Job Description

Are you an experienced quality professional with a passion for process improvement, looking for a role where you can drive certification, compliance, and operational excellence from the ground up? If so, read on!

About Us
Critical Materials Recycling, Inc. (CMR) is an early-stage technology company based in Boone, Iowa, advancing the domestic recovery of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) through our patented Acid-Free Dissolution Recycling (ADR) process. REEs are essential to wind turbines, electric vehicles, defense systems, and consumer electronics — and the United States currently depends on foreign sources for the vast majority of its supply.

CMR's ADR technology recovers high-purity mixed Rare Earth Oxide from end-of-life hard disk drives, wind turbine magnets, EV motors, and manufacturing scrap — using no acids or hazardous chemicals. We are operational today, scaling toward 1,000 metric tons of REO production per year.

About the Role
CMR is seeking a Quality Manager to own and manage our Quality Management System from the ground up. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for achieving and maintaining certification across five standards — ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISCC+, and EcoVadis — while embedding quality into daily operations at our Boone facility. The Quality Manager reports to senior leadership and is a key contributor to CMR's Phase 1 scale-up. This is a role for someone who wants to build something that matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain CMR's Quality Management System (QMS)
• Develop, maintain, and control SOPs, work instructions, and documented information in compliance with applicable standards
• Plan and execute internal audits; manage corrective and preventive action (CAPA) processes through to closure
• Establish and monitor process performance metrics and product quality indicators for REO output and feedstock processing
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, customer, environmental, health, and safety requirements
• Partner with operations and technical staff to identify and eliminate process variation and quality escapes
• Lead root cause analysis on nonconformances; drive systemic, not symptomatic, solutions
• Support customer and third-party audits, including those from enterprise partners and government stakeholders
• Contribute to CMR's operational SOPs and process hardening initiatives as part of Phase 1 scale-up

About You

• Demonstrated quality management experience in manufacturing, materials processing, recycling, or a regulated industrial environment
• Demonstrated experience managing or achieving ISO 9001 certification; working knowledge of ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 preferred
• Hands-on experience with internal and external audits, CAPA systems, and document control
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to translate data into action
• Effective communicator across technical, operational, and leadership audiences
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Quality, Environmental Science, or a related field — or equivalent demonstrated experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in metals, specialty chemicals, critical materials, or electronics recycling
• ISO Lead Auditor certification (9001, 14001, or 45001)
• Lean or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or higher)
• Familiarity with environmental and occupational health regulations applicable to materials processing facilities

Why CMR

• Build a quality function at a company solving a genuine national supply chain problem — not maintain one that already exists
• Work directly with leadership at a pre-Series A company where your decisions have immediate impact
• Competitive compensation and benefits