Director, Manufacturing Operational Excellence

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Full Time Management MAG - MP Magnetics LLC, Fort Worth, TX, US

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.

Position Overview:

MP Materials is looking for a Director of Manufacturing Operational Excellence who will be responsible for driving performance, efficiency, and continuous improvement across MP’s Magnetics division, leading the design, deployment, and continuous improvement of systems, processes, and capabilities to drive world‑class manufacturing performance. This role partners closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, EHS and Supply Chain to develop and execute an Operational Excellence roadmap to optimize materials flow, OEE, process capability, yield and all related data‑gathering and reporting systems to enable scalable, high‑yield manufacturing operations.

This leader will champion a culture of continuous improvement, data‑driven decision‑making, and accountability across all levels of the organization. Successful candidates will blend technical depth, leadership & mentoring capability, and proven experience in transforming operations and organizations.

Position Responsibilities:

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position; it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions associated with the position. The Director of Manufacturing Operational Excellence will be required to perform a full range of responsibilities, including without limitation:

Operational Excellence Strategy & Deployment

• Develop and execute a plant‑wide Operational Excellence strategy aligned with business objectives (capacity, yield, cost, quality, delivery).
• Establish standardized methodologies for continuous improvement across manufacturing (Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, etc.).
• Build and sustain governance systems to track performance, prioritize initiatives, and deliver measurable results.

Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving

• Lead structured root cause analysis and corrective action processes (e.g., Fishbone, 5 Why, PFMEA).
• Drive resolution of critical manufacturing issues impacting yield, scrap, throughput, and reliability.
• Facilitate cross‑functional “tiger teams” to address complex production challenges.

Process Capability & Manufacturing Performance

• Identify and execute initiatives to improve process capability, cycle time, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Implement robust process control systems to reduce variability and improve predictability.
• Lead efforts to improve first‑pass yield and reduce scrap, rework, and defects.

Systems & Tools Development

• Standardize and deploy problem‑solving tools, reporting systems, and performance dashboards across the organization.
• Ensure effective use of digital tools and platforms for tracking improvement activities and validating results, including IIOT and Industry 4.0 technologies.
• Establish data‑driven performance management systems across operations.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, mentor,…