Senior Buyer

About USA Rare Earth

USA Rare Earth is on a mission to become a leading supplier of critical materials essential for the green energy and technology revolution. Our materials and technologies are vital for the electric vehicle, green energy, consumer electronics, and defense industries, including battery-grade lithium and tech metals for chipsets, semiconductors, and 5G. We have a substantial interest in the Round Top, Heavy Rare Earth, Lithium, and Critical Minerals deposit in West Texas. Furthermore, we have developed the United States’ first rare earth and critical minerals processing facility and own the only scalable, sintered neo-magnet manufacturing system in the Western Hemisphere. By establishing this fully integrated, US-based “mine-to-magnet” critical mineral supply chain, we are positioned to be the premier domestic supplier to these crucial industries.

What You Can Expect at USA Rare Earth

At USA Rare Earth, we cultivate a team of pioneers, problem solvers, technologists, and collaborators. Together, we embody the following values:

• Build Solutions: We are driven by creativity and a solution-oriented mindset, thinking outside the box to tackle complex challenges. We leverage diverse expertise and technologies, collaborating across sectors and with customers to deliver world-class, sustainable solutions.
• Deliver Quality: Excellence is our standard. We believe top-tier quality ensures industry competitiveness and uphold the highest standards in everything we do. While we execute swiftly, safety, quality, and excellence are always paramount.
• Lead Responsibly: We recognize our responsibility to the planet, our consumers, our country, and each other. Safety is central to all our operations, we take accountability for our actions, integrate sustainable practices, and act in the financial best interest of our investors and consumers.
• Win Together: Establishing a rare earth magnet supply chain is a monumental undertaking that requires collective effort. We foster open communication, collaborative teamwork, and constructive challenge in pursuit of our shared goals, continuously learning and improving with every step.

The Senior Buyer Role

USA Rare Earth is seeking a highly skilled Senior Buyer to support and scale company-wide procurement operations during a period of rapid growth. This role functions as a hands-on senior contributor while also serving as a team lead, offering daily guidance, prioritization, and mentorship to the Procurement Team. The Senior Buyer will manage complex sourcing initiatives, lead procurement activities, and act as the primary escalation point for procurement execution issues. This position is designed to progress into a Procurement Manager role based on performance and business needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement activities for inventory, spare parts, maintenance, construction, time-critical, and high-value purchases, including RFQ/RFPs, negotiations, PO issuance, expediting, and delivery coordination.
• Support sourcing and procurement of direct materials, indirect spend, services, projects, and capital expenditure related purchases, as required.
• Drive best-value procurement decisions, considering total cost of ownership and business requirements.
• Partner with engineering, maintenance, operations, finance, and project teams to align procurement execution with business needs.
• Serve as day-to-day lead for the procurement team, providing task prioritization, guidance, and escalation support.
• Support the development and enforcement of procurement policies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and documentation standards.
• Identify and qualify new suppliers; negotiate pricing, lead times, and terms.
• Build long-term strategic relationships with key suppliers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
• Communicate procurement status, risks, and constraints clearly and proactively.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier master data, and documentation for audit-readiness.
• Assist with system implementations and support the development of procurement Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and dashboards.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, workload optimization, and efficiency gains.

Qualifications

• 6-10+ years of progressive procurement or supply chain experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or a related field strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex sourcing and negotiations.
• Strong understanding of the procurement lifecycle, supplier management, and purchasing systems, with a preference for experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Exposure to inventory management, Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO), Capital Expenditure (Capex) sourcing, and/or industrial equipment procurement.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Advanced organizational, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.
• Ability to work on Central time.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting SOP development, audit readiness, and SOX compliance.
• Solid understanding of Incoterms & tariff implications.
• Demonstrated interest in people leadership and team development.
• Ability to travel up to 25% on an as-needed basis.

Physical Demands

The work environment will be a mix of a typical office environment, a manufacturing floor, and a construction site. Noise level will be normal for office, manufacturing, and construction settings. The physical demands described are representative of those an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job; reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

Key skills/competency

• Procurement Lifecycle
• Strategic Sourcing
• Supplier Negotiation
• Inventory Management
• MRO Procurement
• Capex Sourcing
• Team Leadership
• Process Improvement
• Contract Management
• ERP Systems