Manager, Commercial Applications

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence and Transparency.

The Manager, Commercial Applications will lead Vulcan Element’s customer engagement and qualification pipeline—from first contact through long-term partnership. This role is responsible for managing customer relationships, coordinating technical and commercial requirements across internal teams, and ensuring a seamless customer experience from quote to contract.

You will serve as the voice of the customer across the organization - translating market and customer needs into actionable input for operations, product development, and leadership. This is a highly cross-functional role requiring both commercial and technical fluency.

** Responsibilities **

• ** Customer Pipeline Management: ** Own the full commercial pipeline including quotes, sampling, qualification, and transition to production.

• ** Customer Engagement: ** Serve as the primary point-of-contact for customers—building relationships, coordinating site visits, and ensuring timely communication throughout all stages of engagement.

• ** Voice of the Customer: ** Translate customer requirements and feedback into clear technical and operational inputs for internal teams.

• ** Qualification Coordination: ** Work closely with operations, R&D, and quality teams to ensure all customer testing and qualification milestones are met.

• ** Quoting and Commercial Support: ** Lead the quotation process, ensuring pricing and terms align with company strategy and cost structure.

• ** Cross-Functional Collaboration: ** Partner with operations to align production schedules, sample delivery, and customer timelines.

• ** CRM and Reporting: ** Maintain accurate records of customer status, technical progress, and commercial forecasts in CRM and internal reporting systems.

• ** Market Awareness: ** Support the Commercial team in gathering competitive intelligence and identifying emerging customer or market opportunities.

• Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business *

** Qualifications **

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, materials science, business, or a related field.

• 7+ years of experience in engineering, technical sales, business development, or customer program management - preferably in advanced manufacturing, materials, or automotive/aerospace sectors.

• Proven ability to manage complex programs with technical deliverables (e.g., samples, testing, or qualification).

• Strong communication and relationship management skills across technical and executive audiences.

• Demonstrated experience working cross-functionally with operations, R&D, and quality teams.

• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities. *

** Desired Skills **

• Experience in rare-earth materials, magnetics, or related advanced materials markets.

• MBA preferred.

• Familiarity with defense or aerospace procurement processes.

• Technical aptitude in magnet design, materials processing, mechanical engineering, or component manufacturing.

• Experience building and maintaining CRM pipelines and customer reporting systems.

** Why Join Vulcan Elements **

You’ll play a key role in rebuilding America’s rare-earth magnet supply chain - supporting national security, economic resilience, and industrial leadership. As part of a fast-growing team, you’ll have the opportunity to directly influence both customer success and company growth.