Category Specialist, Equipment & Materials

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.

The Category Specialist – Equipment & Materials is responsible for developing and executing category strategies for key operational spend areas—including heavy equipment, MRO, and critical materials—to help ensure operational continuity, cost competitiveness, and supply assurance across MP Materials’ mining and manufacturing operations.

This role partners closely with Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, and Finance to optimize total cost of ownership, manage supplier performance, and mitigate supply chain risk.

• Develop and execute category strategies that align with operational requirements, cost objectives, and long‑term business goals.
• Develop sourcing strategies for equipment and materials categories with a focus on technical specifications, lifecycle value, and ensuring reliable availability of essential operational assets.
• Lead sourcing activities—including supplier identification, competitive bidding, negotiations, and contract execution—to secure optimal commercial and operational outcomes.
• Conduct economic analysis including cost modeling, TCO analysis, and development of business cases to support sourcing decisions and value‑creation initiatives.
• Continuously monitor market conditions, supply markets, cost drivers, and commercial trends to inform category strategies and risk‑mitigation plans.
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Planning, and Finance teams to forecast demand, ensure supply continuity, and support major projects and production requirements.
• Partner with Legal team to ensure alignment on commercial terms, risk allocation, and contract lifecycle management.
• Manage supplier relationships through performance reviews, scorecards, corrective actions, and long‑term continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify and mitigate supply chain risks through contingency planning, dual‑sourcing strategies, and capacity or inventory buffers as needed.
• Maintain accurate supplier, pricing, and contract data within ERP and procurement systems while ensuring adherence to procurement policies and governance.
• Prepare and present category strategies, KPIs, supplier performance results, financial impacts, and risk assessments to leadership and key stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Finance or related field. Master’s degree or advanced degree preferred.
• 2‑5 years of progressive experience in category management, procurement, strategic sourcing, or supply chain.
• Experience in industrial, manufacturing, mining, or heavy‑asset environments, with specific experience managing equipment and materials categories.
• Strong analytical skills, including spend analysis, cost modeling, and supplier evaluation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with ERP/procurement systems (SAP or similar).
• Ability to travel ~10‑20% to MP Materials locations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and align cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities, including spend analysis, cost modeling, TCO…