Senior Strategy & Decision Analyst

Job description

THE ROLE The Senior Strategy & Decision Analyst exists to ensure the Group's most consequential decisions are made with demonstrable Decision Quality (DQ) - that by the time the Board, CEO, or a business unit commits, the decision meets the standard of the six DQ elements: an appropriate frame, creative and doable alternatives, meaningful and reliable information, clear values and trade-offs, sound reasoning, and commitment to action. Given the close interdependence between strategy and decision quality, this role also carries primary responsibility for elaborating the Group's and Business Unit’s cascading strategies, working directly and continuously with the respective leaders - so that strategy and the decisions that implement it are developed together rather than handed off at the end. The role acts as the organization's honest broker: neutral on which alternative wins, uncompromising on the quality of the process that selects it, and on embedding risk-based, optionality-oriented thinking into decisions and their execution design from the outset. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Strategy elaboration Hold regular meetings and workshops with leaders across the organization to elaborate and implement their cascading strategies, help identify their key growth initiatives and strategic issues, and collect bottom-up input for Group strategy iteration. Assist the Board and CEO with Group strategy definition and contribute to the negotiation of key agreements. Help operations translate key growth initiatives and strategic issues into budget inputs, in collaboration with Finance. Shape strategy continuously based on what is happening on the ground and in interactions with stakeholders, and vice versa - ensuring strategy work and decision support reinforce each other rather than operating as separate tracks. Decision framing and structuring Work with the executive team to frame the organization's most consequential decisions: define the decision hierarchy (policy, strategic, tactical), clarify what is being decided, by whom, and against which values, before analysis begins. Structure complex decision situations into clear decision elements - decisions, risks/uncertainties, and values - using influence diagrams, decision hierarchies, and strategy tables. Ensure a genuinely creative and distinct set of alternatives is developed for every major decision, including hybrid strategies, and explicitly preserve optionality in how decisions are executed. Decision analysis and evaluation Lead the quantitative evaluation of strategic alternatives: stochastic analysis for financial and operating and project development decisions, probabilistic financial modelling, Monte Carlo simulation, decision trees, tornado and sensitivity analysis, and real options valuation for staging, deferral, and expansion flexibility. Quantify uncertainty rigorously - elicit calibrated probability assessments from technical and commercial experts, and actively counter cognitive and motivational biases in those inputs. Apply value-of-information and value-of-control analysis to direct study, piloting, and de-risking spend toward the uncertainties that actually matter to the decision. Make value trade-offs explicit - NPV versus risk, growth versus resilience, short-term cash versus strategic positioning - so decision-makers choose with clear eyes rather than by implicit assumption. Embed risk-based analysis upfront into strategy, budgeting, capital planning, project analysis, and M&A analysis, so that risk evaluation shapes both the decision and the method of execution, and stress-test the assumptions underlying strategic choices to build resilience rather than reliance on prediction alone. Decision process facilitation and governance Design and facilitate the dialogue between decision-makers and project/analysis teams (dialogue decision process or equivalent), so that framing, alternatives, analysis, and commitment are iterated with the actual decision-makers, not presented to them at the end. Support decision review boards and stage-gate governance for major capital projects; provide independent DQ assessments of decisions prepared elsewhere in the organization. Assist leaders across organization in structuring, analyzing, and presenting their own difficult decisions, including negotiation support for key agreements. Support strategy and M&A work closely given the strong interdependence of these activities, including contributing decision-analysis input to M&A screening, evaluation, and post-merger integration planning. Organizational decision competency Build the Group's decision-making capability: train executives and analysts in DQ concepts, establish common standards, templates, and language for how decisions and risks of different sizes are framed, analyzed, and documented. Establish a proportionate DQ standard - full decision analysis for major capital and strategic choices, lightweight DQ checks for recurring decisions - and embed it in planning and budgeting cycles with Finance. Build and lead a small decision-support team over time, and manage external decision analysis and consulting support where needed. CANDIDATE PROFILE 10+ years in decision analysis / decision science, or in strategy consulting with a demonstrable decision analysis practice, ideally including natural resources, energy, or capital-intensive industries. Deep practical command of the decision analysis toolkit: decision framing and structuring, probability elicitation and debiasing, Monte Carlo simulation, decision trees and influence diagrams, real options, value of information, multi-objective trade-off analysis, financial modelling and valuation. Proven experience facilitating executive-level decision and strategy processes - comfortable leading workshops with BU, OU, and function leaders to elaborate strategy and challenging senior leaders on frame and logic, while remaining neutral on content. Strong communicator: able to translate probabilistic and abstract concepts into clear insight for Boards and operational leaders, in materials and in the room. Track record of building decision competency in organizations, not just delivering analyses. Affiliation with the Society of Decision Professionals (or equivalent) valued; SDP certification (e.g., Decision Analysis Affiliate/Practitioner) a plus. English fluency required; Portuguese and/or French is an advantage. CORE COMPETENCIES & KEY ATTRIBUTES Integrity & Transparency Commitment to operating with integrity in all stakeholder communications. "Say what you mean, do what you say, and report performance with openness and accuracy." Personal Accountability & Responsibility Willingness to personally and collectively own the consequences of communications decisions. Hold self and teams accountable to the highest standards of accuracy, ethics, and stakeholder responsibility Excellence & Innovation Relentless pursuit of world-class performance. Commitment to developing and deploying leading-edge communications approaches, technologies, and methodologies Agility & Entrepreneurial Drive Ability to move with speed and purpose in dynamic environments. Empower teams to identify opportunities and make decisions rapidly. Treat complexity as an invitation to innovate Partnership & Shared Value Build enduring relationships across internal business units, external stakeholders, and operating communities. Recognize that "we succeed together" and are committed to creating lasting value for shareholders, employees, communities, and society LIVING OUR VALUES The successful candidate will be a member of the Group's Corporate Development team and champion of the Group's values: Courage & Pioneering Spirit, Integrity & Transparency, Personal Responsibility & Zero Harm, Excellence & Innovation, Agility & Entrepreneurial Drive, and Partnership & Shared Value. You will model these values in all strategy facilitation, decision analysis, and stakeholder interactions, acting as the organization's honest broker - bringing intellectual honesty and rigor to the Group's strategy and risk-based decision-making. This is an extraordinary opportunity to shape how a transformative company at the center of the global energy transition and critical materials supply chains frames, analyzes, and commits to its most consequential decisions. If you are an experienced strategy and decision analysis professional who thrives in dynamic, complex environments and is passionate about embedding risk-aware, optionality-driven thinking into a growing organization, we would like to hear from you. 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 accommodation 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 corporation. USA Rare Earth proudly supports Equal Employment Opportunities. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination based on disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status. If you require assistance with the application process due to a disability, please contact to discuss reasonable accommodations. USA Rare Earth and the Serra Verde Group are building the world's leading rare earth enterprise: a pioneering global advanced materials company that excels at every stage of the value chain, from the earth to the magnet and beyond, deploying that expertise with courage, integrity and an uncompromising commitment to responsible practice. We will be the partner of choice for nations, industries and communities that depend on a secure, sustainable supply of the rare earths and other critical materials and derivative technologies that power the modern world. The Critical Elements of Progress - Delivered Responsibly - At Global Scale. The world is being remade. New energy systems are augmenting old ones. New technologies are redefining what is possible in every aspect of our lives. And at the heart of this transformation are the rare earths and other critical elements we produce. We exist to supply these materials. Responsibly. Reliably. At Scale. Across the World. We command the full value chain — and we configure it with precision to reliably serve the needs of growing global and local markets alike. Our people bring world-class technology and deep operational know-how to every step of that chain, ensuring the materials we deliver are produced at scale to the highest standards of quality, efficiency and environmental responsibility. We take that responsibility seriously. We build supply chains that are secure, transparent, diversified and resilient. We create lasting value for our shareholders, our employees, our communities and the societies in whose success we share. Our organizational model is based on the principle of clear accountability and the creation of entrepreneurial enclaves which define business units reflecting the natural components of our supply chain. Each Business Unit retains a profit motive and the responsibly to deliver shareholder returns. However, this cannot occur at the expense of overall Group value.