required.

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.