Manager, Process Engineering

MP Materials; Mountain Pass (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

MP Materials is seeking a Process Engineering Manager to lead a team of engineers in enhancing mineral processing operations at our Mountain Pass site. The role encompasses technical support for plant operations, team management, and the execution of engineering projects. Suitable candidates will possess a strong chemical engineering background and significant supervisory experience, contributing to the optimization of production and compliance with environmental standards.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in process engineering.
• 5+ years in a supervisory or managerial role.
• Extensive process design and process controls development experience.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a team of process engineers for plant operations.
• Proactive troubleshooting of plant performance issues.
• Engagement with plant operations to implement action plans.

Skills

Leadership

Process Improvement

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

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.

We hire ambitious, mission-driven people who want to tackle complex challenges and shape the future of strategic industries. Our culture is rooted in teamwork, resiliency, and integrity, with a deep commitment to operational excellence and national purpose. MP is rapidly evolving from a materials producer into a leading U.S. manufacturer—and our people are driving that transformation.

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 Process Engineering Manager supervises a team of process engineers that support mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, solvent extraction, product finishing, and utility systems for the entire mine site. The manager has responsibility over the technical support provided to plant operations, maintenance, and project engineering, and the successful execution of work in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner. This role requires an advanced technical background in chemical process engineering, extensive experience in chemical plant operations, and equal expertise in the management of a team of 12+ process engineers at various levels of experience.

Position Responsibilities:

• Management of the process engineering team in support of 24/7/365 plant operations.
• Provide sound leadership to the operation by first gaining a deep technical understanding of all aspects of the plant design, material and energy balance, process chemistry, and equipment.
• Proactive engagement when troubleshooting plant equipment or performance issues to ensure high yield, high uptime, and environmental compliance from all unit operations.
• Determine the needs of operations through daily engagement with operators, supervisors, EHS, maintenance, and other supporting staff, turning those requirements into action plans to be executed in a safe, timely, and organized manner.
• Provide mentorship to engineering staff and all levels of plant personnel to ensure sound engineering principles are followed in all work scopes: process design, standard and non-routine operations, planned and unplanned maintenance, process change management, capital project implementation, commissioning & startup, and various EHS initiatives.
• Continue to improve upon the existing Management of Change program, ensuring all plant modifications follow the program outline for technical justification, impact assessment, individual & group responsibilities, review & approvals, pre-startup safety reviews, and post-implementation review.
• Present weekly production and monthly cost reports to senior leadership.
• Manage comprehensive month-end assessment of all consumption and production entries in SAP.
• Collaborate with the process development engineering team on new plant initiatives and optimization efforts.
• Weekly engagement with the analytical lab to validate in-process and final product samples results are meeting the requirements of the facility for accuracy and timeliness.
• Monitor emails from plant personnel for mid-shift and end of shift reports when away from the plant, and takes calls on nights and weekends to provide continuous support to operations when needed.
• Complete any other tasks as needed or as directed by management.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.
• 15+ years of experience in process engineering in a chemical, mining, petroleum, or heavy industrial setting.
• 5+ years of experience in a supervisory or managerial role over engineering staff in a plant operation setting.
• Extensive process design experience, process controls development, material of construction selection, P&ID development, SOP development, operator training, KPI tracking, and continuous process improvement.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Valid driver’s license to drive company vehicles on and off property.

Desired Qualities

• 10+ years of experience in a management role over process engineers in a chemical plant setting.
• Engineering experience in many of the following unit operations or applications: milling, froth flotation, slurry transport, dry solids handling, dissolution reactors, precipitation reactors, various filtration equipment, centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, various heat exchangers, cooling towers, PLC control systems, solvent extraction, wet scrubbers, bag houses, dryers, calciners, crystallizers, RO water treatment plants, natural gas power plants, evaporation ponds, forced evaporation units.
• Experience working with SAP enterprise software.
• Project engineering or project management experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), statistical software, AutoCAD, and PI ProcessBook.
• Ability to travel as needed,

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 when prompted for HR; 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.