Supply Chain Manager - Rare Earth Metals

Ford Motor Company • Dearborn, MI

15d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?
In this position...

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree: Required in Supply Chain Management, Mining Engineering, Geology, Chemical Engineering, or International Business. An MBA is a plus.
• Experience: 7+ years in global procurement or supply chain management, with at least 3 years specifically focused on metals, minerals, or complex chemical commodities.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of the "Mine-to-Magnet" value chain and the specific processing challenges of lanthanides.
• Contract Negotiation: Proven track record of handling high-stakes, multi-million dollar negotiations.
• Technical Literacy: Ability to discuss material science properties (e.g., coercivity, remanence) with engineering teams.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to look 5–10 years into the future to anticipate supply bottlenecks.
• Resilience: Comfort working in a high-pressure, "frontier" market environment.
• Cultural Intelligence: Experience working with international suppliers across different time zones and business cultures.

Nice To Haves

• Existing relationships with major REE producers and processors globally.
• Familiarity with the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) standards.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Sourcing & Procurement
• Develop and execute a global sourcing strategy for Rare Earth Elements (REE) and permanent magnets (NdFeB).
• Identify, vet, and onboard upstream miners, midstream refiners, and downstream magnet manufacturers.
• Negotiate multi-year Long-Term Agreements (LTAs) to secure volume guarantees and price stability.
• Collaborate with Engineering to understand technical specifications and potential substitutions for heavy rare earths.
• Risk Mitigation & Geopolitical Analysis
• Monitor global geopolitical trends, trade policies, and export controls that impact REE availability.
• Develop "China Plus One" strategies to diversify the supply chain and reduce dependency on single-region sourcing.
• Create contingency plans and buffer stock strategies to protect against sudden market disruptions.
• Sustainability & ESG Compliance
• Ensure all suppliers adhere to strict Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards.
• Implement traceability protocols (e.g., blockchain or audited chain of custody) to ensure metals are mined and processed ethically.
• Partner with recycling firms to develop "circular economy" initiatives for recovering rare earths from end-of-life components.
• Market Intelligence & Financial Analysis
• Conduct deep-dive market analysis on REE pricing indices and supply-demand balances.
• Manage total cost of ownership (TCO) models, including raw material indexing (RMI) and currency fluctuations.
• Provide regular briefings to executive leadership on supply chain health and cost projections.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Work closely with Manufacturing and Logistics to ensure timely delivery of materials to production sites.
• Interface with Government Affairs to stay informed on domestic mining subsidies and critical mineral grants (e.g., Inflation Reduction Act requirements).

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees