Director - IT Compliance

Position Overview: 

USA Rare Earth is seeking a highly skilled and adaptable Director of IT Compliance to lead the development, implementation, and acceleration of the company’s IT compliance, governance, and risk management programs during a period of rapid growth and regulatory change.

This role is critical as the organization prepares for an accelerated SOX and regulatory compliance timeline, requiring a leader who can build programs from the ground up, operationalize policies across the business, and partner effectively with technical and non-technical teams in both IT and manufacturing (OT) environments.

The ideal candidate brings deep compliance expertise combined with a pragmatic, collaborative leadership style and experience operating in fast-paced, evolving organizations (startup, scale-up, or highly dynamic environments).

This position works closely with cybersecurity, operations, finance, quality, legal, and external auditors to ensure the company remains secure, compliant, and audit-ready without disrupting production or business momentum.

Key Responsibilities: 

Compliance Program Leadership

• Build, implement, and mature the company’s IT compliance framework aligned with standards such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOX, CMMC, GDPR, and industry-specific requirements.
• Lead accelerated compliance initiatives in response to changing SOX and regulatory obligations.
• Develop, refine, and roll out IT policies, procedures, and technical controls across the enterprise, ensuring adoption and understanding by stakeholders.
• Lead internal and external IT audits, including planning, evidence collection, remediation, and reporting.
• Monitor regulatory changes and emerging compliance risks and advise leadership on required actions.

Risk Management & Governance

• Conduct regular IT and OT risk assessments and drive mitigation strategies in collaboration with business and technical teams.
• Oversee third-party and vendor risk management, including security assessments and contract compliance.
• Embed compliance requirements into new technology initiatives, system upgrades, and digital transformation projects.
• Establish governance structures that support consistent and scalable control implementation across business units.

Cybersecurity & Manufacturing Alignment

• Partner with cybersecurity teams to ensure security controls meet regulatory and compliance expectations.
• Support incident response planning, tabletop exercises, and post-incident reviews from a compliance perspective.
• Ensure manufacturing systems (ICS/SCADA/OT) adhere to security and compliance standards while maintaining production continuity.

Training, Communication & Culture

• Develop and deliver IT compliance training and awareness programs for employees, contractors, and system owners.
• Promote a culture of accountability, security, and compliance through clear communication and collaborative engagement.
• Translate complex compliance requirements into practical, business-friendly guidance for teams under high operational pressure.

Documentation & Reporting

• Maintain accurate documentation of controls, processes, audit results, and remediation activities.
• Provide regular compliance updates and risk reporting to executive leadership.
• Track and report key compliance metrics and risk indicators.

Qualifications:

• 8–12+ years of experience in IT compliance, IT audit, cybersecurity governance, or related fields.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Business, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Demonstrated experience building and scaling compliance programs in growing or evolving organizations.
• Experience in manufacturing, industrial, or regulated environments strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to lead audits and regulatory initiatives under compressed timelines.

Preferred Certifications:

CISA, CISM, CRISC, CISSP, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer/Auditor, or similar.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of IT general controls, cybersecurity frameworks, and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to balance structure and flexibility in a fast-moving environment.
• Collaborative leadership style with strong emotional intelligence and communication skills.
• Ability to translate compliance into practical, actionable controls without creating unnecessary friction.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and project management capabilities.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building programs from the ground up.

Compensation:

The base salary range for this role is $215,000 – $239,000, with final compensation determined by factors such as experience, skills, and geographic location. This role may also be eligible for a target bonus and equity, depending on level and performance.

Physical Demands:

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 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, [email protected], to discuss reasonable accommodations.