Critical-Minerals Markets, Pricing, Offtake and Product-Qualification Specialists

New York City, NY

Work arrangement: Remote within the United States, with potential international travel
Engagement: Contingent, part-time/on-call specialist
Anticipated compensation: $150–$300 per hour, depending on qualifications and assignment, or a negotiated fixed price by work package. $300 per hour is the maximum anticipated rate.

Opportunity

Axyde Analytics is assembling a multidisciplinary expert team for anticipated U.S. government-funded project-scoping assignments involving critical minerals and international infrastructure.

We seek specialists capable of evaluating critical-mineral markets, product specifications, pricing mechanisms, customer qualification, offtake arrangements and routes to market.

Potential assignments may involve bulk mineral products, concentrates, intermediate chemicals, refined metals, high-purity materials, battery materials, magnet materials, specialty alloys, recycled products or other critical-mineral supply chains.

Axyde does not expect one candidate to cover every commodity or end market. Applicants should identify the commodities, products and commercial disciplines in which they possess direct, demonstrable expertise.

Specialist Tracks

We are recruiting experts in one or more of the following tracks:

Critical-mineral supply, demand and market-balance analysis
Commodity and specialty-product cost curves
Benchmark, index, negotiated and formula-based pricing
Concentrate treatment charges, refining charges, payability and penalties
Product specifications, impurities, premiums and discounts
Battery-material and active-material qualification
Rare-earth oxide, metal, alloy and magnet markets
High-purity semiconductor and specialty-material markets
Aerospace, defense, nuclear and advanced-material qualification
Ferroalloy, industrial-mineral and fertilizer markets
Offtake agreements, memoranda of understanding and sales contracts
Customer credit, concentration and counterparty risk
Sample programs, testing and customer-acceptance schedules
Logistics, inventory, working capital and title transfer
Market-entry, distributor and sales-channel strategy
U.S. procurement opportunities and supplier engagement
Responsible sourcing, provenance and traceability
Market intelligence and independent commercial review

Potential Responsibilities

Depending on the assignment and specialist track, selected experts may:

Evaluate historical and projected supply, demand, capacity and market balance.
Assess addressable markets, likely customers, competing suppliers and substitutes.
Review product specifications, impurity limits, premiums, discounts and rejection criteria.
Evaluate benchmark, index, formula-based and negotiated pricing structures.
Review concentrate payability, treatment charges, refining charges, assay settlement and penalties.
Assess cost-curve position, marginal supply and exposure to price volatility.
Evaluate sample programs, qualification testing, customer approvals and expected timelines.
Review offtake volume, tenor, pricing, conditions precedent, security and termination provisions.
Assess buyer credibility, customer concentration and counterparty risk.
Evaluate logistics, storage, inventory, working-capital and delivery requirements.
Distinguish indicative interest from commercially credible customer commitment.
Identify decisive market evidence gaps and define outreach or diligence needed before advancement.
Develop downside, break-even and alternative market cases.
Reconcile production assumptions with saleable product, qualification yield and realistic customer demand.
Assess whether proposed projects provide equal and practical access for U.S. firms.
Identify specific U.S. equipment, engineering, technology, service and financing opportunities.
Support outreach to customers, traders, processors, manufacturers, distributors and financiers.
Contribute commercial assumptions to project cash-flow, financing and bankability analyses.
Develop or review market-analysis tasks for feasibility-study or technical-assistance terms of reference.
Participate in sponsor, government, customer, supplier, trader or financing-source discussions.
Support international meetings and market-development missions when required.
Prepare concise commercial findings and recommendations for senior government decision-makers.
Serve as a discipline lead, contributor, same-discipline alternate or independent commercial reviewer.

Required Qualifications

Candidates should possess:

At least 7–10 years of directly relevant market, trading, sales, procurement, product-management, offtake or commercial-advisory experience.
Direct responsibility for identifiable critical-mineral, mining, metals, chemical, battery, magnet, semiconductor, industrial-mineral or advanced-material markets.
Demonstrated experience evaluating product specifications, pricing, customer qualification, offtake or route-to-market decisions.
Ability to distinguish public market commentary from decision-grade commercial evidence.
Experience communicating directly with producers, customers, traders, processors, manufacturers or financiers.
Strong quantitative, written and verbal English-language communication skills.
Ability to prepare concise, decision-oriented commercial analysis.
Ability to collaborate across technical, financial, regulatory and supply-chain disciplines.
Either U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent-resident status in the United States.
Legal authorization to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.
Willingness and ability to travel internationally when an assignment requires it.
No known employment, confidentiality, intellectual-property, noncompete, trading or conflict-of-interest restriction that would prevent participation.

Experience involving emerging markets, international project development, development-finance institutions, export-credit agencies or U.S. government-supported projects is particularly valuable.

Application Information Requested

Please submit a résumé and a brief response identifying:

The commodities, products and end markets with which you have direct experience.
Your strongest specialties in market analysis, pricing, qualification, offtake or commercial strategy.
Up to five representative projects, transactions, product launches, contracts or studies and your personal responsibilities on each.
Your experience negotiating, structuring or independently reviewing offtake or sales arrangements.
Your experience with customer qualification and product-acceptance processes.
Countries and regions in which you have worked.
Whether you can serve as a commercial lead, independent reviewer, or both.
Your current U.S. location.
Whether you are a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
Your availability during the next 30 days.
Your ability to travel internationally and any geographic restrictions.
Your anticipated hourly rate.
Any actual or potential conflicts involving producers, customers, traders, investors, governments, project sponsors or current employers.

Engagement Conditions

This is a contingent opportunity supporting anticipated government-funded assignments. No employment, contract award, minimum workload or particular assignment is guaranteed.

Selection for an assignment will depend on contract award, the specific commodity and commercial question, qualifications, availability, eligibility, conflicts, travel requirements, mutually acceptable compensation and execution of appropriate employment or consulting documentation.

Axyde may tailor and reformat selected résumés for proposal compliance without materially changing the candidate’s qualifications or experience.

Axyde Analytics
Strategic minerals • Supply-chain security • U.S. industrial base