Rare Earth
Rare Earths Recruitment & Executive Search
Specialist retained search across global rare earths, critical minerals and advanced materials markets.
Rare earths is a market where job titles can be misleading. Two people may both have worked in “critical minerals” and still have completely different experience. One may know mining and concentrates. Another may have spent years around separation, oxides or magnet materials. Someone else may sit much further downstream with customers in automotive, electronics or defence.
That distinction matters when we search.
Imperium works across international commodity markets on a retained basis, and we keep the number of mandates we take on within any one niche deliberately limited. In rare earths, that lets us focus on the actual supply chain behind the brief rather than treating the market as one broad metals talent pool.
For some searches, the relevant network may sit around producers and processors. For others, it may be traders, procurement specialists, project developers or people with very specific technical-commercial experience.
Understanding the Rare Earths Market
Seventeen elements. Several very different markets.
“Rare earths” is a useful umbrella term, but commercially it hides a lot.
NdPr sits at the heart of permanent-magnet demand. Dysprosium and terbium matter for higher-performance applications. Other rare earth elements have very different uses across catalysts, electronics, glass, ceramics and specialist manufacturing.
The supply chain also changes as material moves from ore to concentrate, separated oxide, metal, alloy and finished magnet.
That is why a good search cannot begin with “find us someone from rare earths”. It has to begin with which part of rare earths, doing what, for whom, and in which market.
Mining & Mineral Resources
Rare earth projects can begin with very different mineral deposits, grades and development models. Experience may sit across exploration, mine development, production, concentrates and the commercial side of bringing material to market.
Separation & Refining
Separating mixed rare earth feedstocks into individual oxides and metals is one of the most specialised parts of the supply chain. Technical knowledge, plant capability and customer specifications matter heavily here.
Magnet Materials
NdPr, neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium are closely tied to permanent-magnet supply chains. These markets connect rare earth production with automotive, wind, electronics and other advanced manufacturing.
Trading & Procurement
Commercial roles can span concentrates, oxides, metals and specialist materials. Relevant experience is often shaped by product form, customer base, supplier relationships and the geography of the supply chain.
Downstream & Advanced Applications
Rare earth demand reaches well beyond mining. Automotive, electronics, catalysts, glass, ceramics, defence and specialist manufacturing all create different commercial and technical requirements.
Projects, Strategy & Specialist Leadership
New rare earth projects often combine technical, commercial and strategic complexity. Searches can involve project development, market analysis, supply-chain strategy, investment, leadership and technical-commercial roles.
The Global Rare Earths Market
Mining is concentrated. Processing is even more so.
Rare earth production is spread across several countries, but not evenly.
USGS estimates put global mine production at around 390,000 tonnes of rare-earth-oxide equivalent in 2025. China produced roughly 270,000 tonnes of that total, close to seven out of every ten tonnes mined worldwide. *USGS Publications
The gap after the largest producers is considerable. The United States and Australia have meaningful output, while Myanmar remains important, particularly within heavy rare earth supply chains.
And mining is only one part of the picture. Separation and processing capacity is even more concentrated, which is a big reason rare earth supply chains attract so much strategic attention. USGS has estimated China at more than 70% of global extraction and around 87% of processing. *US Geological Survey
Which Countries Produce the Most Rare Earths?
China remains comfortably the world’s largest producer of rare earths. The United States ranked second in 2025, followed by Australia and Myanmar.
| Rank | Country | 2025 Mine Production (REO Equiv.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 270,000 tonnes |
| 2 | United States | 51,000 tonnes |
| 3 | Australia | 29,000 tonnes |
| 4 | Myanmar | 22,000 tonnes |
| 5 | Thailand | 4,800 tonnes |
| 6 | India | 2,900 tonnes |
| 7 | Madagascar | 2,700 tonnes |
| 8 | Russia | 2,600 tonnes |
| 9 | Brazil | 2,000 tonnes |
| 10 | Nigeria | 1,500 tonnes |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. Figures are estimated 2025 mine production in metric tonnes of rare-earth-oxide equivalent. USGS lists Myanmar as Burma.
Mining Is Only the First Bottleneck
A mine does not produce a finished magnet. Rare earth material may still need concentrating, separation, refining, conversion into metals or alloys and, for magnet applications, further manufacturing before it reaches the customer.
That is where the shape of this market gets interesting. A country can have significant resources in the ground without having the processing capacity, technology or downstream industry needed to turn them into finished rare earth products.
For search, those stages create very different talent pools.
390,000 tonnes
Estimated global rare earth mine production in 2025
Measured as rare-earth-oxide equivalent.
270,000 tonnes
Chinese mine production in 2025 (estimation)
Roughly 69% of global mine output.
85m+ tonnes
Estimated global rare earth reserves
China holds around 44 million tonnes, with Brazil holding a further 21 million tonnes.
Why Magnets Matter
Permanent magnets account for around 95% of global rare earth consumption by value. NdFeB magnets are used across EV motors, wind turbines, electronics, robotics and other advanced technologies.
Major Rare Earth Companies & Market Participants
A simple production ranking does not tell the whole story here.
Rare earth companies can sit in very different parts of the supply chain.
Some mine and concentrate ore. Others specialise in separation and refining. Further downstream are businesses producing metals, alloys, magnet materials and finished magnets. A handful are building more integrated operations across several of those stages.
Established Producers & Processors
China Northern Rare Earth
China Rare Earth Group
Lynas Rare Earths
MP Materials
Market context: Companies are included as examples of significant participants in the global rare earths market. Inclusion does not imply a commercial relationship with or endorsement of Imperium Commodity Search.
New & Expanding Supply Chains
Iluka Resources
Arafura Rare Earths
Neo Performance Materials
Energy Fuels
Market context: Companies are included as examples of significant participants in the global rare earths market. Inclusion does not imply a commercial relationship with or endorsement of Imperium Commodity Search.
Different Stages Create Different Talent Markets
A mine developer, separation plant and magnet producer may all describe themselves as rare earth businesses, but the people they need can be completely different.
Processing chemistry, plant commissioning, product knowledge, customer qualification and downstream manufacturing all create specialist experience that may exist in only a small number of companies worldwide.
Hidden in stone. Critical to everything that moves.
Rare Earths Talent Across a Strategic Supply Chain
The right experience is often concentrated in a surprisingly small number of places.
Rare earths is global, but the expertise is not spread evenly.
Mining projects may sit in Australia, the United States, China, Africa or Latin America. Separation and refining can be concentrated somewhere else entirely. Move further downstream into alloys, magnet materials and finished magnets, and the talent map changes again.
That means the location of the role is often a poor guide to where the best people will be.
Producing & Project Markets
Australia, China, the Americas & Africa
A lot of rare earth expertise is built around mine development, mineral processing and the early stages of the supply chain.
Australia and China remain important centres of production, while projects in the United States, Brazil and parts of Africa are creating new pools of technical and commercial experience.
The relevant people may come from mining, metallurgy, project development, concentrate marketing or producer-side commercial roles.
Separation & Processing Markets
China, Malaysia, Europe & the United States
This is where the talent pool can become much tighter.
Rare earth separation and refining require specialist plant knowledge, chemistry and operating experience. A relatively small number of businesses have built that capability at commercial scale, so relevant people may be found well outside the country where a new project is being developed.
For some searches, the processing background matters more than the passport.
Magnets & Downstream Manufacturing
Asia, Europe & North America
Further downstream, the market becomes closely linked to magnets, advanced materials and manufacturing.
China, Japan and South Korea have deep experience around permanent magnets and related supply chains. Europe and North America are also investing in more domestic capability, particularly around automotive, energy and strategic industries.
That creates a different pool of commercial, technical and leadership talent from the people found upstream.
The Search Often Has to Cross the Supply Chain
A role may sit with a mine developer, processor or magnet business, but the person with the right experience may have built their career somewhere quite different.
In rare earths, knowing which stage of the chain matters most is usually the first step in knowing where to search.
Who We Search for in Rare Earths
Rare earth experience can be highly specialised, and job titles only tell part of the story.
Some mandates need mining or metallurgical experience. Others depend on separation chemistry, magnet materials, downstream manufacturing or people who understand how rare earth products actually move through the market.
The common thread is relevance. The right person usually knows a particular part of the chain extremely well.
Trading, Marketing & Procurement
Commercial roles can cover concentrates, oxides, metals, alloys and specialist materials.
The strongest candidates often bring a clear product background, supplier or customer relationships, and a working knowledge of how pricing, specifications and availability differ across regions.
Typical profiles may include:
Physical Traders · Product Marketers · Procurement Specialists · Originators · Commercial Managers · Business Development
Mining, Processing & Technical Commercial
A rare earth project can need people who understand far more than the geology.
Relevant experience may include metallurgy, mineral processing, separation, refining, plant commissioning and technical sales. In some searches, the technical background is just as important as the commercial one.
Relevant experience can include:
Metallurgy · Mineral Processing · Separation · Refining · Technical Sales · Process Development · Plant Leadership
Magnets, Materials & Downstream Markets
The downstream end of the market has its own talent pool.
People working around NdFeB magnets, alloys, advanced materials or specialist manufacturing can bring customer and application knowledge that may not exist upstream.
Typical profiles may include:
Magnet Materials · Alloy Sales · Advanced Materials · Automotive Supply Chains · Electronics · Strategic Procurement · Customer Development
Projects, Strategy & Leadership
Rare earth businesses are still building new capacity in mining, processing and downstream manufacturing.
That creates demand for people who can develop projects, raise and deploy capital, build teams, enter new markets and turn technical capability into a commercial business.
Relevant experience can include:
Project Development · Strategy · Investment · Market Analysis · Operations Leadership · Commercial Leadership · Senior Executive Appointments
In Rare Earths, Specialist Knowledge Is Hard to Fake
A broad mining, chemicals or metals background can help, but it is not always enough.
When the brief depends on separation, NdPr, heavy rare earths, magnet materials or a particular downstream market, the strongest candidates are usually the people who have already lived in that part of the supply chain.
A Selective Approach to Rare Earths Search
Some markets reward breadth. Rare earths often rewards depth.
Imperium works on a retained basis and limits the number of clients we represent within any one specialist market at a time.
That matters in rare earths. The talent pool can be small, the relevant companies may be spread across several countries, and the best person for a mandate may sit in a very specific part of the supply chain.
We start by understanding what the role actually needs. Which products matter? Which part of the process? Which customers, technologies or markets does the person need to know?
From there, we can map the businesses and individuals that make sense for the brief.
For Clients
Considering a senior, specialist or difficult-to-reach hire within the rare earths market?
For Professionals
We do not carry a high volume of vacancies within any one commodity market, but we welcome confidential conversations with experienced rare earth professionals where there is a relevant retained mandate or where your experience may be relevant to future search work.
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