Manager, Corporate Development

Job description

# **About Mariana Minerals** Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We’re reimagining the minerals supply chain by combining deep industry expertise with advanced software, automation, and data-driven decision-making. **The Corporate Development team** Corporate Development raises the capital and closes the transactions that take Mariana's projects from development to operation. The team sits at the intersection of corporate finance, project finance, and M&A, and works directly with the CEO, CFO, and commercial leadership. The team's work spans: • **Corporate and project financing:** equity raises, project-level equity, project finance debt, export credit agency and government-backed financing, venture and corporate debt. • **Structured commercial transactions:** offtake agreements, prepayments, working capital and inventory financing with strategics and commodity trading houses. • **M&A and partnerships:** acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships across lithium, copper, and adjacent minerals. • **Investor relations:** materials, process management, and ongoing engagement with existing and prospective investors and lenders. We are hiring an Associate and a Manager. Both roles report to the Director of Corporate Development, are based in Houston, and will help build how the function itself runs on MarianaOS. **Manager, Corporate Development** The Manager leads transaction workstreams end to end: owning the process, the counterparties, and the analysis behind them. You will negotiate directly, manage advisors, and help shape how Mariana finances its projects and pursues growth. **What you'll do** • Lead individual financing and M&A workstreams from origination through close, including process design, timeline, and counterparty management. • Negotiate commercial and financing terms directly with investors, lenders, strategics, and trading houses, working alongside legal and commercial teams. • Own the financial models and investment cases behind each transaction, and review and direct Associate's work. • Structure transactions across the capital stack: project equity, project finance debt, ECA and government-backed financing, prepayments, and offtake-linked structures. • Manage third-party diligence and advisors, and synthesize findings into clear recommendations for management and the board. • Build and maintain relationships with investors, lenders, and strategic partners. • Help design and build the corp dev function on MarianaOS, and mentor junior team members. **What we're looking for** • 4–7+ years in investment banking, private equity, or corporate development, with experience leading workstreams on closed transactions. • Expert financial modeling and the judgment to know which assumptions drive value. • Demonstrated ability to manage counterparties and negotiate terms. • Executive presence and clear written and verbal communication with senior stakeholders. • Comfort with ambiguity and building process where none exists. • Bachelor's degree required; MBA or CFA a plus. **Nice to have** • Project finance experience in mining, energy, power, or infrastructure. • Exposure to commodity offtake, prepayment, or trade finance structures. • Experience working with export credit agencies, development finance institutions, or government loan programs. **Preferred Location:** Houston, TX (in office). **Alternative Location:** San Francisco, CA (in office). **Target start:** early 2027. ## **Our culture is built on four principles:** **Everyone Gets Home Safe.** We never put speed or cost ahead of people. **Extreme Ownership.** We take full responsibility for outcomes, relentlessly driving toward solutions. **Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate.** We simplify, optimize, and then automate for scale. **Share Your Legos.** We collaborate openly, share knowledge, and empower each other to build bigger, better solutions. **Join us as we build the future of responsible mineral sourcing and supply!**