Senior Manager, Applications Engineering

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 Senior Manager of Applications Engineering will be a leader by example, action-oriented, willing to get their hands dirty, and have experience leading technical teams. The successful candidate will play a critical role in identifying current and future product value by synthesizing customer needs, market trends, representing the voice of the customer within the broader technical team. They will use their deep understanding of relevant manufacturing processes to recommend and design NdFeB magnets that can be produced safely, efficiently, and repeatably.

The successful candidate for this role will understand how customers use the unique properties of rare earth permanent magnets across a variety of end use applications, as well as the broad range of chemical, mechanical, and thermal processes used to produce magnets, magnet assemblies, and electric motors, and will be experienced at working with customers in design and quoting processes.

• Lead the team that acts as the primary technical contact with existing and potential customers in designing, prototyping, and transitioning products into manufacturing.
• Manage the technical interface between customers and cross-functional MP Materials teams that design and manufacture rare earth magnets.
• Act as the hands-on leader of a team of engineers and technicians, using excellent communication and organizational skills to direct their activities.
• Develop tools and methods to succinctly summarize and communicate project status.
• Control budget and timing of internal and customer-facing applications development projects.
• Organize and adjust both short and long duration team goals based on current business conditions and evolving customer and market needs.
• Identify value opportunities for MP Materials products, to be realized through applications engineering, product or process development, continuous improvement activities, or long-term strategic initiatives.
• Work closely with EHS to ensure that all work is done to ensure world class health and safety, and full compliance with relevant environmental regulations.
• Other duties as assigned.

• BS or higher in Materials, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, or other relevant disciplines.
• Working knowledge of rare earth magnets and/or permanent magnet motors, actuators, and sensors including end use applications and key performance metrics.
• Experience working directly with external customers to understand technical needs and translate them into operational actions.
• At least 5 years of experience managing a technical team.
• Experience partnering with commercial teams to generate product specifications and quotations.
• Understanding of the cost, yield and quality of manufactured product(s).
• Experience with material manufacturing, particularly NdFeB magnet manufacturing.
• Ability to effectively communicate with a spectrum of different roles, from customers to senior leaders to manufacturing operators.
• Ability to lead teams solving customer problems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare well-written documents for reporting to…