Maintenance Technician

Job Summary:
We are looking for a proactive and technically skilled Maintenance Technician to support both engineering projects and day‑to‑day maintenance activities within our metal and alloys facility. Working in an environment that includes high‑temperature furnaces, complex mechanical systems, and critical production equipment, you will play a key role in ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the plant.

This role combines hands‑on engineering with project delivery, giving you the opportunity to lead upgrades, support continuous improvement initiatives, and contribute to long‑term asset reliability. You will work closely with production, maintenance, and HSE teams to diagnose issues, optimize equipment performance, and deliver engineering solutions that support operational targets.

The ideal candidate will be a multi‑skilled engineer with a strong mechanical background, a commitment to safety, and a desire to grow within a fast‑paced industrial environment. Whether you’re supporting furnace rebuilds, improving cooling systems, or driving preventative maintenance, your work will directly impact uptime, product quality, and site performance.

As part of this role, you will be required to travel to our UK site for an initial training period. During this time, you will learn Less Common Metals’ processes, standards, and operating methods. You will then serve as the trainer and team lead for the US site once operations commence, ensuring knowledge transfer and consistent global standards.

Key Responsibilities

Maintenance & Engineering Support

• Provide proactive maintenance and engineering support across all production areas to maximize equipment uptime and operational stability.
• Diagnose, repair, and maintain mechanical and electrical faults on a wide range of industrial equipment, including furnace systems, cooling circuits, pumps, motors, and control panels.
• Follow, update, and improve Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) schedules to optimize performance, reduce breakdowns, and extend equipment life.
• Carry out routine inspections on furnaces, refractory linings, burners, induction systems, vacuum systems, and associated utilities.
• Ensure all engineering activities are completed safely and in line with Health & Safety standards, including lock‑out/tag‑out, confined space, and hot‑work procedures.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing equipment reliability, energy efficiency, process stability, and product quality.
• Participate in engineering projects, upgrades, and installations as directed by the Engineering Coordinator or Engineering Manager.
• Manage and maintain engineering tools, spare parts, stores, and technical documentation to ensure availability and compliance.
• Work flexibly to meet production needs, including occasional shift support, call‑outs, or overtime during critical maintenance windows.
• Contribute positively to a strong team culture, supporting colleagues and sharing technical knowledge where appropriate.

Project & Process Improvement

• Assist in planning and delivering engineering projects such as furnace rebuilds, equipment upgrades, automation improvements, and infrastructure enhancements.
• Support commissioning activities, ensuring new equipment is installed safely, tested thoroughly, and handed over effectively to production teams.
• Analyze equipment performance data to identify trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with production, quality, and HSE teams to ensure engineering solutions align with operational, safety, and environmental requirements.

Qualifications

• A multi‑skilled technician with a mechanical bias (approximately 70/30 mechanical to electrical).
• Experience with systems such as temperature control, vacuum systems, water/air cooling, dust extraction, hydraulics, pneumatics, and 3‑phase power.
• Ideally, experience in a foundry, furnace, or molten‑metal environment — however, full training will be provided for the right candidate.
• 5+ years of industrial maintenance experience.
• Strong commitment to Health, Safety, Quality, and Environmental standards, especially in high‑temperature and heavy‑industry settings.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, schematics, and technical manuals.
• A positive attitude, strong self‑motivation, and a willingness to learn and grow with the business.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills with a hands‑on approach and the ability to work under pressure.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with production, engineering, and management teams.

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.

The work environment will be a mix of a typical office environment, a manufacturing floor and a construction site.   Noise level: Normal office, manufacturing and construction noises

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,

ht@usare.com