Plant Ops PM: Capital Projects & Budgeting

USA Rare Earth, Inc. (Nasdaq: USAR); Stillwater (OK); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

USA Rare Earth, Inc. in Stillwater, OK, seeks a Plant Operation Project Manager to oversee the full lifecycle of capital projects for our NdFeB magnet facility.

You will manage project setup in BC, scheduling in Smartsheet, budgeting, and executive reporting while coordinating across Engineering, Operations, Finance, Procurement, and EHS. The ideal candidate has 3–5 years of capital project management experience in manufacturing, strong financial acumen, and excellent communication skills for

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of project management experience in manufacturing, industrial, or capital projects.
• Demonstrated experience with capital project budgets, cost tracking, and financial reporting.
• Experience with ERP systems (Microsoft Business Central preferred) for project financial management.
• PMP certification preferred; candidates actively pursuing certification will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Set up and maintain projects in Microsoft Business Central, including project codes, cost centers, WBS structures, and budget allocations.
• Develop and manage detailed project schedules using Smartsheet across engineering expansion, maintenance, R&D, new equipment installation, and plant upgrade projects.
• Own project budget tracking and cost forecasting; prepare regular variance reports and financial summaries for the Finance team.
• Lead vendor selection processes including RFP/RFQ development, bid evaluation, technical and commercial comparisons, and contract award recommendations.
• Develop and deliver clear project status reports and executive dashboards covering scope, schedule, budget, and risk for leadership review.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Operations, Finance, Procurement, EHS) to ensure alignment and timely decision-making.
• Manage project scope, change order control, risk identification, and mitigation planning throughout project execution.
• Support commissioning and formal project closeout, including as-built documentation, final cost reconciliation, and lessons-learned capture.
• Ensure all capital projects comply with applicable safety, regulatory, and quality standards.
• Maintain accurate project records and documentation in accordance with USARE PMO standards.

Skills

Excel

Financial analysis

Communication

Multi-project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Business Central

Smartsheet

Power BI

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

USA Rare Earth, Inc. in Stillwater, OK, seeks a Plant Operation Project Manager to oversee the full lifecycle of capital projects for our NdFeB magnet facility.

You will manage project setup in BC, scheduling in Smartsheet, budgeting, and executive reporting while coordinating across Engineering, Operations, Finance, Procurement, and EHS. The ideal candidate has 3–5 years of capital project management experience in manufacturing, strong financial acumen, and excellent communication skills for