Director, Facilities & Maintenance

MP Materials Corp.•Fort Worth, TX

About The Position

We are seeking a highly technical, hands-on Director, Facilities and Maintenance to provide both strategic and tactical leadership to the maintenance and reliability of a multi-site metal, alloy and magnet-making operation. This will be a senior operational leadership position responsible for ensuring all facilities, production assets, utilities, and critical infrastructure operate safely, efficiently, and reliably, and will require strong organizational, process, and management skills. The successful candidate will develop a long‑term strategy for equipment uptime, plant availability, and infrastructure investments while continuously driving day‑to‑day performance improvement. They will integrate reliability engineering principles into maintenance and facilities operations to reduce unplanned downtime, increase asset life, and support safe, high‑volume manufacturing. This is a rare opportunity to have a vital role in the development and operation of multiple advanced manufacturing facilities, including existing and new greenfield facilities, that are helping to define the future of American manufacturing. The facilities include a mix of office, laboratory, and manufacturing spaces, and contain a broad range of chemical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal processes. The successful candidate will need to be ready and excited to manage facilities including high temperature chemistry, handling of molten metals, powder metallurgy, machining, chemical finishing, assembly, and packaging. The Director, Facilities and Maintenance will be expected to actively engage with a range of technical specialists to gain a working understanding of the physical processes, key control metrics, and potential hazards involved. The individual will be accountable for achieving functional goals, establishing financial plans that are consistent with the business needs, and supplying best-in-class maintenance service and facility and process uptime through the execution of an effective maintenance excellence program.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in Engineering or relevant discipline.
10-15 years’ experience in plant maintenance operations in a high-reliability industrial manufacturing environment (e.g. materials processing, automotive, electronics, aerospace).
Strong knowledge of industrial maintenance processes, equipment, and systems, including pumps, compressors, reactors, heat exchangers, vacuum systems, industrial gases and instrumentation.
Strong knowledge of facility systems such as HVAC, condenser water towers, and chilled water systems.
Proficiency in computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), with SAP experience preferred, and Microsoft Office Suite.
Willingness to work flexible hours, including during both regular business hours from Monday to Friday and including weekends and holidays when required for operational needs or to address maintenance emergencies.
Minimum 10 years of experience in maintenance leadership roles.
Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects.
Knowledge of both continuous and discrete operations and associated maintenance practices.
Ability to recruit, hire, and develop a large, cross-functional team.
Ability to work with internal customers and external agencies for compliance & controls.
Outstanding interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, with the ability to interact with all levels of people within and outside the organization.
Candidates must be prepared to undergo a comprehensive background check.
Strong writing and interpersonal skills, fluently read, speak, and write the English language.

Responsibilities

Own the total maintenance program including preventive, predictive, and autonomous maintenance.
Develop and manage a comprehensive maintenance plan for all equipment, capital assets, and infrastructure.
Plan and coordinate maintenance projects, including shutdowns and turnarounds, ensuring timely completion within budget constraints.
Ensure work order management, spare parts strategy, inventory control, and CMMS optimization.
Maintain and update maintenance records, work orders, and documentation to ensure accurate historical records and compliance with regulatory standards.
Lead the planning and execution of construction, installation, and commissioning projects across both existing and new greenfield facilities.
Lead and participate in root cause analysis investigations for equipment failures and incidents, implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Drive Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and uptime improvements.
Oversee all site facilities operations, including building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, structural) and grounds.
Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, fire protection standards, electrical safety, and environmental regulations.
Lead utilities management (power distribution, compressed air, chilled water, water treatment, gas systems).
Maintain and repair office, laboratory, and manufacturing facility, grounds, and infrastructure to exacting standards.
Identify training needs for maintenance staff and facilitate skill development and training programs.
Work with procurement and engineering teams to build critical spares lists and maintain appropriate inventory and contingencies.
Integrate reliability engineering methodologies across facilities and production equipment.
Document and maintain safe work instructions for the repair of equipment and facilities.
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.
Implement safety best practices in maintenance procedures (e.g. LOTO, arc flash, confined space, hot work, energy isolation).
Other duties as assigned.