Position Overview:

The Plant Operation Project Manager is responsible for the full lifecycle management of capital projects supporting USA Rare Earth's NdFeB magnet manufacturing facility. This role drives project setup and financial tracking in Microsoft Business Central, detailed scheduling in Smartsheet, vendor selection, budget reporting to Finance, and executive-level project reporting. The role spans a diverse portfolio of engineering expansion, maintenance, R&D, new equipment installation, and plant upgrade projects. The ideal candidate thrives in a high-growth startup environment, brings strong financial and organizational acumen, and communicates complex project data with clarity to both technical teams and senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities:
• Set up and maintain projects in Microsoft Business Central, including project codes, cost centers, WBS structures, and budget allocations.
• Develop and manage detailed project schedules using Smartsheet across engineering expansion, maintenance, R&D, new equipment installation, and plant upgrade projects.
• Own project budget tracking and cost forecasting; prepare regular variance reports and financial summaries for the Finance team.
• Lead vendor selection processes including RFP/RFQ development, bid evaluation, technical and commercial comparisons, and contract award recommendations.
• Develop and deliver clear project status reports and executive dashboards covering scope, schedule, budget, and risk for leadership review.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Operations, Finance, Procurement, EHS) to ensure alignment and timely decision-making.
• Manage project scope, change order control, risk identification, and mitigation planning throughout project execution.
• Support commissioning and formal project closeout, including as-built documentation, final cost reconciliation, and lessons-learned capture.
• Ensure all capital projects comply with applicable safety, regulatory, and quality standards.
• Maintain accurate project records and documentation in accordance with USARE PMO standards.

Knowledge, Skills &Abilities:
• Microsoft Excel (Required): Advanced proficiency for budget modeling, cost tracking, variance analysis, and project reporting.
• Microsoft Business Central: Experience with Business Central or similar ERP for project setup, cost coding, and financial management.
• Smartsheet: Proficiency for project scheduling, milestone tracking, and cross-team collaboration.
• Power BI (Nice to Have): Familiarity building executive dashboards and visualizing project portfolio data.
• Microsoft Office Suite: Full proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
• Capital Project Lifecycle: Solid understanding of FEL, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning phases.
• Financial Acumen: Ability to read and interpret project financials, cost reports, and budget forecasts; comfortable presenting financial data to non-financial stakeholders.
• Communication & Reporting: Strong written and verbal skills; ability to tailor messaging for technical teams and executive audiences.
• Multi-Project Management: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Minimum Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of project management experience in a manufacturing, industrial, or capital projects environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing capital project budgets, cost tracking, and financial reporting.
• Experience with ERP systems (Microsoft Business Central preferred) for project financial management.
• PMP certification preferred; candidates actively pursuing certification will be considered.
• Familiarity with magnet manufacturing or process/industrial manufacturing environments is a plus.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and distance vision. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand, move, sit, carry, bend, kneel, reach, push, pull, lift, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel, and talk and hear. May be required to lift and move boxes or packages not exceeding 20 pounds in weight. Some work stress inherent to the position and extended work hours may be required.

Work Environment:

This role is primarily office-based with regular access to the manufacturing plant floor. Occasional travel to vendor sites, contractor facilities, and project locations may be required. Noise level: Variable - normal office environment to manufacturing floor (PPE required in production areas).

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required of personnel so classified. Reporting relationships may not reflect the most recent changes to the organization.