Manufacturing Project Engineer

Manufacturing Project Engineer

We are on a mission to become a leading supplier of critical materials that enable the green energy and technology revolution. Our materials and technologies are required for the electric vehicle, green energy, consumer electronics, and defense industries, and our battery grade lithium and tech metals are needed for chipsets, semiconductors, and 5G.

By developing this fully integrated, US-based "mine-to-magnet" critical mineral supply chain, we are poised to become the leading domestic supplier to these industries.

The Manufacturing Project Engineer supports a rare earth magnet production facility during a rapid scale-up phase within an early-stage public company. This role executes and coordinates capital and process engineering projects that enable pilot-to-commercial transition and future plant expansion. The position operates in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with significant cross-functional interaction and increasing ownership as the engineering organization scales.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan and execute manufacturing and capital projects across pilot, scale-up, and early production stages.
• Develop and manage project scope, schedules, budgets, and deliverables.
• Support equipment installation, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Conduct engineering reviews to support process improvements and facility expansion.
• Track project performance; identify risks, delays, and corrective actions.
• Analyze production and equipment data to support troubleshooting and continuous improvement.
• Prepare technical documentation (PFDs, P&IDs, work instructions, project reports).
• Coordinate internal teams and external contractors/vendors to ensure project execution.
• Support equipment selection, specification, and procurement.
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory standards in a public-company environment.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong understanding of manufacturing engineering and project execution in industrial environments.
• Experience in scale-up, pilot plants, or capital project delivery preferred.
• Familiarity with chemical, metallurgical, or materials processing systems a plus.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and process documentation.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills in operational settings.
• Effective communicator across engineering, operations, and vendor teams.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Proficiency with project tracking tools (e.g., MS Project, Excel).

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Materials, Industrial, or related field).
• 2–4 years of engineering experience in manufacturing or capital project environments.
• Experience in pilot-scale, commissioning, or scale-up environments preferred.
• Exposure to metals, chemicals, or advanced materials processing preferred.

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.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, move, sit, carry, bend, kneel, reach, push, pull, lift, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel, and talk and hear. May be required to lift and move boxes or packages not exceeding 20 pounds in weight. Some work stress inherent to the position and extended work hours may be required.

The work environment will be an office environment, manufacturing floor, and active construction site. Noise level: Normal office noises, manufacturing noises, construction noises

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.