Director, Materials Management

MP Materials • Mountain Pass, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Materials Management will be a part of Supply Chain function and will serve as a strategic and operational leader responsible for driving warehouse operations, inventory optimization, and material management strategy. This position is accountable for the end-to-end efficiency, accuracy, and material traceability of raw materials, bulk reagents, and maintenance spare parts required to support MP Materials mission. In addition to day-to-day operational execution, this role leads transformation initiatives—leveraging deep SAP/ERP expertise to implement warehouse automation, eliminate operational bottlenecks, and implement LEAN principles. The Director provides robust cross-functional leadership, aligning supply chain workflows with Site Operations, Maintenance, EHS, Procurement, and Finance to ensure high plant uptime, inventory integrity, traceability, and strict safety and environmental governance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a related technical field (Master’s/MBA preferred).
• Minimum 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in materials management, warehouse operations, or supply chain execution in a heavy industrial, chemical processing, mining, or complex manufacturing environment
• Minimum 5 years of direct experience with engineered spares and complex materials management programs integrating with plant maintenance and operations.
• Expert-level proficiency and hands-on operational leadership in SAP ERP/MRP systems.
• Advanced expertise in inventory optimization techniques, ABC classification, safety stock modeling, demand planning, and financial valuation metrics.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams, driving consensus across engineering, operations, and finance, and presenting strategic roadmaps to executive leadership.

Nice To Haves

• Proven track record of evaluating and implementing automated warehouse solutions within heavy industrial settings.
• Deep experience managing large-scale supply chain transformation projects utilizing formal project management frameworks, LEAN, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA, DOT, EHS, and HazMat regulatory frameworks governing chemical storage, reagent handling, and warehouse operation.
• Demonstrated capability to maintain strict SOX inventory compliance, internal control frameworks, and financial audit readiness across multi-warehouse environments.
• Serve as a Change Champion leveraging ERP and data analytics to optimize supply chain efficiency, manage KPIs, and enhance decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Establish and implement policy and procedures for receiving, inventory management, storage, staging, and material delivery activities.
• Uphold strict safety, environmental, and HazMat storage protocols, driving zero-incident culture.
• Drive organizational alignment across Site Leadership, Operations, Maintenance, Procurement, EHS, and Finance to resolve material bottlenecks and align supply chain strategies with site production plans.
• Ensure maximum operational uptime and reliability by establishing continuous, predictable, and traceable material flow to ensure seamless support for plant operations.
• Coordinate SOX compliance and financial controls activities to insure inventory integrity.
• Develop comprehensive Materials Management and Inventory Management Strategies, Implementing Spares Programs, Asset Recovery Programs, Material Transfer Programs, as well as Consignment and VMI (vendor managed inventory) opportunities.
• Leverage technology to drive operational efficiency and scalability of warehouse operations to support rapid growth.
• Lead evaluation, selection, deployment of automation/digitization of processes/tracking tools/barcoding/dashboards/etc.
• Prevent stock outs, improve physical space utilization, shorten receiving and processing cycle times, partner with end users to leverage use of reservations and work orders.
• Act as a supportive and inspirational leader who can work independently with a high sense of urgency in a hands-on, active industrial team environment ("boots on the ground" engagement).
• Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing materials management organization, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational discipline.

Benefits

• Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer
• 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.
• Reasonable accommodation for candidates with disabilities.
• Compliance with federal law regarding identity and eligibility to work in the United States.
• Employees are responsible for following all company, industry and regulatory procedures and laws to ensure a safe work environment.
• Willingness to promote safety among the workforce, participate in Process Hazard Analysis procedures and Pre-Startup Safety Reviews.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required when performing work in a mine, manufacturing, outdoor, or plant environment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director