Manager, IT (M&P)

USA Rare Earth, LLC; Wheat Ridge (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

USA Rare Earth, LLC is seeking a hands-on IT lead for our Wheat Ridge facility, overseeing a mixed corporate IT, lab, and OT environment. You will set priorities, manage relationships with third parties, and report to the Head of IT Upstream and SVP of Mining.

The role requires strong technical skills, autonomous work style, and on-site visibility across teams. The successful candidate will manage Windows/server and cloud infrastructure, administer M365, and drive site IT projects while ensuring

Qualifications

• 7+ years in hands-on IT support, systems administration or a generalist IT role.
• Proven experience as the sole or lead IT resource on a site, autonomously.
• Strong Windows Server and Windows desktop administration in a production environment.
• Hands-on Microsoft 365 administration and troubleshooting.
• Demonstrable experience managing vendors, MSPs and service providers to agreed SLAs.
• Track record of delivering IT projects on time and within budget.
• Experience working to central or group IT standards and policy.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve local network, server and cloud infrastructure (Azure / AWS as applicable).
• Administer Microsoft 365 day to day across Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and Entra ID, covering identities, licensing, mailboxes, permissions and MFA.
• Build, deploy and support Windows desktops and laptops to a consistent standard, and support industrial IT/OT applications and integrations (iPaaS, API gateway, EDI/AS2/VAN).
• Own ISP, managed service provider and hardware/software supplier relationships, holding them to account on SLAs, response times, service quality and value for money.
• Coordinate site visits, contractor access and third-party works with minimal disruption.
• Support contract renewals, quotes and purchasing, manage site IT spend and identify cost savings.
• Plan and deliver site technology projects – rollouts, upgrades, migrations and refreshes – managing scope, timelines, budget and risk while keeping stakeholders informed.
• Represent Wheat Ridge on wider USA Rare Earth programmes and Group IT initiatives, and scope new technology that improves site capability and productivity.
• Own the ticket queue end to end to meet SLAs, resolve escalated issues independently, run onboarding and offboarding, and be visible on the floor coaching users.
• Apply Group IT security and governance policy locally, escalating incidents promptly and maintaining the security of site data, systems and networks.
• Own local business continuity and disaster recovery, testing backup, recovery and continuity arrangements regularly.
• Support risk assessments, audits and compliance across SOX and NIST-aligned controls, and manage data in line with privacy requirements.

Skills

Lead IT

Vendor management

Windows Server

M365 administration

Cloud platforms

Project delivery

Security/compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in IT or related field

Tools

Azure

AWS

Microsoft 365

Job description

Position Overview

This role is the primary IT presence at our Wheat Ridge facility, serving as the go-to technology lead across a mixed environment of corporate IT, laboratory systems, and operational technology as the site scales. The right person is a hands-on, technically strong generalist and self-starter who sets their own priorities and works without close supervision, reporting to the Head of IT Upstream and locally to the SVP of Mining. Success here depends as much on relationships as on technology — you’ll need to be visible on site, trusted across every team, and confident holding third parties accountable for service and value.

Key Responsibilities

Infrastructure, Cloud, and End User Computing

• Maintain and improve local network, server and cloud infrastructure (Azure / AWS as applicable), including scheduled maintenance of all relevant systems.
• Administer Microsoft 365 day to day across Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and Entra ID, covering identities, licensing, mailboxes, permissions and MFA.
• Build, deploy and support Windows desktops and laptops to a consistent standard, and support industrial IT/OT applications and integrations (iPaaS, API gateway, EDI/AS2/VAN).

Vendor & Third-Party Management

• Own ISP, managed service provider and hardware/software supplier relationships, holding them to account on SLAs, response times, service quality and value for money.
• Coordinate site visits, contractor access and third-party works with minimal disruption.
• Support contract renewals, quotes and purchasing, manage site IT spend and identify cost savings.

Project Delivery & User Support

• Plan and deliver site technology projects – rollouts, upgrades, migrations and refreshes – managing scope, timelines, budget and risk while keeping stakeholders informed.
• Represent Wheat Ridge on wider USA Rare Earth programmes and Group IT initiatives, and scope new technology that improves site capability and productivity.
• Own the ticket queue end to end to meet SLAs, resolve escalated issues independently, run onboarding and offboarding, and be visible on the floor coaching users.

Security, Compliance, & Continuity

• Apply Group IT security and governance policy locally, escalating incidents promptly and maintaining the security of site data, systems and networks.
• Own local business continuity and disaster recovery, testing backup, recovery and continuity arrangements regularly.
• Support risk assessments, audits and compliance across SOX and NIST-aligned controls, and manage data in line with privacy requirements.

Qualifications

Required

• 7+ years in hands-on IT support, systems administration or a generalist IT role, including time in a lead capacity.
• Proven experience as the sole or lead IT resource on a site, working autonomously.
• Strong Windows Server and Windows desktop administration in a production environment.
• Hands-on Microsoft 365 administration and troubleshooting.
• Demonstrable experience managing vendors, MSPs and service providers to agreed SLAs.
• Track record of delivering IT projects on time and within budget.
• Experience working to central or group IT standards and policy.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred

• Experience in mining, engineering or industrial settings.
• Experience with mine development & geology applications
• Exposure to OT, mining or production systems.
• Experience supporting a site within a wider international group.
• Experience with ERP systems and database management.
• Working knowledge of ITIL or similar service management practice.
• Familiarity with SOX, NIST, ISO 27001 or comparable frameworks.
• Microsoft certifications across Azure, M365 or Windows Server.
• CompTIA, PRINCE2, PMP, CISSP or networking vendor certifications.

Skills

Technical

• Windows Server, including AD, Group Policy, DNS/DHCP, file and print services.
• Windows 10/11 desktop build, deployment and support.
• Microsoft 365 administration across Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint and Entra ID.
• Networking, including switching, wireless, firewalls, VPN and ISP connectivity.
• Backup, recovery and endpoint security tooling.
• Cloud platform administration (Azure, AWS or Google Cloud) and enterprise applications.

Professional

• Excellent interpersonal skills, building rapport and trust quickly at all levels.
• Self-starter who sets priorities and drives work without close supervision.
• Confident managing third parties and holding suppliers to account.
• Clear communicator who translates technical detail into business terms for non-technical colleagues.
• Collaborative approach to working with colleagues across multiple sites and time zones.

Work Environment

The work environment will be a mix of a typical office environment and a lab environment.

_ The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. _

_ USA Rare Earth proudly supports Equal Employment Opportunities _

USA Rare Earth’s policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and will provide reasonable accommodations according to applicable federal, state, and/or local laws.

For assistance applying for employment through this site due to disability, please contact Human Resources, [e-mail], to discuss reasonable accommodations.