Associate, Upstream Business Development

Who we are:

We are on a mission to become a leading supplier of critical materials that enable the green energy and technology revolution.  Our materials and technologies are required for the electric vehicle, green energy, consumer electronics, and defense industries, and our battery grade lithium and tech metals are needed 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. We have also developed the United States’ first rare earth and critical minerals processing facility and we own the only scalable, sintered neo-magnet manufacturing system in the Western Hemisphere. By developing this fully integrated, US-based “mine-to-magnet” critical mineral supply chain, we are poised to become the leading domestic supplier to these industries.

What you can expect:

At USA Rare Earth, we are pioneers and problem solvers, technologists and team players. Together, we:

Build Solutions: If our task was a simple one, it would already be done. We are creative and solution-oriented, and we think outside the box to solve important problems. We know that a range of expertise and technologies is needed for success, and we work across sectors and alongside customers to deliver world-class solutions in sustainable ways.

Deliver Quality: When we do things, we do them well. We believe that top-tier quality leads to industry competitiveness and we hold ourselves to the highest quality standards. We move fast when executing, but safety, quality, and excellence always come first.

Lead responsibly: We have a responsibility to the planet, our consumers, our country, and each other. We put safety at the center of all we do, take accountability for our actions, incorporate sustainable practices in our processes and act with the financial best interest of our investors and consumers in mind.

Win Together: Establishing a rare earth magnet supply chain is a big undertaking – and getting there is a team effort. We communicate openly, work together and challenge each other in pursuit of our goals. With every step we take we learn and get better.

Position Summary

The Associate, Upstream Business Development will serve as the operational backbone of the Upstream Business Development (BD) function, ensuring seamless execution, coordination, and momentum across all Upstream BD activities.

This role is internally focused, responsible for maintaining pipeline tracking and visibility, driving workflows and processes, and coordinating cross-functional efforts across Commercial, Legal, Finance, and Technical teams. The position is designed to enable BD leadership to focus on strategic partner relationships and deal structuring by owning the "how" and "when" of execution.

As the business pipeline matures, this role may expand to support less complex partner engagements, while strategic partner ownership remains with senior BD leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Pipeline Tracking & Visibility

• Maintain centralized BD pipeline tracker and monitor progress against milestones and targets.
• Provide clear visibility into deal status and risks and deliver executive summaries and reports.
• Maintain standardized templates and documentation systems to improve efficiency and execution consistency.

Workflow & Process Ownership

• Support document workflows including drafting coordination, version control, and approvals for LOIs, MOUs, and commercial agreements.
• Prepare internal briefing materials, meeting agendas, and briefing notes.
• Able to manage a portfolio of concurrent agreements and track milestones, renewals, and obligations without losing quality.
• Potential to lead coordination for less complex partner engagements as directed by senior BD leadership as pipeline matures.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Coordinate across Commercial, Legal, Finance, and Technical teams to align stakeholders on timelines and deliverables.
• Drive timelines and identify blockers to ensure no gaps in follow-through across active deals.
• Track and close action items across stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong written and verbal communication; able to synthesize complex information into concise, executive-ready outputs. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional workflows and drive execution across multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Excellent organization, prioritization, and attention to detail.
• Intellectual curiosity and comfort with ambiguity and a fast-moving environment.
• Knowledge of leading AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot) as day-to-day productivity multipliers. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, plus 2+ years of relevant experience in business development operations, project management, or a related function.
• In lieu of a bachelor's degree, 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in business development operations, project management, or a related function is acceptable.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States and able to satisfy any export-control or eligibility requirements applicable to USA Rare Earth's business.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with commercial agreement structures including LOIs, MOUs, and offtake agreements.
• Experience with a CRM or comparable sales management system.
• Experience in the critical minerals, energy, or industrial manufacturing sectors.

Work Environment 

The work environment will be a typical office environment.   Noise level: Normal office and lab noises.

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. 

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, skills required of personnel so classified. The reporting relationship may not reflect the most recent changes to the corporate reporting structure.

USA Rare Earth proudly supports Equal Employment Opportunities

USA Rare Earth's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and will provide reasonable accommodations according to applicable federal, state, and/or local laws.

For assistance applying for employment through this site due to disability, please contact Human Resources, hr@usare.com, to discuss reasonable accommodations.